THE CULTIVATOR. 
107 
comes in contact with the dry carbonate. The request in regard to the 
manufacture of cheese shall receive early attention. 
Ground Moles. —A. Foote, of Williamstown, complains of great inju¬ 
ry done to his fruit trees, in winter, by the moles or mice, and asks to 
be informed of some mode which will preserve them from like depre¬ 
dations the coming winter. There are two modes of preserving fruit 
trees from the depredations of moles, near the surface of the ground, 
in ordinary winters, though neither of these would have been suffi¬ 
cient to protect all in such a winter as the last; for in many instances, 
where the snow was compact and impervious to them near the ground, 
they passed over it, and barked the plants two, four, and even six feet 
above the ground. One mode of prevention consists in treading the 
early snow firmly about the collar of the tree. There is generally 
grass or weeds about trees, which keeps the snow loose, and permits 
the passage of the mole under it. We have been in the practice, se¬ 
veral years, of having the sod about our fruit trees, in grass grounds, 
turned over in September or October, and trodden down, and this has 
saved them from the mole. Another mode, recommended in the pro¬ 
ceedings of the Society of Arts, is, to take seven parts of grease and 
one part of tar, blend and mix them well together, and with this com¬ 
position brush the trunks of the trees, from the ground upwards as far 
as may be required. The tar is offensive to all animals, while the 
grease mollifies it so as to prevent its becoming injurious to the trees. 
Our correspondent at Augusta, Georgia, W. J. Hobby, asks to be 
informed of a remedy against the worms, which destroy the culinary 
productions, particularly those which prey upon the cabbage. “ I have 
known,” says he, “a decoction of tobacco, of snuff, and cf salt, of 
ashes and lime, sprinkled over them, and the worms appeared to thrive 
upon them all. I do not know that snuff even made them sneeze.” 
Will some correspondent suggest a remedy for the evil ? We know of 
none. 
The Silk Business .—We have received a communication from a re¬ 
spected female correspondent, Mrs. P. B. Wescott, which contains 
some useful hints to silk growers—that they sow the seed, and plant 
the trees before they erect costly silk factories; that they should take 
care that their worms do not hatch before there is food for them; that 
the blaek mulberry affords leaves some days earlier than the common 
white or multicaulis, &c. The reader is desired to correct an error in 
the former communication, in line 11, p. 165, vol. 2, by adding not be¬ 
tween “ would” and “ have.” 
[The cuts which follow, belonging to this volume, were omitted in 
their order, in printing the second edition, in consequence of their hav¬ 
ing been lent out.] 
GATE FASTENING. 
B. Mather, Esq. of Scaghticoke, has described to us a gate fastening, 
in extensive use in his neighborhood, which for simplicity and cheap¬ 
ness and convenience, we have not seen surpassed. We will try to 
make our readers acquainted with it, by the aid of the annexed cut. 
The gate is constructed like the one figured in our last volume, with 
its principal weight towards the heel, a strong bar on the top, and so 
hung that it shuts readily by the force of gravity. The latch is a piece 
of hard wood, about 2 ft. long, 2£ inches broad, and 11 thick, or it may 
be made of iron. It is suspended by a small chain attached to the up¬ 
per bar, as shown at (b,) so that when it strikes the bevel of the catch, 
on shutting the gate, it falls back, fastens, and when at rest passes to 
the opposite side of the catch, behind the shoulder. It is so adjusted 
as to allow of little or no play, except lengthwise. The catch (a) may 
be also made of a piece of hard wood or of iron, and driven into an 
augur hole in the post. It is like a common door catch, except that the 
bevel is towards the gate, and not above. It has a substantial shoulder,- 
which serves to hold the latch when it passes behind the bevel. This 
j fastening may be made by any farmer, and the chain may be made of 
stout wire. It has the advantage of always becoming fastened when¬ 
ever the gate is shut. The latch in the cut should have been four inches 
lower, near the upper slat. 
SILK CULTURE. 
[The following cuts refer to pages 24-25.] 
Fig. 1—Eggs. Fig. 2—First age. Fig. 3—Second age. 
Fig. 4—Third age. Fig. 5—Fourth age. 
Fig. 6—Fifth age. 
Fig. 7—Cocoon. Fig. 8—Moth. 
SAXON MERINO RAM. 
The above is a portail of a Saxon merino ram, the property of Lord 
Western, and used by him extensively and beneficially in the improve¬ 
ment of his Spanish merinos. It will be seen that his frame differs 
materially from the Spanish merino; there is more roundness of car¬ 
cass and fineness of bone, and that general form and appearance which 
