Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-06-03
Farming and Gardening.


The PEST OF THE 0RcHARD.-It becomes
our duty once year to warn our readers up
on the approach of the borer, that pest of the
orchard, and we do it, not that they need in
struction about his destructive habits, and
remedy theretor.--but that they may be re-
minded of this knowledge already gained, and
put II in practice, for all of us are apt to need
reminding thereof; hence, slime upon line,
and precept upon precept' is unnecessary
The habits Of the insect, the time and man.
ner OF depOsiting its eggs, and its destructive
effects are well known How to detect its APP
pearanCe iii the tree, and to compel him to
leave, or, what is still better, to prevent the
beetle from depositing its eggs in the bark, is
the information most sought. Constant watch
fulness must be relied upon in the former
case; and the place where the borer enters
the tree is detected by the chips or borings
which he has made. This entrance place
found, he may in most instances be reached
by wire fitted tor the purpose, and dslodged
from his quarters. As to a remedy for the
latter we copy the following from an article in
the Register of Rural Affairs, for 1863, from
the pen Of DR.. Asa Fitch, the first entomologist
and one Of the most practical horticulturalists
in the country:
''To repel this beetle from depositing its
eggs upon the bark, the tree, the latter part of
May, should be rubbed with softsoap, or have
some alkaline substance applied to it. Five
years ago treated half my young trees in
this manner, and the following spring not
borer could be found in any of them, while of
those to which soap was not applied, the lar
ger part had young borers quarter of an inch
long in them, fifteen of these worms being
found in a single small tree. | have contin-
ued to apply soap to the same trees each year
since, but have occasionally found borers in
some OF them. | am inclined to think, that if
soap is applied the latter part of May, and re-
peated II coplous rains occur to wash it off be-
fore the end of June, the trees will never be
attacked by this insect. Busting the butts of
the trees thckly with air Stacked lime bids
fair from experiments which l have recently
commenced, to be more efficacious than soap.
If, notwithstanding these precautions, any
worms become established at the root of the
tree, they should Immediately be ferretted out
and destroyed. This can be done much more
easily when they are young and small, as
they are then layingSIn or directly under the
bark. Maine Farmer.
Use OF LARGE PoTAToEs FOR SEED.-The
question of the best kind of seed potatoes is
not settled for all parts of the country. 1t is
settled among market gardeners of large ex-
perience who have to dispose of their crop in
the cities. 1t is important for them to raise
the largest number of merchantable potatoes
from given quantity of seed, upon given
area. They have no home market for small
potatoes, and do not believe in keeping them
for seed. With farmer at distance from
market the case is different. He raises his
crop mainly for home consumption, and what
are not consumed in the family are fed, raw
or cooked, to the stock. Small potatoes
10
as nutritious weight for weight as large ones,
and if they yield as well he is satisfied. He
does not stop to consider the increased labor
of harvesting, or the small value of this root
for feeding stock, in comparison with its value
for human food. For the former use they
are not worth over twenty cents, and the
latter are worth the market price, which is
fifty cents and upward in this vicinity.
TGood MERGERS are now april 10y whole
sailing in New York at $2.2G per barrel, and
peach-blows and other common sorts at $l.50
to S2.-ED.
gin the suburbs of the city, especially on
Long Island, potato growing is pretty near
ly reduced to a science. Many of the farm
ers make this their main crop, and not a few
raise two thousand dollars worth and more, in
season. They pillow in horse manure and
pillow deep. They select their largest pota-
toes for seed, quarter and plant the pieces In
drills about fifteen inches apart, and prefer to
have only four stalks in place. The product
is potatoes of a very uniform and marketable
size, with few or no small ones. They re-
quire very little sorting and the whole crop is
turned into money at the market price. These
farmers know what is for their interest, and
ridicule the notion of planting small potatoes
to realize from.
Farmers who do not make potatoes a spe-
ciality, may learn something from the large
experience Of tiiese men. 1t is mere profta-
Bile to raise potatoes for market than for stock,