ART. X. On Insects in Orchards. By Mr. D. Anderson. Sir, It will be admitted that horticulturists are more susceptible of, and more exposed to, the vicissitudes of the atmosphere, and to destruction by insects, in their labours and property, than most other men, and indeed more than even agriculturists in general. Much light has been thrown upon this subject by your various correspondents, and much yet remains for investigation and observation. I have two acres of orchard, of from twenty to thirty years' standing; three fourths apples : I have paid considerable attention to their growth and crops during that time, and I find that apples suffer more from insects than any other sort of orchard fruit. I have not, however, been able to discover any effectual remedy, nor do I think any will be found, as I conceive the evil does not arise from any peculiar state or condition of the trees, or soil, or situation, but from the early or late, wet or dry, state of the season, over which we can have no control. If the months of January and February be mild and temperate, the blossom buds become prominent; and if the month of March be dry and frosty, as is often the case, the buds become stagnant in rather an open state. Just then a certain small fly makes its last change, and coming forth on wing, strikes its egg into the eye of the bud. The egg soon comes to a caterpillar, which, during the months of April and May, eats out the blossom, and, when full grown, preys upon the young foliage, and may be seen hanging by a thread, and resting upon your hat and clothes as you pass under; it leaves the trees, in the latter end of May, as naked as they were in winter. This is a small light green caterpillar, one third of an inch long, which does not lodge itself on the trees, but, like the gooseberry caterpillar, buries itself in the ground till the proper season for coming forth. The years 1817, 1819, 1821, 1824, and 1827 exhibited these appearances in a greater or less degree. On the contrary, when the early months are severe, the buds are kept back till April: if then the season proves mild and wet, the fly is impeded, the bud is encouraged, and in May the blossom opens freely, and seldom fails of a crop, as in the years 1818, 1820, 1822, and 1826; and, if my views on this subject be correct, I calculate upon a full crop of apples this year. Driffield, Yorkshire, April 30. 1829. D. ANDERSON. ART. XI. On the Green Fly in the Blossoms of Peach Trees. By Mr. JAMES CRAIG, Gardener to G. Cholmeley, Esq., Howsham, York. Sir, LAST year the blossoms of several of the peach trees at this place, both on the walls and in the houses, appeared unhealthy they seemed not to expand freely, which induced me to examine them minutely, when I found, in many cases, three or four green flies in a flower, surrounding the base of the style, which in consequence was discoloured and sickly; and, in short, all such set no fruit. At that time I could not find any of these insects but what were in the flowers; hence I infer that the larvæ had been deposited in the inner folds of the buds during the preceding summer. I tried an experiment to check them on one tree on the open wall as follows: I added clear water to tobacco liquor till I brought it to the colour of pale ale, and in that state applied it freely with a fine syringe to the tree when in full flower. This killed part of the insects; and the remainder were so sickly after it that they were unable to do much harm until the fruit was set, when I considered myself at liberty to give them a much stronger dose. I do not pretend that this is altogether a safe method, although, from the closest observation I could make, I did not discover that the tree thus treated sustained any injury from the treatment; the atmosphere might at that time be in a state to favour it : it was done in the forenoon, and the liquor was probably soon evaporated; otherwise it might, by remaining a long time in the flower-cups, have done as much harm as the flies. The necessity of endeavouring to extirpate this pest to the peach tree cannot be too often pressed on the gardener's attention, as they multiply so very rapidly. Tobacco liquor is the best thing I know of for this purpose, after the fruit is set, until the trees shed their leaves in the autumn. When the major part of the leaves are fallen, I recommend syringing every part of the tree with soap-suds and urine; and this repeated several times between that time and the opening of the buds the following spring. When these insects commence their attacks on peach trees under glass before the fruit is set, no remedy that I know is better or safer than the old one of fumigating with home-grown tobacco; and I take the liberty of attempting to give you a description of a fumigating pot (fig.94.), which, I believe, is not generally known. I never saw but one of the kind; one which my father got made many years ago. It is made of sheet iron, holds about 3 lbs. of tobacco, and acts on the outside of the house: the bellows it is worked with are double blasted. The pot may be made at a trifling expense, and, with care, will last for many years. a, the pot; b, the blow-hole, with a grate at the inner end; c, the lid, on which is fixed a tube (d) to convey the smoke into the house, through an aperture made in a square of tin (e) which is fixed into the upright sashes (one in every third or fourth sash) instead of a square of glass; when there are no upright sashes, the tube will require another angle (ƒ). An apparatus of this sort is very convenient, as any person may work it, and fill the houses to any degree required without suffering a night's sickness by it. Howsham, February 15. 1830. J. CRAIG. ART. XII. On the Destruction of the Black and Green Aphides on Cherry and Plum Trees. By N. T. Sir, In my former communication (p. 403.) upon the subject of insects, I observed that the mixture described would not destroy the black A`phis on the cherry tree, nor the light green A'phis on the plum tree. I have now found that by the addition of another ingredient, viz. one gill only of tobacco water, such as can be procured from any of the tobacconists, both these troublesome insects are readily and effectually destroyed, by applying it in the manner before recommended. About three weeks ago I immersed all the young shoots of my cherry trees, plum trees, and black currant trees, which were infested with the A'phides peculiar to each tree, in this mixture, as warm as the hand could bear without inconvenience, keeping the young shoots and leaves in it a few seconds only. This was done in the evening after the sun was off the tree; and I found the A'phides all dead the next morning. The leaves of these young shoots are now free from them, and as vigorous as if they had not been attacked by the insects. In this method of destroying them there is not that waste of liquor which there is in other mixtures applied by means of the garden engine. One ale quart was sufficient for all the cherry trees and plum trees in my garden. The sulphuret of lime may be kept almost any length of time, so as to be ready for use when wanted for making the mixture, by filling small bottles with it, corking them, and immersing them, with their necks downwards, in a vessel of I am, Sir, &c. water. July 10. 1830. N. T. ART. XIII. cheap and easy Method of raising Celery.* Sir, By Mr. E. Roger. As almost every person who has a garden plants a few early potatoes, those who are fond of celery will find the following method of raising it cheap, simple, and easy. After the potatoes are fully hoed up, it will be found that the furrows are an excellent ready made trench for the celery; then take a small spade, and cover in a good dose of strong manure betwixt every alternate row of the potatoes, every furrow would be too close, and then plant in the usual manner. In digging the potatoes, take up every alternate row first, which will give more air to the celery. The advantages of the above plan are as follows:- 1st, no ground is lost by the celery crop; 2d, no labour is required in making the trench; 3d, the celery plants really thrive better at first by being partly shaded by the potatoes; and 4th, the celery can be partly earthed up when digging the potatoes, without any additional labour. I may also observe that every economical gardener may also take a crop of early cabbage from the other furrows, as every alternate furrow is only occupied with the celery; the other furrows may be planted with spring-sown cabbage plants, which will be quite ready for cutting before the earth is wanted for the celery. I remark farther that celery plants raised in the open air are by far the best, and just as easily raised as green kail or cabbage, notwithstanding the mystifications of some of the professional gardeners. *Originally published in the Ayr Advertiser, and recently sent to the Gardener's Magazine by Mr. Roger. It will be seen that the above plan is really taking three crops off the same piece of ground, which will of course require to be well manured. Do not forget that "the midden is the mither o' the meal-kist." I am Sir, yours, &c. Turf Inn, Kilmarnock, June 18. 1828. E. ROGER. ART. XIV. On raising an early Crop of Peas, as formerly practised in Tynningham Gardens, East Lothian. By Mr. MAIN, A.L.S. Sir, THE indefatigable President of the Horticultural Society, among his many valuable papers presented to the Society, has one on the practicability of raising a first crop of peas, by transplanting. On this same subject it may not be amiss, for the information of your readers, to detail the practice of gardeners in Scotland forty years ago, particularly the neverfailing method followed by the late Mr. Thomas Thomson at Tynningham, the seat of the Earl of Haddington, About the 10th of November, provide as many clean 24sized pots as may be necessary; fill them with light rich compost; divide the pots by a diametrically placed piece of broken glass, slate, tile, or any thin bits of pales cut to length, thrust down into the mould; draw, with the two fore and middle fingers united, shallow drills on each side the partitions. In these sow the seed (the earliest sort) moderately thick; cover with the compost; plunge the pots in a cold frame, in an open spot, and protect them from mice and frost; giving air on all seasonable occasions throughout the winter. As soon as the rigours of winter are over, they may be transplanted; if under a south wall the better. Dig a spit along and close to the wall; cut out a shallow trench within 5 in. from it; turn out the contents of each pot into or upon the hand; withdraw the partition, and separate the roots of the divisions which will be found united at bottom with a knife; then place the divisions along the trench, earth up, and make all smooth. Stick them immediately with light slender sticks previously prepared, and about 2 ft. high. This will not only defend them from the boisterous equinoctial gales which happen about that time (middle of March), but also from frost. The peas are fit to gather about the 1st of May, according as the spring is more or less genial. Chelsea, Aug. 1829. I am, Sir, yours, &c. J. MAIN. |