226 
THL CULTIVATOR. 
Amount of the several bodies, organic and inorganic, 
in 1000 lbs. of the fresh fruit. Calculated from, the 
foregoing analyses. 
. Expressed in lbs. and decimals of a lb. 
Carbonic acid,.... 0.2889 
Silicic acid,. 0.1038 
Sulphuric acid,. 0.2898 
Phosphoric acid and peroxide of iron,. 1.7595 
Lime, .. 0.0046 
Magnesia,..... 0.0828 
Potash, .. . 1.2496 
Soda,. 1.9525 
Sodium,. 0.0686 
Chlorine,... 0.1057 
Organic acids,.. 0.1341 
Amount of ash in 1000 lbs,. 6.0400 
Sweet matter and extract,. 40.9900 
Starch with a little fibre,. 4.9220 
Albumen,.... .. 3.4383 
Casein,. 2.6967 
Dextrine or gum,. 4.9889 
Fibre, .'..... 10.2476 
Matter separated from the fibre by a weak 
solution of potash, resembles albumen, .. 13.1465 
Amount of proximate principles in 1000 lbs., 80.4300 
Water in 1000 lbs.,...*. 913.5300 
Total,. 1000 lbs. 
About 86.3 lbs. in the thousand is solid matter: of 
this 6 lbs are made up of inorganic and the rest of or¬ 
ganic matter This calculation was made to show the 
read or actual composition of the fruit. 
insect in Cherry Trees. 
Eds. Cultivator —Enclosed is a section of the 
trunk of a cherry tree five or six years old, containing 
an insect in its various stages, from the egg to the per¬ 
fect insect, of whose name and history I am not ac¬ 
quainted ; but which has proved fatal to one of my 
trees, and from their numbers iif*this, may prove so to 
more, if a remedy cannot be found. My attention was 
called to the tree soon after the opening of the leaf 
buds, from their withering up, as though seared by firfe 
or frost—the latter of which I supposed to be the 
cause j but on examining the tree closely, I discovered 
small perforations through the bark, and penetrating 
the wood, as may be seen in the section enclosed. The 
insect appears to be a stranger in this section, nor can 
I find any account of it in any work in my possession. 
Its history, if known, may be of use not only to my¬ 
self, but to many of the readers of u The Cultivator.” 
William Wanzer. New-Milford, Litchfield co., Ct., 
Uth of 6th mo. .’49. 
The insect above described is a beetle evidently be¬ 
longing to the family Boslrichidce. It closely resem¬ 
bles the species described by Kollar as the Bostrichus 
dispar (Apate dispar of some naturalists)—and may 
be identical. If so it has probably been imported in 
trees. It is very destructive when it becomes nume¬ 
rous j as two or more generations are produced in a sea¬ 
son, and the tree is bored in every direction; and though 
the holes are not larger than would be made with a 
common knitting-needle, the effect is to derange the 
circulation of the sap; the health of the tree is soon 
impaired, and its life finally destroyed. As to a reme¬ 
dy, Kollar observes —“ With respect’to the destruction 
of these insects, their history shows, that the only way 
is to cut oft the branches that are infected, and should 
the trunk be also attacked, the whole tree must be cut 
down, and conveyed out of the orchard; which need 
not be regretted as it would soon die of itself.” Eds. 
July, 
Test for Good Limestone. 
The best lime for agricultural purposes is that which 
is lightest, whitest, and softest to the touch; the purest 
and strongest lime is always found the lightest. If 
then by calcination limestone loses much of its weight 
by the processif the lime-shells are extremely light, 
and require, for slaking them fully, a large portion of 
water; if they are a considerable time before they be¬ 
gin to fall; if, during the process of burning, the lime¬ 
stone is not disposed to run or become vitrified; if it 
increases very much in bulk by slaking, and the lime is 
of a pure white, and fine and light to the touch, it may 
be set down as very good, and should be used in pre¬ 
ference to other lime not possessing the same qualities. 
—-English Paper. 
Dung of Poultry. —Pigeons’ dung is of a very 
powerful nature, but hot and stimulating, and abounds 
with the volatile alkaline principle. It contains uric 
acid, and gives by distillation carbonate of ammonia— 
yields subtle matter in water, and is very liable to fer¬ 
ment. It also possesses an acid of a very peculiar na¬ 
ture, which increases when the matter is diluted with 
water, but gradually gives place to ammonia, which is 
at last abundantly exhaled. It affords carbonate of 
ammonia, and leaves as a residuum carbonate of lime 
and saline matter, chiefly common salt. It should be 
applied fresh, as fermentation diminishes the quantity 
of soluble matter. The dung of poultry contains sili¬ 
ca, and phosphate and carbonate of lime; and, along 
with the dung of pigeons, has been dried, broken down 
and powdered, and mixed with earthy substamces, and 
applied during moist weather, and covered by harrow¬ 
ing of the seed, at the rate of forty or fifty bushels an 
acre. If used fresh, the quantity must be small; but 
as a very small quantity of such excrements will come 
into the possession of the farmer, the readiest and pro¬ 
bably the most economical application will be to spread 
it evenly on the top of a dung heap, just before its be¬ 
ing turned over, which will mix the substances, and ex¬ 
tend the benefits equally. The-excrements of animals, 
as birds, dogs, swine, poultry and pigeons, that eat 
food of nature and preparation similar to that of man, 
is of much better quality as a manure than that of those 
animals, as cows and horses, that are fed with grass 
and cooked food: but the difference may be partially 
owing to the constitutional structure of the animal, and 
the nature of the digestive organs.— Png. Farmers } 
Herald. 
Glass Varnish. —The Maine Farmer states that a 
kind of soluble glass may be made, which, being ap¬ 
plied to wood, will render it fire-proof. Take fifteen 
parts of powdered flint or quartz rock, ten of potash, 
and one of charcoal. These are melted together, then 
worked in cold water, then boiled with five parts of wa¬ 
ter, in which it will dissolve. It may then be applied 
to wood work or any other substance. As it cools it 
gelatinizes and dries into a transparent varnish or glass, 
and the substance thus becomes coated in such a way 
as to render it incombustible. The editor adds that he 
has never tried the experiment himself, but that it 
would not be difficult or expensive to give it a trial. 
Coffee a Disinfectant. —It is said that the odor 
of roasting coffee is a most powerful disinfecting agent. 
Take a red hot shovel with a few kernels of coffee upon 
it, and it will remove- entirely the most offensive odor 
arising from decaying animal or vegetable matter, or 
from any other source; a fact worth knowing where 
the cholera prevails. A friend of ours assures us that 
he has tried the article as recommended and it answers 
the purpose effectually. 
