TPIE CULTIVATOR 
133 
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£ 
GALVANIC PLANT PROTECTOR.—(Fig. 76.) 
Editors of the Cultivator —The London Mechan¬ 
ic’s Magazine contains an ingenious application of Gal¬ 
vanism, for the purpose of preventing the attacks of mol¬ 
lusc® on dahlias, and other delicate plants. I send you 
the above drawing of it, in hopes that it may prove use¬ 
ful to that portion of your readers who are florists, and 
that some similar arrangement may be devised for pre¬ 
venting the ascent of worms and insects on our fruit trees. 
The original inventor of this apparatus has tested its uti¬ 
lity during 12 months, and not a plant thus protected was 
injured; while those which were unprotected, suffered 
severely. The Protector is a conical ring of zinc, 4 
inches deep, adjusted to the interior of the flower pot, 
the top end of which, a, b, is flaunched off about half an 
inch, and cut into vandyked points; immediately under 
the flaunch, and on the outside of the ring of zinc, a ring 
of copper, E, F, is neatly fitted. 
In order to use the protector, press the inferior edge 
of the zinc ring, c, d, into the earth, until the inferior 
edge of the copper ring, x, y, is about 1 | inches above 
the surface of the soil. The mollusc® may crawl up the 
zinc with impunity; but on coming in contact with the 
copper, they receive a shock which causes them to fall 
back to the ground. If the larger of this tribe attempt to 
stretch across and above the copper belt, avoiding con¬ 
tact, they would be incapable of holding by the points. 
The protector acts in wet or dry weather, and is always 
ih action. There is nothing said in the memoir, respect¬ 
ing the influence of the instrument on the growth of the 
plants under its protection, but my impression is that the 
constant electric action must stimulate the growth of the 
plant, and increase the size and beauty of its flowers. 
N. N. D. 
BLACK RUST ON PLUM TREES. 
In the June number of the Cultivator, a writer com¬ 
plains of what he calls the Black Rust in Plum Trees, 
and asks what will cure it. This plague, which is also 
fatal to several species of cherry trees, came from the 
southwest, and has traveled to the northeast, and within 
the memory of the writer, was unknown in New-Jersey. 
It is evidently caused by an insect in the fly state, and 
these traveling only in fair weather, are carried by the 
prevailing winds in summer, in the direction mentioned. 
The evil was known in New-Jersey long before it reach¬ 
ed New-York. The limb of the tree is stung by the in¬ 
sect, which deposits its egg in the tender wood. An ex¬ 
crescence is formed around the wound in which a worm 
is hatched, and after a time, eats its way out of the con¬ 
finement, and no doubt drops on the ground, which it 
enters, and keeps secured until the next season, when as¬ 
suming the fly state it renews its operations of laying its 
eggs. If not assailed until the excrescence assumes the 
black color, it is too late, for the worm has escaped from 
confinement and is out of danger from an attack upon its 
nest. The trees must be watched, and as soon as the 
limb swells, it must be cut off and burnt. This plan, 
which the writer has followed, if it does not entirely 
remedy the evil, will lessen it, so that little damage 
will ensue; but it is obvious, that as long as my neigh¬ 
bors neglect the means to destroy the insect in the bud, 
the fly from their trees will reach mine, and lay eggs in 
them to my damage. 
That the insect remains all winter in the same place 
where hatched, is very evident from the fact that trees 
partially injured one season, if neglected are much worse 
the next year. How far paving around trees or hard¬ 
ening the ground to prevent the worm from penetrating 
to find a winter’s residence, and keeping small chickens 
in the garden to eat them up, may answer, I cannot say. 
Digging the ground deep just before winter gets in, may 
destroy this insect as it does many others, but the destruc¬ 
tion of the egg is better than either. By this method, 
the writer has kept his plum trees almost entirely free 
from the pest in question, but whenever it has been neg¬ 
lected, the trees are sure to suffer. P. 
A GARDEN HAND PLOW_(Fig. 77.) 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —From reading your 
paper, I discovered much matter, which is calculated to 
be highly useful to the regular farmer, and also many 
plans for fine gardens: but as the improved Scotch plow, 
or any other improved plow (drawn by a span of horses,) 
would make rather ugly tracks in such fair premises, and 
as the hoe is rather a tedious and stooping employment, 
I will endeavor to introduce a new implement, which I 
have had constructed, and term a Garden hand Plow. 
First, the socket of the plow is 12 inches long, and two 
inches in diameter at the muzzle, narrowed down quite 
tapering, as in the drawing above; then 18 inches more 
must be gently curved —12 inches of this flattened, and 
a wing 65 inches wide at the top, and narrowed down to 
one inch at the point. This wing can be set on either 
side, according to the hand which a person uses foremost 
in working. So much for the iron work. Now a staff 
to fit the socket: have this about 8 feet long, and to¬ 
wards the extremity of the staff, have two small handles 
attached, at convenient distances, for holding; then buckle 
a leather strap between the handles, and in working, 
pass the head and arm through as in slinging a horn or 
flask. To work this, move back sideways, and draw it 
after you. I can do good work with this plow; and all 
that I will ask of any one who may try this description 
of tool, is that they will publish in your paper a better 
plan if they have one, as I am desirous of keeping pace 
with the improvements of the age. 
A Subscriber. 
Wetumpka, Alabama, June 7th, 1842. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN_ By David Thomas. 
I have derived much pleasure and instruction from the 
perusal of the essay on the “ Fruit Garden,” by David 
Thomas, of Cayuga Co., published in the vol. of Trans¬ 
actions of the State Ag. Society; indeed, so highly have I 
appreciated it, and believing that others will also, that 
you must permit me to recommend a republication of 
the whole, or parts of it, when convenient, in the Culti¬ 
vator; for it is a rarity to meet with so much valuable 
information, so perspicuously conveyed, and so well con¬ 
densed. The value of the essay is greatly enhanced, 
from the fact that probably few men in our country, are 
in possession of a larger amount of scientific, and none 
of more correct practical knowledge, applicable to this 
subject; and consequently, the utmost confidence may 
be placed in what he has expressed and recommended. 
He has very properly recommended “ lime white wash ” 
for fruit trees. My own experience fully establishes the 
benefits derived from its use; he making, however, a 
qualified exception in regard to the cherry tree, by say¬ 
ing “ that the experiment should be cautiously conduct¬ 
ed.” In what respect he means, we are left in doubt; 
but I have made no distinction, and have not been able 
to perceive any injury to follow, notwithstanding the 
wash has been applied to several varieties of the cherry, 
and prepared alike with that used for other trees. Ne¬ 
vertheless, since David Thomas has said, be cautious, it 
is well enough to be so, for he has had more than thirty 
years experience as a professed fruit culturist. If there 
are any of your readers who are skeptical of the benefit 
of white washing fruit trees, their doubts would be remo¬ 
ved if they could see my own, with the polished smooth¬ 
ness of bark, and healthful appearance they present; in¬ 
deed, I purposely left several trees unwashed this season, 
in order to convince my neighbors, and others of its vir¬ 
tues. By the way, when lime cannot be readily obtain¬ 
ed, lye of ashes is a g-ood substitute, either destroying 
the moss which attaches more or less to all our fruit 
trees; but perhaps the latter is not so effectual in eradica¬ 
ting that variety of the aphis, called the tree louse. As 
has been the case for five years past, my most valuable 
plumbs this season, have been destroyed by the curculio, 
and I am determined to resort to the remedy another sea¬ 
son, proposed by David Thomas, as follows: “Finding- 
many of our trees nearly unproductive, we determined 
in the early part of last summer to call these depreda¬ 
tors to account. Accordingly, we followed the same plan 
that we recommended some years ago in the New-York 
Farmer; spread sheets under the trees, and jarred the 
branches violently. The little marauders taken by sur¬ 
prise, fell down by dozens; and the contrast of colors, 
enabled us to detect them at a glance. We chose the 
cool of the morning for this purpose, when they were 
slightly benumbed; and persevered till we had destroy¬ 
ed nearly 1700. In consequence, all the trees that we vi¬ 
sited, bore fruit in abundance; and to prove that our la¬ 
bor was rewarded, a tree that was overlooked bore three 
apricots, while another of less size bore a half a bush el.” 
I could go on and fill my sheet with information as valu¬ 
able to the farmer, who prizes his fruit, as the above. 
I must take an exception, however, to one of friend 
Thomas’ recommendations, which is not in keeping with 
his kind and benevolent nature, for which he is so much 
distinguished, namely: destroying birds which pilfer our 
fruit. He says, “treat them according to their doings. 
Make pies of the robins, orioles, and cedar birds—one 
chicken is worth a dozen of them for business; but save 
and protect the blue birds, warblers and sparrows.” 
Now, I am not distinguished for “womanish” feelings, 
but I declare I have not the heart to kill a bird of any 
sort; no, not even crows, for they are useful to the far¬ 
mer, and can easily be prevented or deterred from doing 
any mischief to our corn fields, by suspending twine 
at intervals along and within the enclosure. When see¬ 
ing the cedar bird nibbling at the cherries, often have 
I said to myself there is enough for us both; and with 
Uncle Toby, when he let go the fly, there is, also, 
‘‘room in the world for us both.” No, spare the birds, 
“ nature’s songsters,” and the farmer’s best friends. 
But friend Thomas lashes another kind of biped pilfer¬ 
ers, in good earnest, and most justly. Hear him: “Unfor¬ 
tunately for the moral character of our population, fruit is 
too generally considered lawful plunder. The culturist 
is allowed to have a full and exclusive right to his com 
and potatoes,—it would be infamy to steal them,—but no 
exclusive right to his fruit, if they can get it. Thou¬ 
sands of honorable exceptions to this charge, indeed 
may be found, but it is not the less true that a great part 
of our population is tainted, and deserves to be branded 
with reproach. 
“ The native fruit of a thinly populated country, grow¬ 
ing without culture, and free for all, has doubtless had 
its share in producing this laxity of morals. ‘ I would 
sooner have a hundred Irishmen around me than one 
Yankee,’ was the declaration of a sufferer, whose fruit 
had been plundered near the line of the Erie canal, 
when that great work was in progress. But Europeans 
are generally more exemplary on this point than Ameri¬ 
cans. Shame on us! When Professor Stowe was in 
Prussia, where the roads are lined with fruit trees by or¬ 
der of the government, he observed a wisp of straw, at¬ 
tached to particular trees, to protect the fruit: a sufficient 
guard; but he suggested to the coachman that in Ameri¬ 
ca, it might only prove an invitation to plunder. ‘ Have 
you no schools?” was the significant reply. Yes, we 
have schools; but how many ivhere the child is taught 
to respect his neighbor’s property? Too often he ac¬ 
quires literature and vice at the same time. The state 
of New-York is famous for her schools and her prisons: 
the latter to supply the defects of the former system, 
which they do however, very imperfectly. Better let 
the mandate go forth, that the morality of the Bible shall 
be one of the chief objects of instruction. Teach her 
children to be honest, and then with science and literature, 
a foundation for true greatness anti prosperity would be 
laid.” 
Now that is what I call capital, and well told, too. 
L. A Morrell. 
P. S. “ Stockport,” a town in Columbia Co., and the sig¬ 
nature of a very clever correspondent in the last Cultiva¬ 
tor, for whose several compliments, I duly appreciate and 
thank him. He has quite misapprehended me in seve¬ 
ral particulars, which in my next will be duly explained; 
want of time forbidding the gratification of doing so at 
present. Lansing, Tompkins Co. 
THE PEACH TREE. 
Your anonymous correspondent from “The Plains,” 
in Virginia, recommends a pile of stones, 12 or 15 inch¬ 
es high, around peach trees, as an effectual protection 
against the worm which is so destructive to them. Every 
such statement should be corroborated by the name of 
the writer,—especially if it has any thing extraordinary 
in it. No hoax will then be suspected, and there will 
be a greater probability of his recommendation being 
tried. But in this case, even if the prescription be a 
good one, there are very extensive tracts of country in 
the Carolinas, Virginia, and probably in other States, 
wherein it would be entirely useless; for you might tra¬ 
vel a long days journey through them without finding 
even a single stone as big as a hazle nut. 
Some two years ago, I myself was tempted to try one 
of those anonymous recommendations. It asserted that 
any fruit tree might be made to hold its fruit by paving 
around it with brick. Having an obstinate prune tree 
which always dropped its fruit, I forthwith made a brick 
pavement extending upwards of 3 feet in every direc¬ 
tion, from the stem. This has now been standing for 
two years, but de’il a bit would the tree do any better; 
the prunes have all dropped as they did before. 
Commentator. 
CHERRIES—PEARS. 
“ Messrs. Editors —I propose going into the nursery 
business extensively, and I wish to know whether the 
English or improved cherries can be worked upon stocks 
of the common varieties, as I have been informed they 
will not succeed unless worked upon the Mazzard or 
English cherry, and these stocks are more difficult to 
procure. How will pears do worked upon apples? 
F. K. Phcenix.” 
Dclavan, Walworth Co. Wisconsin, 1842. 
McIntosh in his late splendid work on the Orchard 
and Fruit Garden, says in his introduction to the culture 
of the cherry, that “ the best and most permanent stocks 
are those originated from stones of the wild black or red 
cherry. The stones of the cultivated kinds should not 
be used for this purpose. The Morello is often chosen 
as a stock when dwarf trees are desirable; it is also said 
to render the tree more productive.” The Heart cher¬ 
ries, Mazzards, &c. have a more vigorous growth than 
the Dukes and Morillos, to which the common varieties 
belong; and as the improved English cherries mostly be¬ 
long to the first class, if worked on the latter, an un¬ 
sightly bulge will be formed at the point of union. That 
when so worked, they will grow, and bear well, we 
know by experience, and if grafted low in the ground, 
the deformity does not appear. The same remarks are 
applicable to the pear. If worked on the apple, the graft 
grows more rapidly than the stock, and though it bears 
