Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-07-31
FIRST EDITION.
Visit of the American Institute Farm
ers' Club Committee.

THEIR TRIP TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY THE COM
MIrrEE-ExPREssIoN OF VIEWS ON PLANT LICE,
CURoUIIo, THE LADY AND POTATO BUGS, WITH
THE BEST REMEDIEs FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION
NOTES.-THE PEACH WILLOWS, &c.
Especial Correspondence OF the Commercial
HARRINGTON, DEL, July 80.
The Harrington Farmers and Mechanics Club
and the Central Delaware Fruit Growers Asso
ciation united in meeting to receive delega-
tion from the American Institute Farmers Club
OF New York, on Wednesday afternoon, at Mil
ford. 1t was the
LARGEST AND MOST INTERESTING MEETING
of the kind ever held IN this section.
The Delegates from the American Institute
Farmers Club consisted of DR.. Trimble, of New
York; DIR. Smith, of Boston, and David Petit,
Esq, Of Salem, N. J. The delegation arrived at
Harrington at O'Clock, and were escorted by
A. II. Butler, Esq in behalf of the club, through
the country to Milford in preference to going
by rail, as they wished to get a better view OF
uhe peach orchards on the way. They mani
tested great interest in sume Of the fine or
chards along this drive, and were greatly sur
priced when shown trees
20 YEARS OLD IN A THRIVING CONDITION,
and were still more surprised at the enormous
size of some three or four year old trees.
Upon reaching Milford they were met by a
majority of the best practical fruit growers in
this section also, by two distinguished gentle
men from Lancaster, Pa.-Jacob Stauffin and
). s. Rathvon, Eaqs.,-who have been travelling
through the lower part Of the State with Pres-
dent Tharp, of the Harrington club.
After the organization of the meeting, DR.
rrimble gave lengthy and very interesting dis
course on the
INSECTS THAT TROUBLE OUR FRUIT.
He said the common lady bug was our best
friend in respect to the destruction OF plant
lice and other small insect enemis but a great
oil IN rla ha nf ha
leaves upon the fruit trees is owing to the 'sap-
ping" OF the insects. Plant lice cannot live
through the winter T; they come early
in the spring from eggs deposited in the fail.
fhe lady-bugs live through the winter and are
ready to fill their mission before the lice are
Matched. He could not tell any plan by which
to get rid of the Colorado Potato Bug, but OBJ
served that there ia species of squash bug that
has commenced
FEEDING UPON THE POTATO BUG.
The most effective plan of fighting the curculio
| is to remove the fruit daily from beneath the
| trees. II this cannot be done by stock 1t must
| be done by hand. The fruit will drop off before
| the insect is through with it, They may remain
u the fruit several days after it drops, but may
leave it the first night il the insect is nearly ma
| tired. So, fruit should be removed from the
ground every day, or it must be shaken on call
| fruit II ON small enclosures il to let hogs run III
| the orchards.
RArHvoN ON THE POTATO BUG.
| s. s. Rithvon made some very interesting re-
| marks He dwelt at some length on the Potato
Bug. He said female bug deposits about l0O(
eggs, 500 of which will produce female bng'
winch will produce offspring the same season
| making three broods, aud multiplying at the rate
of 1000 bugs to each female In small field'
| 1t is possible to keep the bugs away by com
/ menciug early III the season to destroy them by
| hand before they come to maturity. In large
| fields, the best remedy known ID Paris Green
| Lime, ashes, tobacco, soaps IL or concentra
ted lye will not affect them in the least
| DR.. SMITH ON MoLEs.
Dr. Smith made very pleasing and instruc
tive address. He said III answer to question:
| about the mole that they do not eat vegetable
matter, but are entirely carnivorous. They plov
| through the ground in search of the insects tina
destroy our crops, and do not in any way injur
the crop unless by occasionally cutting of roo
which may be in their way They are very use
full let them alone. He gave some very inter
esting accounts of fruit raising in Europe whicl
| he had seen.
MR. PETIT ON PEACHES.
David Petit, Esq, gave information on peac
culture derived from thirty years experience
He was shown sample of young tree that ha
been injured by lice early in the season, and h
pronounced it ''the yellows.' 1t was hard I
tell by the sample, and the club general
thought he was mistaken. DIR. Trimble re
marked that the question of the yellows was nc
the all-important one in peach growing. An III
fusion of tobacco il the best remedy for plan
lice. Mr.. Staufiin said certain ingredients ar
exhausted from the soil by large crop OF peacl
es consequently the following season the tree
which bear are apt to be few. Probably the ye
; lows came from the same cause-a lack OF nj
triment or forcing power to throw the propt
Ingredients into the tree.