1852 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
279 
dug out the whole, and with it took out two grub-like 
looking worms, about three-eights of an inch in length, 
and am inclined to believe from the appearance of the 
wood under the wart or knot, that I have succeeded in 
removing the disease and its cause. The wood where the 
bark had previously been cut off, presents an appear¬ 
ance as if it had been perforated in very many places, 
and a continuous depression running in its length, as 
though a channel for the passage of the chief cause of 
the disease. L. V. TV. Albany, June 17, 1852< 
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Destructive Caterpillars. 
Our readers will perhaps remember a notice a year 
since, of a very destructive caterpillar in Onondaga and 
Cayuga counties, which defoliated entire orchards, and 
destroyed the apple crop. The following extract from a 
letter from Cayuga county, dated 6 mo. 19, 1852, fur¬ 
nishes some additional information. It will be remem¬ 
bered by those acquainted with this caterpillar, that it 
is distinguished by a row of spots along the center of the 
back, from the common orchard caterpillar, which has a 
single whitish line. 
11 The spotted-back caterpillars are in very diminished 
numbers this season. Last year people spoke of them 
by the million ; and the fences, along which they travel¬ 
led, were partially covered with them. This year very 
few appear to be changing their quarters, and the reason 
may be, there is food enough for all w ithout that necessi¬ 
ty. It is said they make a small web very early in 
the spring, which often escapes observation ; and there¬ 
fore I should think they must suffer much during late 
vernal frosts, and cold rains. Perhaps this is the reason 
why they are so scarce in some seasons, and abundant 
in others, while the common caterpillar remains much 
the same in regard to numbers. In 1834, however, when 
several inches of snow fell about the middle of the fifth 
month, [May.] very few of this troublesome insect sur¬ 
vived; but in ordinary seasons, their web appears suffi¬ 
cient to protect them. I should like to hear the remarks 
of others in regard to the extent of country through 
which the spotted-backs ranged, and also in regard to 
their duration. Some have called them the army worm ; 
but whether they are the same that occasionlly ravages 
the western states, I have no means of ascertaining.” 
Varieties from a Single Species. 
Striking instances of the vast number of varieties 
which may be produced from a single species, are furnish¬ 
ed by the apple and pear, the former more particularly 
in its countless thousands, with all grades, from honied 
sweetness to sharp austerily, from nearly black in color 
to white; from the huge monstrous pippin to the little 
lady apple—and with almost endless degrees in texture, 
juiciness, astringency, form of tree and form of fruit, 
&c. But for the most wild and unlike variations in ap¬ 
pearance, perhaps no plant furnishes anything equal to 
the Brassica oleracea, which, in its uncultivated state, is 
a little plant growing on the maratime cliffs of England, 
with smooth leaves, and a spindle shaped root. The va¬ 
rieties which this plant has produced by cultivation are 
well known to scientific gardeners, but it may be interest¬ 
ing to give the following general list, condensed from 
Kemp’s recently published treatise on Agricultural 
Physiology:— 
1. All borecoles or kails, at least a dozen sorts. 
2. All cabbages. [White, Savoy, red, &c., with nu¬ 
merous sub-varieties.] 
3. Brussel sprouts. 
4. All cauliflowers and Broccolies. [Forming close 
heads of flower buds.] 
5. The Rape plant. 
0. The Swegdish turnep, with its vast number of sub- 
varieties. 
7. The Kohl-rabi. 
By descending to more minuteness, this list might be 
made to fill whole pages. To suppose a winter drum¬ 
head, and a ruta baga of equal size, originally sprang 
from the same little wild plant, would require a severe 
stretch of credulity, were not the fact most conclusively 
demonstrated. To the scientific observer, however, this 
apparantly wide distinction, does not appear nearly so 
great as the difference between those seemingly more 
similar plants, rye and barley. A head of bearded wheat 
and a head of rye may appear more nearly related than 
bearded and bald wheat; while the botanist sees in the 
former a wide generic separation, and in the latter but 
an accidental variation. 
Horticultural Hints. 
To preserve plum trees from black knots or excrescen¬ 
ces,cut them off several times a year,cut and keep cutting . 
To prevent the cherry crop from being spoiled by the 
curculio. keep the ground from grass. 
The only remedy for the cherry bird, is shooting— 
hundreds have thus been driven away by a few r hours 
labor, so that one was not seen for a week. 
The best remedy for bugs on melons and squashes, is 
a cheap square box covered with guaze or netting. 
To transplant evergreens, one point attended to will 
result in success-neglected, in failure—this is, remov¬ 
ing plenty of earth with the roots. 
Mulching and watering the raspberry on light soils 
will usually double the size of the fruit. 
Banking round young trees a foot high in autumn, is 
an infallible remedy against mice. 
Mulching young fruit trees is one of the best opera¬ 
tions for this country, but the litter must be removed 
early in autumn, or the mice will play havoc. 
Rapid Growth of Apple Trees. —The Massachu¬ 
setts Ploughman gives the measurement of four apple 
trees set five years ago, when three years from the bud. 
The soil was of quite moderate fertility. Their pre. 
sent circumference one foot from the ground, is fifteen 
inches each. This rapid growth is owing to careful 
transplanting, mulching with strawy manure and peat, 
washing the stems with potash ley, and keeping the 
ground in good tillage. 
Culture of the Dandelion. —We are informed in 
the Prairie Farmer, that a man who supplies the Boston 
market with this early vegetable, obtains annually from 
one-fourth of an acre, the sum of $200. 
Wash for Barns. —The Horticulturist gives the fol¬ 
lowing as the best for this purpose. Hydraulic cement, 
1 peck; freshly slacked lime, 1 peck; yellow ochre (in 
powder) 4 lbs.; burnt umber, 4 lbs.; the whole to be 
“ dissolved” in hot water, and applied with a brush. 
