THE CULTIVATOR. 
223 
herbage, and on this account it might be an object to have 
their yard well set with this plant. Gravel, and lime or 
pounded lime stone, must not be omitted, and it must be 
fresh and clean. 
It seems strange that fowls should quietly submit to 
have their feathers drawn out in the manner described. 
We have seen roosters stand perfectly still while two or 
three hens were round them, each occasionally plucking 
a feather, which was generally swallowed. A little 
cringing by the rooster, w’hen a feather required an un¬ 
common jerk , was all the ado made. When a spot on 
the body of the fowl is once plucked bare, it is generally 
kept so—the young feathers just as they appear through 
the skin, seeming to be preferred. They are then full of 
bloody juices. Can any one explain the cause of this 
morbid appetite, or tell us the best way of keeping fowls 
in a yard 1 
TREES IN DROUTH. 
The past spring having been unusually dry, some in¬ 
teresting observations have been made in relation to the 
influence of different modes of treatment, for securing 
success in transplanting. 
All fruit and other trees, as soon as they are taken from 
the soil, should have the roots immediately immersed in 
mud prepared for the occasion. This coats the surface, 
prevents drying, and when the tree is set out, continuous 
contact is maintained between the soil and the roots. 
Small apple trees, the leaves of which were half an inch 
to an inch long, and set out in dry weather, and suffered 
much in consequence, one-third of them dying, and the 
rest of them lingering with little growth during summer. 
Another portion of the same lot of trees were immersed 
in mud. Not one in ten of these died, and those which 
lived, made, the same year, double the growth of those 
which were unmudded. Several experiments made the 
present year, fully confirm the eminent advantages of 
thus coating the roots with mud. 
Another important requisite in setting out young trees, 
and especially so if they are set out in spring, is pouring 
in water to settle the earth among the fine roots. Many 
trees are lost solely in consequence of the cavities in the 
earth, in contact with the roots, occasioned by a careless 
manner of shovelling in the earth; half a pail of water 
dashed in, fills these cavities, and settles the soil closely 
among the roots, without packing it to hardness. A row 
of twenty peach trees,.set out this spring, and treated in 
this way, are all growing vigorously, and are from two 
weeks to one month ahead of another row, where this 
precaution was omitted. 
In very dry seasons, during the latter part of spring 
and the early part of summer, it sometimes happens that 
trees well set out suffer seriously from drouth, and not 
unfrequently perish from a want of moisture. Water is 
applied as a remedy; but it often happens that the hard 
surface prevents it from sinking deep into the soil, the 
surface only becomes wet, and afterwards bakes to a 
crust, while the roots are little benefitted. To obviate 
this difficulty, remove carefully, with a hoe or spade, 
several inches of soil from above the roots, then pour 
into the cavity thus formed, half a pail of water, and as 
soon as it settles into the earth replace the earth. The 
roots thus receive the direct benefit of the water, and the 
surface of the earth is left mellow. A neighbor, who 
had set out many trees last autumn, and fearing a loss of 
half of them, was directed to water them by the mode 
here recommended. He did so, anti now all of them are 
doing well, except one doubtful tree. Similar success 
attended the practice of the writer, where a row of peach 
trees were set out in his absence, without mudding the 
roots, or dashing in water. During the late severe drouth, 
nearly all of them presented a very discouraging appear¬ 
ance; but they were thoroughly watered by a removal 
of the surface earth as just described, and now all of them 
are growing. 
It is familiar to most intelligent cultivators, that noth¬ 
ing tends more effectually to retain the moisture of the 
soil than constantly stirring and mellowing the surface. 
At the same time, it promotes the growth of young trees 
to a degree almost incredible to one w r ho has npver tried 
it. Hence a constant and thorough mellowing of the 
surface of the ground for many feet around such trees, 
by spading or other effectual mode of loosening, is at 
this season of the year of the most vital consequence. 
PEA-BUG —Bruchus pisa. 
Everybody has seen peas with weevils in them. 
While the pea is growing and the pod is soft, the 
parent insect punctures the pod exactly opposite the 
young pea and deposits an egg. From this egg a mag¬ 
got soon proceeds, which works its way directly into the 
pea, and feeds on its substance. The larva reaches its 
full size, and passes into the pupa state in the fall, and 
the succeeding spring emerges from the pea a winged 
beetle or weevil. The maggot may sometimes be de¬ 
tected in green peas, and Dr. Harris observes that few 
persons while indulging in this luxury are “aware how 
many insects they unconsciously swallow.” By close 
examination, a small dark spot may be seen on the pea, 
and on opening it the maggot may be discovered. The 
germ of the pea is not always (perhaps not generally) 
destroyed by the insect, but the pea is rendered unfit for 
culinary purposes. This is a serious injury, as all will 
acknowledge who are acquainted with the value of dry 
peas used in soups, and other forms, on the table. 
In this country, the insect is much less common in 
Canada and the more northern portions of the United 
States, than further south. In Maine and Vermont, for 
example, they occasion but little damage, peas being there 
raised which are perfectly sound and free from bugs, and 
meet with ready sale in our large cities. The attack of 
the insect may, however, be in some degree obviated in 
any section. It is ascertained that its operations are only 
continued through a portion of the season, and by late 
sowing it may be avoided. But there is one objection 
to late sowing. In districts subject to great, heat and 
which are also liable to long drouths, a good crop of 
peas can only be obtained by early sowing, as the crop 
will not bear excessive heat. In planting peas infested 
with bugs, it is always advisable to kill the insects in 
some way. This may be effectually done by pouring boil¬ 
ing water on the peas, anil stirring them well for a few 
minutes. It will not much affect the vegetating powers 
of the pea. In some cases, where the germ has been 
laid bare by the gnawings of the insect, it may be killed, 
but we have often practiced the mode, and found no par¬ 
ticular objection to it. 
But we lately noticed a recommendation of Dr. J. T. 
Plummer in the Indiana Farmer and Gardener, which is 
worthy of trial, as it will not only destroy the bug in its 
incipient stage, but may also render the pea fit for the 
table. His mode is to scald them immediately after they 
are gathered, keeping them in water, turned on boiling, 
for one minute. Dr. P. states further, that placing peas 
as soon as gathered in jugs or bottles, hermetically 
sealed, will keep them well, and that nothing can be 
seen the next year but the speck in which the larva died. 
MILK SICKNESS. 
We see that the discussion of the cause of this 
disease, is again revived. We had supposed it was 
pretty well settled that the “trembles,” or “milk- 
sickness,” was occasioned by a plant. Dr. Drake, 
of Cincinnati, published a pamphlet on the subject 
a few years since, in which the disease was attributed 
to the Rhus texicodendron, or “poison-oak.” Some ob¬ 
serving men, however, who agree with Dr. D. that the 
disease is caused by a plant, have dissented from the 
opinion that it is produced by the one he has named. 
The poison-oak is frequently found in sections where no 
milk-sickness has ever been known. Experiments, also, 
have been made by feeding it to certain animals, and no 
ill consequences were produced. Mr. Thomas S. Hinde, 
of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, who has devoted much study 
and observation to the subject of milk-sickness, is confi¬ 
dent that he has traced the origin of this disease to a 
plant; but is confident that the plant is not the poison- 
oak. He states that he has both the poison-oak and the 
plant to which he attributes the disease, growing in his 
