The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-11
Experiment Station Bulletins
for June,

FOR June.
The Vermont Bulletin for June con-
sists of an Introductory paper by Pro-
fessor Perkins, the entomologist, in
which he states that this work is not
intended for special students, but for
the information and assistance of the
general agricultural public Of Vermont.
The professor has the right idea of it,
and if he will post himself as to what the
farmers do want information about, he
can make himself generally useful"
AS rule, the professors are not init
mate enough with the farmers, per-
sonally, to know what they want; and
many of them have too much intel
lectual pride to enter heartily into the
farmers thoughts and desires. If
scientific man wants to be really use
full to farmers he must study human
nature, of which the farmer has good
deal. His ideas, or even his preju-
dices, must not be controverted too
roughly. The least intimation of con-
tempt for popular ideas closes the door
of access to the popular mind with
slam. And farmers really know a good
deal. They live out in the world, and
see "many things many times" often
with shrewd insight into "the way the
thing works" Farmers, especially
Yankee farmers, are as well worth
studying as any other subject, especially
if you expect to have much to do with
them.
The above remarks were not sug-
gested particularly by anything in Pro-
fessor Perkins paper, which is. as
friendly and practical as could be de-
sired; and we hope every one who gets
the bulletins (Which all may have for
asking) will be anxious to help the Of
fcials of the station in their work
Their being ready to do this is just as
important as zeal on the part of the
station force.
Professor Perkins calls for reports
from those who have been trying in
secticides, and urges especially wide
test of the kerosene emulsion described
in the ninth bulletin. He then goes
on to make some remarks about the
tent caterpillar, and seems discouraged
because this pest is not eradicated."
Few insect pests will ever be entirely
exterminated; certainly not in free
country, where every citizen may
neglect his duties to his fellow-men
within very wide limits, if not entirely.
But, fortunately, the tent caterpillar is
not bad worm to fight. 1t does not
spread very rapidly, nor far in season
Though rather plenty this year, we
found less than twenty nests in our or
chard of over one thousand apple-trees.
The best method is to take them early
in their webs. Go over the orchard
every three or four days with light
ladder, take bag and worms by hand,
or with a round brush on a pole, and
crush at once. Professor Perkins says
they are out eating all day after nine in
the morning; but in hot weather we
have found them pretty sure to take a
incoming in the web, especially after
they are half grown. 1t is well to keep
an eye out in the spring for the punches
of eggs at the end of the twigs; but
some will escape even the closest scru-
tiny. The torch remedy is troublesome,
and is apt to do injury. AS to bother
ing with those on the wild cherry-trees,
and in the neglected orchards of other
people, we don't think it will pay Let
them kill the trees, and there will be
so many less chances for future propa-
cation. This rule does not do so well
for some other insects, which are more
numerous and troublesome; yet prac-
tically we do follow it in about all cases.
We see that the allied forest cater
pillar " is spoken of by the professor as
making tent. Perhaps they do in the
forest, though we never saw one. They
certainly do not in the orchard; but they
collect around the trunk of the tree
near the ground, at night, in compact
mass, where they are readily collected
and destroyed in the morning.
The Massachusetts Bulletin for June
(Which is also sent free to every appli-
cant who sends his name and address
to the station at AmhersD is devoted to
Fodder Analyses, beginning with beets.
These analyses confirm the general
IsEE FIFTH COLUMN