70 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
young in the spring, until they are ready to provide 
for themselves, which they do while so small as to re¬ 
quire a glass to make them visible. Nothing looks 
fnore disagreeable than a tree, crusted over with this 
insect; and if they are suffered to proceed, unmolested, 
the tree will speedily be ruined. When this shell is 
lifted with the point of a knife, a fir e dust or powder 
will be seen, which the microscope shows to be the 
eggs, or if in the early summer months, the young of 
the coccus. 
There is another species which we have seen on the 
bitter-sweet and the maple. It is nearly as large, when 
full grown, as the half of a small pea ; and has its up¬ 
per side in the oval form, while it is fastened by a suck¬ 
er on the under or flattened side. The eggs of this 
kind are deposited in the same manner as the former; 
the dried body of the mother furnishing a hard cover¬ 
ing, beneath which they remain until they are ready to 
emerge, to commence the work of procreation and de¬ 
struction. In examining the flour like dust under these 
shells, with a good microscope, we have frequently, at 
the same time and in the same mass, found the coccus 
in all its stages of development, from the egg to the 
lively insect. 
The Aphis lanata, or cottony aphis, is a species of 
coccus, instead of a true aphis. This insect adopts the 
same mode of feeding; produces and protects its young 
in the same manner; but to facilitate their spread, 
the shell is filled with a substance resembling cotton, 
which, when the dead body of the mother is lifted to 
enable them to remove, puffs out in white balls or tags, 
and on this, blown about by the winds, the young coc¬ 
cus is wafted till it is lodged on some tree, where it 
forms new colonies, again to reproduce and spread. 
What English writers have called the American blight, 
appears to be an insect of this kind; and they are all very 
injurious to trees, and particularly so to the apple, which 
it seems to prefer. When the outer bark of a fruit tree, 
infested with the coccus, is pared off, numerous dead 
points will be found, indicating the place where the 
sucker had penetrated. If these points abound, it is 
clear the sap must be vitiated, independent of the quan¬ 
tity lost by its appropriation to their support. 
To destroy the coccus, some application that will de¬ 
stroy the young before they fix themselves to the bark, 
and which will also prevent their escape from under 
the bodies where they are hatched, seems desirable. 
Washing the tree in lye will kill all the young that are 
not protected; but, in some experiments we made on 
an appletree, it did not seem to effect those beneath 
the shell, or prevent the eggs from hatching. A com¬ 
position, made of oil and tar, rubbed over the body, 
will do much towards destroying the insects; but its 
use is unpleasant, and too much, too, would injure the 
tree. White-washing appears, on every account, the 
best mode for cleaning infested fruit trees—it not only 
killing such insects, but bringing off the rough and un¬ 
sightly bark, beneath which so many varieties of in 
sect depredators take shelter. The figures are those of 
the ones described above, considerably magnified. One 
resides on the twigs; the other on the bark of the trunk 
or branches. 
Fig. 44, Pea Bug —Bruchus pisi. 
Fig. 45, Curculio —Rhynchoenus nenuphar. 
Fig. 44 — Bruchus Pisi. (Magnified.) Fig. 45 — Curculio 
that in the most of these an egg has been deposited, physical energy of the most available kind: and who 
which changes to a worm, preying upon the pulp of the can doubt, that in such hands, such a school would be 
* productive of profit, as well as usefulness and fame. 
a —Size of life. 
The first of these insects is well known to farmers 
and gardeners, from the ravages it makes in the pea 
crop, not unfrequently becoming such a nuisance, that 
farmers are mostly obliged for a time to suspend the 
cultivation of the pea for a year or two, when its num¬ 
bers are at once reduced, and the crop may again be re¬ 
sorted to with success. The egg is deposited in the pea, 
where the worm is produced until it becomes a perfect 
insect, or if disturbed falls to the earth, in which it is 
supposed, in that case, to undergo its transformations. 
When peas infected, or containing the larvae, are sown, 
the perfect insect is developed, and ready to attack 
the plant, at the time it is most exposed. If, on the 
contrary, peas are kept over the summer, the insect 
is develoned, and perishes without propagation; so, 
that if two years old peas are used for seed, the crop 
will usually be free from the bug, unless infected crops 
are in the immediate vicinity, or have preceded it. 
The curculio constitutes a numerous family of depre 
dators, among which the C. granaria, the insect that 
commits such ravages in granaries, and the one we 
have named, known for its destruction of fruit, are the 
most prominent. In the nenuphar, the antennae, it wii 1 
be seen, are placed on the proboscis, and this mark 
ranks it among the Orchestes of Illiger. 
The fruit curculio attacks nearly all smooth skinned 
fruits ; but plums and cherries are its favorites, and in 
some years these are nearly or quite destroyed. It 
makes its appearance at the time of the formation of 
the young fruit, and in a few days on examining the 
trees, it will be found, when the insect is plenty, that 
nearly every plum has a small crescent like incision in 
it; and as the fruit increases in size, it will be foun; 3 
fruit, and rendering it worthless. The fruit so impreg¬ 
nated, usually falls to the ground, or if not, the grub 
drops from it, and seeks a refuge in the earth, where it 
remains over the winter, and becomes a perfect insect 
in the spring, ready anew to assail the tree. The cur¬ 
culio is a shy insect, rarely showing itself even on trees 
the most injured, lying still in the day, and stinging bu¬ 
sily in the night. By placing a sheet under the tree, 
however, and giving it a violent jar, they are dislodged 
in great numbers; and, as for a time they remain per¬ 
fectly motionless, advantage may be taken of this in¬ 
action to destroy them. When the curculio once ap¬ 
pears in an orchard, it usually increases until the fruit 
is annually destroyed by them, unless measures are 
timely taken to counteract them. To do this, several 
ways have been recommended, either of which, per¬ 
haps, would be effectual, if generally adopted and care¬ 
fully pursued. 
Dislodging them and destroying them, as mentioned 
above, is a good method, but the operation must com¬ 
mence in season, and be continued each evening until 
the period for their depredation is passed. If once 
permitted to make a lodgment in the tree, they will in¬ 
jure more or less fruit—as the quantity they will punc¬ 
ture in a night is surprising. Paving the ground with 
stones or beaten gravel, around the trees, has been suc¬ 
cessful in some cases; as when the grub falls, it can not 
at once penetrate the earth, and is picked up by small 
birds who are very fond of ihem. Having the fruit 
ble to swine, is, perhaps, one of the 
most effectual methods of destroying them; these ani¬ 
mals eating all the fruit that falls, and it is the worm- 
infested cherries or plums that first fall, and, of course, 
the insects are in these cases effectually used up. We 
have some cherry trees standing in an orchard where 
swine usually run, and the fruit, on these trees, is uni¬ 
formly fair and fine; while that on other trees, stand¬ 
ing where swine never come, is frequently much of it 
damaged and worthless. 
Some have attributed the black excrescences which, 
within a few years, have destroyed so many valuable 
plum and cherry trees, to the insect named above, and 
which is so injurious to fruit. That this destruction of 
the wood is the work of an insect, can not be doubted ; 
but it does not seem to be satisfactorily proved, that 
the two depredators are identical. One thing seems 
certain, however ; unless more efforts are made to pre¬ 
vent the spread of this evil, by the excision and burn¬ 
ing of the infected branches whenever they appear, 
the cultivation of the plum and some kinds of cherry 
must be discontinued among us. 
Agricultural Schools. 
In another part of this sheet, we give an address to 
the farmers of the western district of this state, from 
our correspondent ‘ Evelyn,’ and the arguments which 
he has there so ably urged, with reference to agricultu¬ 
ral schools in that part of the state, are applicable in a 
greater or less degree to every section of our country. 
The necessity of providing some such institutions for 
the education of the sons of farmers, as is proposed by 
‘ Evelyn,’ has long been apparent to every reflecting 
mind; institutions that shall unite the teaching of all 
the useful branches of learning, with that of the arts 
and sciences, and a thorough experimental knowledge of 
agriculture : and the hope has been entertained, that 
while hundreds of thousands were lavished on institu¬ 
tions devoted to the professions alone, a few thousands 
might be given to aid in imparting instruction on the art 
of all arts, that of tilling the soil. This hope, however, 
has been constantly disappointed ; and it seems now 
necessary to look to individual munificence, or associat¬ 
ed enterprise for the accomplishment of this purpose ; 
and we believe it can be satisfactorily effected in this 
way alone. 
The examples adduced of the private agricultural 
schools, or colleges if you please, of Fellenberg, Oberlin, 
or Pestalozzi, are direct to the purpose. With little or 
no encouragement from those in power, these men effect¬ 
ed an incalculable amount of good ; gathered around 
them young men from every quarter, instructed them in 
all valuable learning ; and returned them to their friends 
qualified to teach others—or by their superior skill to 
raise, what by many was considered the drudgery of 
agriculture, to the rank of a science. In this country, 
we have as yet had no schools like these. The nearest 
approach to them was the Rensselaer school at Troy ; 
but in this, agriculture was not the main thing aimed at, 
and there were no means of being taught experimental 
farming, on a scale proportioned to its importance. 
We can easily conceive what such a school as the 
Rensselaer one might become, if there was attached to 
it three or four hundred acres of land, and the applica¬ 
tion of agricultural chemistry and vegetable physiology, 
taught in the school room, carried out in the field ; aid¬ 
ed by the advantage of a few hours daily labor in the 
field or shop. Suppose for a moment, that Judge Buel 
had opened a school on the Fellenberg. system, for the 
instruction of farmers’ sons, or others, in the principles 
of scientific and practical agriculture. Who can doubt 
that the most beneficial results would have ensued ; and 
that many who now spend three or four years in a col¬ 
lege, because they have little else to do with their time, 
and come out only to add to the number and dead weight 
of the unproductive classes, would have hastened to 
avail themselves of such an opportunity of acquiring 
useful knowledge and confirmed health—mental and 
We hope the affluent among the lovers of our coun¬ 
try will look at this subject. In what way could the 
Wadsworths, the Rensselaers, the Grangers, and the 
many other rich and influential men of our country, 
make a more commendable use of their vast resources, 
or establish a surer claim to the proud title of a bene¬ 
factor of the human race, than in endowing schools like 
those under'consideration. The instructors can be 
found; and thousands are anxiously waiting to avail 
themselves of the benefits such instr uctions would offer. 
Sound minds in healthy bodies, are what we most want 
in the young—and the schools of Fellenberg and Ober¬ 
lin show, that no places can be more favorable in these 
respects than agricultural institutes. 
Agriculture in Massachusetts. 
The memorial of the Commissioner for the Agricul¬ 
tural Survey of Massachusetts, to the legislature of 
that state, is before us, abounding, as do all the papers 
from the pen of that gentleman, with valuable facts 
and suggestions; an abstract of which we propose to 
lay before our readers. 
The part which the state of Massachusetts has taken 
in regard to the promotion of her agricultural interests, 
has been most honorable to her, and advantageous to 
her citizens. In developing her resources by agricultu¬ 
ral and geological surveys; in encouraging the culture 
of wheat, sugar, and silk, by suitable but temporary 
bounties; and in the small though encouraging aid she 
has given her agricultural societies, the Bay State has 
set an example which may well be followed by others, 
where the circumstances require such interposition. 
The question has naturally arisen, whether the perma¬ 
nent prosperity of the state may not be more promoted 
by a different disposition, in some respects, of the boun¬ 
ties of the state; and it is to the statement of facts 
bearing on this point, that Mr. Colman’s memorial is 
principally directed. 
The commissioner states, in the first place, that the 
disbursements in the two last years to agricultural so¬ 
cieties, has been $8,768; bounties on silk in the same 
time,$785.14; bounty on wheat the last year $9,280.14; 
making a total of $18,833.28. He does not state the 
expenditures for the last year on account of the geolo¬ 
gical and agricultural surveys, but calling that item 
$3,000, it will be seen that Massachusetts has expended 
within two years about twenty-three or twenty-four 
thousand dollars. Mr. Colman is of the opinion that a 
large part of this patronage may now be withheld, and 
the remainder applied with more advantage than it has 
been. 
Mr. Colman advises that no further bounty be given 
for the production of wheat. The objects of the boun¬ 
ty were two; first, to determine the capacity of the 
state for its production; and secondly, to ascertain by 
actual experiment, the best modes to be adopted to se¬ 
cure its cultivation. The first has been fully and satis¬ 
factorily ascertained, and a continuance of the bounty 
would not be likely to secure the latter object. 
The main objects in view, in offering the bounty on 
silk, have also been accomplished; and that part of 
the expenditure is no longer necessary. The fact that 
silk may be abundantly and profitably produced; that 
it can be made an important item of domestic and 
household industry; and that no fears need be enter¬ 
tained from the climate, have been established: though 
as much light on the points of the best kinds of mul¬ 
berry trees, and the best modes of managing the 
worms, has not been obtained as was expected, or as is 
desirable. 
No claim has been made on the state, for the propos¬ 
ed bounty on beet sugar, though several specimens 
have been presented of good quality; and the practica¬ 
bility of the beet culture, and the sugar manufacture 
being thus established, Mr. Colman recommends, if the 
terms of the law will admit, that the offered bounty be 
withdrawn. 
In order to give greater efficiency to the efforts to 
promote agriculture in the state, the commissioner pro¬ 
poses the organization of a “ Board of Domestic In¬ 
dustry, composed of one delegate from each county or 
congressional district, to be joined by the committees of 
the "legislature on agriculture and manufactures, and 
the Governor and Lieut. Governor of the common¬ 
wealth, ex officio.” This Board, the members of which 
are to have a reasonable compensation, are to meet 
once a year at Boston; and their session is sever to 
extend over ten days. This board is to have the gene¬ 
ral superintendence of the aid given by the state for 
the promotion of agriculture, and its kindred objects. 
The agricultural societies are to make full reports to 
the Board, and the Board is to annually report to the 
legislature, the condition of the state on these points. 
The agricultural societies are to receive one-half of the 
sum now paid them, and the other half placed at the 
disposal of the Board, to be distributed in premiums 
open to competition throughout the state; and on such 
objects as shall be deemed most conducive to the pub¬ 
lic good. The great object to be kept in view, in offer¬ 
ing and distributing these premiums, to be “not the 
rewarding of individual enterprise and skill, but the 
obtaining of practical and decisive information for the 
general benefit of the farmers.” 
Such is the general outline of the plan proposed by 
Mr. Colman, and we think if carried out by the legis¬ 
lative body, the state will receive a more decided bene- 
