The constitutional union., 1861-03-01

The practice of surface manuring is no nov. city of our day. An eminent cultivator oi fruits, nearly two hundred years ago, said Manures should be applied to fruit trees in the autumn upon the surface, that the rains snow and frosts may convey the clements of fertility to the roots; and that. by this meth cd, one load may do more good than two used in the common way of trenching to the depth of one foot" Other distinguished cultivators and scientific gentlemen recommend the prac- tice. Hence we are of the opinion that =. orchards and gardens should be -"hiurea Tn the autumn. and on the s"rIace so that the manure may he thoroughly decomposed, and suitablo Tor the nourishment of the tree early in the spring.
 BLIGHT ON THE EvERGREENs-It is a fact which can no longer be denied, that some of our finest conifers are becoming the prey of insects. The first appearance of this enemy, We believe, was among the Scotch larches, and IS supposed by some to have been intro duced from Scotland. In some cases, the insect is the red spider; in others, 1t is a green worm, about the size of knitting nee- dle; in others 1t is microscopic insect, which seems to live on the bark and the leaves, causing the latter to roll up, and in many eases drop off. In our own experience, thus far, the "green worm is confined to the Norway Spruce. For two years past, fine terminal shoots on the trees would be seen, here and there, to droop, when, on cutting them off, this worm would be found boring his way up and down the central portions of the shoot. The White pine, the Balsam fir, the Scotch larch, Norway Spruce, and Arbor Vitae, are the only trees we have known to be affected by any kind of insect.
 As to remedies, who will provide any? If one had only single tree, he might keep it clean by frequent doses of whale-oil soap and water, or by dusting often with air slacked lime, or ashes. If the famous "Gishurst's Compound" were not so costly, it might be used; 1t would probably be efficacious.
 But when one has large groves, or long nursery rows of evergreens, what can he do :? We can only say, syringe, or dust with lime as much as possible, keep them we'll tiled at the root, hand pick, and-trust in Providence Perhaps this blight is only temporary visi- tatlon. American Agriculturist.
 GRAPE MANUREs.-StrOng or stimulating manure IS most dangerous to the vinuOus property of the grape The general rule in wine-producing countries is to manure only with its own cuttings, or the refuse of the grape when pressed, which contain tartar, es- sentlal to the vinous property of the grape Excessive richness of the soil, though it gives a larger crop, and the best fruit for the table dehacts from the character of the wine. There have been several remarkable instances of this fact; amongst others, the celebrated vineyard of Johannisberg, which some fifty years since having been richly manured, it for seAeral years afterwards produced grape which gave vine of an inferior character, and much deteriorated in quality. It took twenty years before the soil became sufficiently poor to restore the vinous quality of the grape. Soils which paoducc choice and rare wines are never manured with any description of fetid manure, generlly applied for the pur- pose of tertilizing land but wool, horn, bones, and the cutting and refuse of the itself. being only used. The scientific botanist tells us that the vine only takes up from the earth carbonic acid, ammonia etc; practice and experience, both ancient and modern, affirm the contrary. Florist and Fruitist
 APPLYING SULPHUR TO DRAPE INES \ series of experiments with the application of sul phur to grape vines to prevent the at tacks of the vine parasite were made in France this year. by M Mercieul, of La Tour St. Gelen, who has sent an account of the re- suits to the Academy of Sciences. He re- moved about foot of soil round the stems of the same vines, but did not go any deeper than the filaments of the roots. 4 handful of sul- phur was then sprinkled into this cavity, most of which was placed upon the stem. This was in the month of August last and the vines so treated were much affected with the blight Mir. Mercieul recommends winter as the best season for applying sulphur.
 CORN AND PoRK.-Mr. A. G. Perry, of Newark. made an experiment in feeding a thrifty pig on corn meal wet up with scalding water At the commencement of the trial inc pig weighed one hundred and fifty pounds; he then fed ffty-fve pounds of meal in the form of slop, which was eaten in six and a half days and the gain was eighteen pounds Had this quantity of corn been fed to the same animal in a dry, unground state, 1t is not probable that the animal would have gained more than seven pounds.
 Valley Farmer.