278 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Aug. 
ly suggests itself,—which would be the greatest benefit, 
to the people of this country, such an institution as this, 
at $100,000 annually, or a navy costing yearly one hun- 
deed times this amount. 
-- 
Brown’s Fumigator for Destroying Insects. 
An intelligent cultivator of fruit lately remarked, af¬ 
ter alluding to the great improvements already made in 
the selection of fine varieties, “ I am satisfied that in 
future the great campaign is to be with insects—they 
are increasing with the increase of cultivation.” Ex¬ 
perience is rapidly teaching us the truth of this remark; 
and hence every new and successful attempt to destroy 
them must be welcomed by all cultivators. The fol¬ 
lowing description of a new machine for this purpose, is 
given in Hovey’s Magazine, and operates in throwing out 
smoke very much on the same principle as the fanning mill. 
Delicate plants or shrubs may be covered for fumigation 
with an instrument resembling an umbrella with a long 
sharp staff, and from the outer border of which a cur¬ 
tain is suspended all around. This, when spread and 
stuck into the ground, completely encases the plant, and 
retains the fumes. We cannot but yet hope that the 
fumes of tobacco, sulphur, or some other foetid poison 
may be made use of to repel the curculio. 
The attacks of insects are yearly become so destruc¬ 
tive and annoying that every means should be taken to 
prevent their increase. Latterly, many of those which 
a few years ago were perfect pests, have become less 
injurious from the timely discovery of that great agent 
for destroying insect life—whale oil soap. Without this, 
our rose gardens would be complete specimens of de¬ 
vastation, so unconquerable is the slug by every foe, ex¬ 
cept oil soap. 
But while soap is so destructive to many insects, and 
sulphur to others, there are some sorts which neither 
will harm, or, at least, there are some which are easier 
destroyed by other means, the principle of which is fu¬ 
migation with tobacco. The aphis or green fly is in¬ 
vulnerable to sulphur, while a small stream of tobacco 
smoke will kill thorn off “in a whiff.” 
Many persons make objection to the use of whale oil 
soap, on account of its strong and disagreeable odor. 
To us, no oder, however bad, is so objectionable as a 
horde of insects preying on a beautiful plant. But to 
those who do dislike oil soap, fumigation will at once 
suggest itself as one of the best means of destroying 
many of the same insects for which soap is generally 
made use of. The only trouble has been how to apply 
the fumes of tobacco to plants and shrubs, especially 
those growing in the open air; this has always been at¬ 
tended with much trouble, but at last it has been in a 
great degree obviated by Brown’s Patent Fumigator, 
of which we present an engraving above. 
This is a new and improved instrument for effectually 
applying tobacco smoke to conservatories, greenhouses, 
frames, &c., and to plants in the open ground; also to 
dwelling houses, closets, cellars, aviaries, heneries, &c., 
where insects of various kinds are often very annoying, 
disagreeable or destructive. 
It has been extensively used in England, and has been 
recommended by Mr. Paxton, Mr. Beck, Dr. Lindley, 
Mr. Glenny, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Wood, and other edi¬ 
tors, gardeners, nurserymen and amateur cultivators. 
It has also been tried by amateurs and cultivators in the 
vicinity of Boston, and has been found to be well adapted 
to the purpose for which it was invented. The thrips 
and the aphis, two of the most destructive insects to 
grapes and roses, are killed immediately upon one good 
application of smoke. We are confident it will prove a 
valuable machine, and one which every gardener or 
amateur should always have at hand. An hour’s ap¬ 
plication of the smoke will save hundreds of plants, 
trees, See. 
Formerly all the fumigating was done with a kind of 
bellows, hard to work, and not of sufficient capacity to 
fill a small house, or to throw out the smoke in such a 
cool, continuous stream. All the objections to the bel¬ 
lows are obviated in Brown’s Fumigator. 
The machine, as represented in the engraving, is made 
of tin, and is sufficiently light and portable to be used 
with ease. It consists of a circular box, on the top of 
which is a copper pot, movable, in which the tobacco is 
placed. The interior of the box is so contrived with 
fans, as, by turning the handle, to throw out through 
the tube on the opposite side, a full stream of perfectly 
cool smoke. 
It should be worked as follows:—Fill the copper pot 
with tobacco, (leaf is the best,) placed in rather lightly; 
then, with a piece of lighted paper, ignite it: turn the 
handle immediately, rather fast at first, but very gently 
after the smoke appearsfreely at the mouth of the tube; 
when the tobacco is exhausted, with a damp cloth re¬ 
move the pot and fill immediately, repeating the opera¬ 
tion as long as may be required. 
Amateurs, and especially ladies, to whom smoke is 
extremely disagreeable, can use the Fumigator without 
suffering any of the disagreeableness, and often nausea, 
arising from the use of tobacco, as applied in the ordi¬ 
nary way. 
For fumigation in the open air, in the most effective 
way, an old cloth or sheet may be thrown over the bush, 
and the end of the tube applied at the bottom. The 
space will be immediately filled, and every insect de¬ 
stroyed. 
We can highly recommend this Fumigator as one of 
the most useful machines to every cultivator. With one 
of these, no one need complain that their plants have 
suffered from the green fly. 
Black Knot on Plum Trees. 
Eds. Cultivator —The following course of treatment 
pursued by me with a knot on a plum tree, and by which 
I believe I have destroyed the disease, is communicated 
rather as a possible method, than as a certain cure. Last 
summer I noticed the excrescence, and at once cut off* 
all the bark, to which the disease had extended; shortly 
afterwards it again made its appearance, farther up the 
limb, and again I cut it out, disliking very much to cut 
off the limb, as it constituted about one-sixth of the 
ivhole tree. It did not appear again until this spring, 
when it broke out at the extremities of the previously 
excised portion of the bark; the upper excrescence I 
again cut out, and proceeded to puncture the lower one 
with a sharp penkn'fe point, at the same time cutting 
across the bark below this excrescence, to separate it 
from the healthy part of the bark. At several times 
since I punctured the excrescence, it growing out larger 
from the tree all the while, until yesterday, when on 
sticking my knife into it I found it was hollow. I then 
