1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
853 
Mote for \\)t Mont!;. 
Communications have been received, since our last, 
from Arthur S. Copeman, A Farmer’s Daughter, D. 
H. W., Enquirer, Dean, An Observer, Aquarius, Ed¬ 
gar M. Woodford, A Farmer’s Wife, S. M. Norton, A 
Farmer, H. V. L., Old Suffolk. 
Books, Phamphlets, &c., have been received as 
follows:—Descriptive Catalogue of Garden Seeds, cul¬ 
tivated and sold at the Wethersfield Seed Garden, by 
Comstock, Ferre &t Co.—The Scottish Ag. Journal 
for August—Report of the Commissioners of Patents for 
1848, from Hon. Wm. L. Dayton, M. C.—-A Basket 
of very fine Isabella Grapes, from Dr. Underhill, 
Croton Point. 
“ Northern Sweet” Apple. —We have receiv¬ 
ed from Mr. J. Battey, of Keeseville, Clinton 
county, N. Y., a specimen of this apple. We think 
it is superior in quality to any other sweet apple 
we have ever seen. It is of good size and fine 
form. It ripens in October and continues into No¬ 
vember. We understand it originated in Chitten¬ 
den county, Yt. 
Substance on a Pear. —Mr. J. S. Doane of 
Kinderhook, has left us a pear on which there is a 
substance having the appearance of a species of 
fungus, but which is in reality the eggs of an in¬ 
sect—the hemirobius. This insect, in its larvae 
state, is called the “ lion of the aphides,” a name 
significant of its habit of subsisting on plant-lice. 
In its perfect state, it is a beautiful four-winged 
fly, whose body is a glossy green. It lays its eggs, 
commonly, on the leaves of plants, which are af¬ 
fected by the aphis, and the young “ lions” com¬ 
mence their slaughter as soon as they are hatched. 
They are provided with sharp and strong forceps 
with which they seize and hold the aphides till they 
can suck their juices. The manner in which the 
eggs are deposited is curious. The egg is covered 
with a viscous matter, and being in part protruded, 
is applied by the insect to the leaf; and as the fly 
withdraws its abdomen, the viscid matter is drawn 
out in the form of a thread, leaving the egg on the 
end, about half an inch from the leaf. 
Castor-Oil Bean. —A subscriber wishes informa¬ 
tion in regard to the cultivation of the castor-bean, and 
the processes necessary to fit the oil for market, the 
machinery required for pressing, &c. Will some one 
acquainted with the business give us an article on the 
subject ? 
Exemption of Trees from Blight —In a visit 
to Mount Ida Farm, Troy, the residence of Henry 
Vail, Esq., in August last, we were struck with 
the healthiness and vigor of all the trees and shrubs. 
No “fire-blight” has ever touched the pear trees 
here, and the place has become noted for the pro¬ 
duction of the finest gooseberries, always unblem¬ 
ished by mildew. What is the cause of this exemp¬ 
tion? is the question which naturally arises. In 
answer to this we will state some of the circum¬ 
stances belonging to the location. The place com¬ 
prises about forty acres, embracing a large portion 
of the top of a somewhat isolated elevation, several 
hundred feet above the river; thus ensuring a very 
free circulation of air. The soil is a slaty loam, 
generally rather loose at the surface, with a sub¬ 
soil sufficiently open to allow the ready filtration of 
water. It has been highly manured with stable 
manure, which has been thoroughly mixed with the 
•oil. We would suggest that the deep stirring of 
the soil, with the action of the ammonia of the ma¬ 
nure, may tend to develop potash and other min¬ 
eral elements in the earth, which are required by 
the trees; while the freedom from stagnant water 
in the soil and subsoil, prevents the formation of 
acids, which are prejudicial to vegetation. 
Mr. Vail is devoting much attention to the cul¬ 
ture of choice fruits, and his success in all depart¬ 
ments has been highly satisfactory. The location, 
besides possessing the advantages we have men¬ 
tioned, is one of the most beautiful in the country, 
commanding a splendid view of the surrounding 
scenery. 
Crops in North Carolina. —Mr. S J. Wheeler, 
of Murfreesborough, N. C., writes; “ Our crops of 
corn and peas are unusually good. Cotton only ordi¬ 
nary. The late frosts in the spring destroyed nearly 
all the fruit. Wc have a few apples; no peaches; figs 
and trees all killed to the ground. Otaheitan mulberry 
trees that were set out this spring are injured, but 
those that were set out one or two years ago are every 
one dead. Can you account for this ?” 
Mules. —The only specimen of this very useful kind 
of farm-stock at the State Fair, was exhibited by Jo~ 
siah Cloyes, of Morrisville, Madison county. They 
were a pair of muscular animals, nearly fifteen hands 
high. Mr. C. has used mules on his farm for several 
years, substituting their labor for that of horses to a 
great extent, and he states that he finds the profit 
greatly in favor of the mules. He states the cost of 
keeping at two-thirds that of horses, and the mules do 
the same amount ol work, ordinarily, that is done by 
the same number of horses. 
Spanish Cattle. —At the Cattle Show of the Mas¬ 
sachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture, held at 
Brighton, in 1828, there were exhibited several fat cat¬ 
tle said to have been the progeny of a Spanish bull. 
They were generally well shaped animals, and accord¬ 
ing to the recollection of the writer, were approved by 
the butchers. We have since seen at the Worcester 
shows, stock said to be descended from the same bull. 
Will some of our friends in Worcester county give ua 
the history of the stock alluded to? Where did it com© 
from, and what were its qualities? 
Fall Crops. —A large portion of the northern sec¬ 
tion of the country, embracing New England, a part of 
New Jersey, and a large part of New York, has been 
visited by a drouth of unusual severity. Excepting 
some light showers, of very limited extent, rain did 
not fall in sufficient quantity to sensibly benefit vege¬ 
tation, from about the middle of June till the sixth of 
August. In the northern part of New York, in Ver¬ 
mont, and portions of New Hampshire and Maine, the 
drouth came on so early as to lessen the hay crop to 
the amount, in many places, of one-half. In other sec¬ 
tions, the hay crop, so far as heard from, was good. 
Throughout a large portion of New York, the oat crop, 
is nearly ruined, and Indian corn will be cut short to a 
large amount; though we are unable to tell, at present, 
what may be the effect of the late favorable rains in 
resuscitating the corn and potatoes. Grass is already 
beginning to show the benefits of increased moisture, 
and the fall feed may compensate, in a good degree, 
for the deficiency of hay in some sections. 
Quality of Milk. —We have often remarked that it 
is the quality of milk, rather than the quantity, which 
gives value to the dairy-cow. Great astonishment is 
sometimes produced by statements of the large quantity 
of milk yielded daily, by some cows. But such state¬ 
ments are of little consequence. The most remarkable 
cows for the production of butter, have given but 
medium quantities of milk. For instance, the cele- 
brated Sussex, or Cramp cow, which for several years 
