The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-08-07
TOPICS FOR THE FARM.

Some Antip0deon Trees.-Certain
kinds of the eucalyptus tree, of which
there are many species, most of them
indigenous to Australia, have acquired
wide reputation for their influence in
drying marshy soils and preventing
malarious diseases. Some two million
of them have been planted in Algeria
by the French Government, which has
granted subvention to company for
planting many more. They have been
tried as aprophylacti at the Cape of
Good Hope, with very beneficial results,
in Mexico and other regions where
malaria is prevalent. Into Corsica they
have already been extensively intro
duced, and the British have put not less
than thirty thousand in the fever-in-
fected districts of Cyprus. On tine
miasmatic Campagna about Rome, they
are being set out, and will, it is thought,
have a most wholesome influence. The
variety known as the Tasmanian blue
gum tree is one of the most effective
purifiers of the air, although other
species, notably the Eucalyptus amygda-
lima, serve the same purpose. The tree
is valuable in many ways. Its leaves
are usually entire and leathery, secret
ing much volatile aromatic oil, and in
stead of presenting their surfaces hori-
zontally, often 80 present their edges,
thus exposing both sides to the light.
Many are called gum trees from their
resinous -secretions, and some attain
great size-eight to sixteen feet in di-
ameter. They grow rapidly, are soft
split and sawed, but get very hard when
dry. They are frequently used for ship
building. The bark of many of the
species abounds IN tannin, and has be-
come, to some extent, an article of COM
merce. The secretion of one Kind of
eucalyptus, called the Botany Bay kino,
is employed in medicine as substitute
for kino. The driving powers of the
Tasmanian tree may be accounted for by
its extremely rapid growth, and may
also explain it's salubrious character,
assisted by its camphor-like odor, acting,
perhaps, as a disinfectant. The tree
might do a great deal of good in the
malarious regions of our Northern
States, if it could bear cold weather. 1t
will hardly endure temperature below
twenty-eight or thirty degrees, Fahren-
heit, though it has endured, near Rome,
1 range of thermometer six or seven
degreeslover. sWinter, in this latitude,
would inevitably destroy the eucalyp-
tus, unless put in boxes and removed
during severe weather, and this would
be difficult to manage with trees Of so
large a size.
The Profits of Farmins.-It is now
estimated that the wheat crop of In.
diana for this year will be from forty
to fifty thousand bushels, and will bring
into the State and add to its invested
wealth from $35, 600, 900 to $40, ,OOO, 600
No such sum has ever been added to the
wealth of State with as little risk OF
as great profit upon the capital and Ia
Dor invested. 1t is not an unusual OF
exceptional thing for the product to be
equal to one-half the value of the sol
that produced it. Thousands of acres
of land in the State have, in two years
produced wheat equal in value to the
land producing it, The product in corr
has been very little behind that o.
wheat in point of profit. This, of course
is not common or even an average re
vult, taking one year with another
The past three years have been ia
sored years with the farmers, and tn,
farmer who has not done we'll during
that period may reasonably conclud,
that there is something wrong in hi
case demanding investigation. W.
make no reference here to indebtedness
and embarrassment from that cause
: under which thousands of farmers arr
laboring in common with all othe
classes. Such Indebtedness in min
cases out of ten is the result of SOM
3 4 ~ fa11 fhasr
: cultural pursuit. Considering there
) fore, the profit of the business as it i
pursued by the average Western farmer
{ what may it be made when, by diligen
, research and experience, it is brough
, to that degree of perfection which ha
) been attained in England and some o
7 the New England Indianapol
Journal.
Fruit Blight and Insects.-The frui
, tree blight has been an absorbing topic
, Plebeian and philosopher alike have ez
, perimented and discussed the phenonl
: ena at length without arriving at an
y definite cause that could be avoide
+ through vigilance or otherwise. Tn
professor Of science attempts to solv
the problem, and views the blighte
branch with microscope. and eithe
: gives it up in despair or adds anothe
3 item 10 the already countless groundles
: theories afoat on the subject That tn
blight don't originate in the ground
: indisputable, since it is the luxurian
growing top branches that are attacked
> The disease in all likelihood would NO
= pass through the internal system of tn
! tree and burn the terminal branche
Il without having corresponding effec
y on the lower portion, especially th
l. younger rootlets.
# The theory has been numerously aC
e vanced that flashes of lightning caus
!, tree blight. Lightning does not touc
= thus lightly. A more rational concll
a sion to arrive at is that the tree
d blasted while copiously perspirins
a The emanating acids and vapors collaps
Is while coming through the pores wit
e atmospheric gases. These collisions al
It not frequent, and only happen whe
the usual equilibrium Of aerial current
are agitated by counteraeting inf luence
We may also attribute the cracking
the trunk, arms and branches to simils
n causes. The only remedy for sue
!, blasted twigs and branches is to CT
's them off at their junction with health
?; branch. Our observations in the fiell
!. of nature teach that vegetation is he
u to symptoms paralytic and consum]
; tive. The paralytic strokes are r
/ ceived from the atmosphere, and .bur
e an occasional twig or branch. tt
y consumptive element originates at Il
II root. The former can be cured by an
q putation, the latter never-hardly eve
Il The CurculiO.-This is a hum
s. backed, ill-shaped, grayish brown weevi
,r who appropriates to his own use the e.
It tire crop of plums, apricots and necta
d ines if left unmolested. He will vie
his hold readily and fall to the grour
E. when the tree is Jared or shaken. f