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soon as the bads begin to expand, and the young lice locate themselves upon the small, tender leaves, inserting their beaks therein and pumping out their juices. All of the lice thus hatched are females, and reach maturity in ten or twelve days. Without any intercourse of the sexes, these females that were produced from eggs, now commence giving birth to living young, bringing forth about two daily, for a period of two or three weeks, when, having become decrepid with age, they perish. The young mostly locate immediately around their parent, as closely as they can stow themselves, and reaching maturity after a similar length of time, in their turn become parents. Thus these vermin continue to breed, and as fast as new leaves expand they are in readiness to occupy them. When favorable circumstances attend them, their multiplication surpasses all power of computation. In the warmth of summer they attain maturity in less than half the time they do early in the spring. And like most species of the Aphides they at this period of the year produce winged as well as wingless females, the former dispersing themselves to found new colonies upon other trees. There are from sixteen to twenty generations in the course of the season, from twenty to forty young being produced from each parent. Thus from one egg, as stated by Mr. Curtis, in seven generations, 729 millions of lice will be bred. And if they all lived their allotted length of time, by autumn everything upon the surface of the earth would be covered with them. When cold weather begins to approach, males as well as females are produced, and their operations for the season close with the deposite of a stock of eggs for continuing their species another year. On the last day of last October, it being a warm sunny day after many nights of frost, I observed myriads of winged and apterous lice wandering about upon the trunks, the limbs, and the fading leaves of all my apple trees, many of them occupied in laying their eggs. These were scattered along in every crevice of the bark, in many places piled up and filling the cracks, and others were irregularly dropped among the lichens and moss growing upon the bark-every unevenness of the surface, or wherever a roughness afforded a support for them, Leing stocked with as many as could be made to cling to it. The eggs were then of a light yellow or green color, and were so slightly glued in their places that it was evident by far the largest part of them would be washed away by rains or brushed off by the driving snows of winter. But I by no means anticipated such a great diminution in their numbers as actually occurred. I should judge that in the spring several hundreds had disappeared for every one that then remained.

It is stated by Mr. GILCHRIST, these lice locate themselves upon the green, tender succulent shoots which have grown the present season at the ends of the twigs, and also upon the leafstalks and under surface of the leaves. It is not common for this species to curl the leaves which it infests, in the manner stated by Mr. G., although the lice upon the peach, the snowball, and many other trees and shrubs wrinkle and distort the leaves in this way. The honey-dew which these lice secrete, and which may often be observed in a little clear drop upon the ends of their nectaries, falling upon the leaves and evaporating often coats them over with a shining surface, like varnish; and the bark of infested trees has the peculiar black appearance noticed by Mr. GILCHRIST. But I have never observed any odor arising from such trees. Ants are always found wherever a colony of Plant-lice is congregated, being attracted hither to feed upon the honey-dew, which forms an important part of the nourishment of these insects. To obtain it, the ant gently touches the back of an Aphis with his horns, whereupon the Aphis ejects a drop from one of the nectaries, which the ant immediately sips. Plant-lice have hence been designated the ants' kine or cattle, as they regularly milk

them, as it were, and stand around them constantly, herdsman like, driving away any intruder and guarding them from molestation. And to examine a colony of lice we are always obliged first to brush off or destroy these, their heroic defend

ers.

Plant-lice also have many insect enemies which in various ways attack and devour them. In consequence of one kind of these destroyers being seen so constantly upon infested plants, I have known persons who made it a regular practice to search for and kill them, supposing it was them which bred the Flant-lice. Fatal mistake! It is therefore highly important that every person who possesses a garden or an orchard should be acquainted with these destroyers of the Plant-lice, that he may distinguish his friends from his foes. But, as it would extend the present article to an undue length to introduce a notice of them here, they will form the subject of our next communication.

Whenever Plant-lice become numerous, cne or more of the kinds of these their destroyers also congregate and multiply, so that in an incredibly short time, a week or less, trees which are thronged and over-run with these vermin, become entirely rid of them. This is so commonly the case, that I entertain scarcely a doubt, that before this paper falls under the eye of Mr. GILCHRIST, he will not be able to find a single insect remaining upon his trees. But, if his orchard is not thus fortunate-for it sometimes happens that the Aphis is not discovered and subdued by its enemies, and that the trees on which it becomes multiplied, have their juices extracted to such an extent that they are greatly injured and in some cases killed by this depredator-to what measures can he resort to avert the impending calamity?

Drenching the infested vegetation with strong soap-suds or weak lye is a remedy that has been much recommended and is certainly one of the most efficacious within our knowledge. But it is only those insects which are wetted by the solution that are destroyed. These are creatures which "sprinkling" will not cleanse from the tree; "immersion" must be resorted to. As it is the ends of the twigs which are chiefly infested, Mr. GILCHRIST will be able to rid his trees to a great extent, by preparing a solution of this kind, in a large basin or a small tin pan, and holding this under the infested twigs, bend them one after another down into it, holding them there for several seconds. This will in most cases destroy all of the lice upon the twigs thus immersed, and will cleanse and impart new vigor to the young trees. But is by no means so infallible a remedy as some writers have represented it to be. Some of the lice, perhaps from being more hardy than the generality of their race, will survive. It, however, will probably reduce their numbers so far as to allay all fears of their injuring the trees further the present year.

Tobacco water, made by pouring a gallon of boiling water upon a quarter of a pound of tobacco, and used in the same manner as above directed, has been reported as a certain remedy, but I have made no experiments with it. It may be worth while for Mr. GILCHRIST to try this upon part of his trees, if they yet continue to be infested, and we shall be happy to have him communicate to us the result.

The only remedy known, which is sure of completely ridding infested vegetation of all the Aphides upon it, is the smoke of tobacco. But unfortunately this can only be resorted to in the case of rose bushes and other low shrubs or small trees. For enclosing a shrub to be operated upon, gardeners abroad use a large box, a hogshead, or a kind of small tent humorously described some time since by Prof. Lindley, under the name of a Parapetticoat,"-made by sewing the upper end of a worn-out but entire petticoat to the outer edge of an opened parasol that has been thrown aside, any holes in its cover being first mended, and a staff six feet long securely tied to its handle. The petticoat being then raised up in folds to the parasol, the staff is inserted into the ground under the centre of the infested shrub, and the petticoat is drawn down to surround and inclose all of the foliage of the shrub. The interior is then filled densely with tobacco smoke for the space of five or ten minutes, or long enough to insure the fumes penetrating every curl, plait and crevice of the foliage. The apparatus is hereupon removed and the foliage immediately washed with lukewarm water from a large syringe, else it too would be liable to be destroyed. This utterly exterminates the Aphis from the shrub, every insect being suffocated and dropping from the plant, so that

"unnumbered corses strew the fatal plain."

As the trees of Mr. GILCHRIST are young and small, if the Aphis still infests them as extensively as when his letter was written, it may be his best course to resort to fumigation, constructing some cheap covering, upon the plan of Prof. Landley's Parapetticoat, and filling it with smoke, by throwing tobacco upon a small dish of live coals placed under it.

Salem, N. Y., July 9, 1855.

ASA FITCH.

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Bred by and property of Noel J Becar, Smithtown, winner of 1st prize in the class of two year's old heifers bred in this country, at the New-York State Fair in October, 1854. Got by Lord of Ervhoime (12,205;) dam Oxford 13 by 3d Duke of York (10,166,) g. d. Oxford 5 by Duke of Northumberland (1940,) gr. g. d. Oxford 2 by Short Tail (2521.) gr. gr. g d. Matchem Cow by Matchem (2281,) gr. gr. gr. g d. by Young Wynyard (2856.)

Answers to Inquiries.

THE BEST FRUITS-AS you know everything, please tell me the four best apples, plums, peaches, cherries; best nectarines, apricots; early and late; soil for each, and any book on the subject. Also the best work on kitchen garden. E PARKES. Coffee Landing, Hardin Co., Tennessee.

We shall not undertake to give the best, as standards vary, but will give a good select list, for that region of country. Apples-Early Harvest, for summer; Fall Pippin, for autumn; and Prior's Red and Rawles' Janet for winter. Plums-Imperial Ottoman, Lawrence Gage, Jefferson, Coe's Golden Drop Peaches-Serrate early York, Large Early York, Crawford's Early, Ward's Late Free. CherriesGovernor Wood, Mayduke, Downer's Red, Belle Magnifique. Nectarines-Early Violet, Elruge, Downton, and Boston, (the last for show.) Apricots-Breda, Moorpark, Golden.

As a general rule, the best soil is any one that has a dry or well drained bottom, and is fertile enough to raise good corn and potatoes. But it must be kept clean and mellow by cultivation. The American Fruit Culturist will furnish the necessary information on fruits; and Buist's Family Kitchen Gardener, on vegetables.

BUDDING PEACHES-A word of information through the Cultivator; when is the best time for inoculating peach Trees? GEO. H. LARISON. Sergentsville, N. J.

The latter part of summer and early part of autumn, while the stocks are yet growing thriftily, and will peel well, and also after the buds have become sufficiently hardened and matured for the success of the operation.

To Destroy Lice on Apple Trees.

MR. TUCKER :-I have just read a communication from ASA FITCH, in answer to a letter from WM. GILCHRIST, published in your paper of July 19, on the Apple Plant Louse. I have for several years been much troubled in a nursery and young orchard, by an insect which must be the same described by them.

My first experience was about six years ago, in a nursery of about 1200 apple trees, which became so infested with them that the trees turned mostly black, and the leaves withered and died. The ants accompanied them in countless numbers.

I tried various remedies, needless to mention, as they did no good. At last I took 4 or 5 pounds of tobacco, chopped it up, boiled it, and pressed out the juice, making a strong decoction. I then took a large tin pan, and with the help of an assistant to hold the pan, I bent

over the trees and immersed the trees and branches infested in the tobacco water. It completely destroyed the insects, and the ants did not appear to be at all pleased with the babtism.

Many of my trees had become so bad, that the leaves dropped off. After the application of the tobacco water, the trees leaved out again and grew finely.

Since then I have had to resort to the same remedy more or less every year, both in a nursery and young orchard, and have ever found it effectual when the tobacco water was made strong enough.

As the trees grow older, I find they are not so likely to be infested with them. MOSES L. COLTON. West Bolton, Vt., July 23, 1855.

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A rather annoying inconvenience has been long felt by carriage drivers and equestrians in passing gates, from the necessity of alighting to open them. This has led to various contrivances to obviate the difficulty, Most of these have proved failures, or they have required so much work and pulling for swinging the gate open, as to be little or no better than the simple oldfashioned process of jumping down and doing it directly by hand. In England, the large gentleman farmer, who in his daily rounds is compelled to pass many gates, has a horse trained on purpose that shall allow him to open the gate easily on horseback; and the resident on a large estate builds a costly porter's lodge, and employs a person by the year to watch the entrance and open when needed.

We have lately witnessed the successful operation of a simple contrivance, effected by C. WINEGAR, Esq., of Union Springs. N. Y., that obviates all these difficulties, at a permanent cost not exceeding ten or twenty dollars, and that enables the horseman or carriage driver to open and shut the gate without stopping, with as much ease as he could ring a door bell, and which a child five years old might easily perform. We passed repeatedly through a gate of this kind, for some months in successful operation on the grounds of WM. H. CHASE, of Union Springs, without stopping the vehicle, either for opening the gate or for closing it after us. The only labor required is to wind up a weight by means of a windlass, which a boy ten years old performs, once for about fifty motions of the gate.

This contrivance, not unlike a clock, consists of two principal parts, the running, and regulating parts. The weight which opens and shuts the gate, is contained in a tall box, seen on the left side of the figure, and resembling in external appearance a large post. The weight in descending, turns a crank. A rod placed between this crank and the gate, and connected to each, receives by this means a reciprocating motion, and would open and shut the gate in rapid succession until the weight reaches the ground, were its motion

not controlled by the latch which fastens it shut when it strikes the post, or which fastens it open, as soon as it reaches the smaller post placed at the proper point for this purpose.

The opening and shutting is effected from the carriage or saddle by simply giving a slight pull or jerk on the loop suspended from the arm of the tall post, a short distance from the gate. A wire, extending from this loop to the hinge-post, and thence across the top of the gate to the latch, instantly sets it free whenever a slight pull is given, and the crank and rod immediately draw it open, where it is retained by the latch. On passing through, the loop is pulled on the other side, loosening the latch again, and causing the gate immediately to close.

By placing the two tall posts with the loops, sufficiently distant from the gate, the opening may be accomplished at any desired time before arriving there, an increased length of the wire being all that is required.

This ingenious piece of mechanism was the result of necessity. The inventor, C. Winegar, whose residence is a short distance back from the road, the entrance being at a steep inclination, found it difficult to induce his borses to stand while the gate was opened in the usual way. He was therefore led to adopt this new contrivance to obviate the necessity of stopping. He has, since our cut was engraved, adopted a neater arrangement for the wire work, which is placed under ground, connected as formerly to the gate-latch at one end, and being supported by a low post at the other, where there is a horizontal lever for giving motion to the wire, and which is merely touched with the the hand in passing, for throwing the gate open or closing it.

He also finds a decided benefit from attaching a fan wheel to the crank, for lessening momentum; at the same time that any degree of power may be given to the mechanism. This is more especially needed where a large or heavy gate is employed. In all other cases

a light iron gate, or a wooden frame with iron rails, is the best, as requiring less force, striking with less jar, and being unaffected by wind.

As an ordinary weight will move the gate about fifty times, all that is commonly necessary is to wind it up regularly once a week. In extreme cases, a workman, who goes regularly to his work each morning, may be employed to rasie the weight as he passes,-requiring only a few seconds.

Such an invention as this is destined to become of great value on all large plantations, which the manager must superintend on horseback; and it must be especially so in England. We hope our cousins there will not do as they have done with some other American inventions, endeavor kindly to relieve us from the claim to its originality-or prove it was introduced here from England, (like McCormick's Reaper and Wood's Cast plow,)-or perhaps show conclusively, as they have done in some instances, that our old neighbor and friend Winegar was after all born and brought up on the other side of the wave. England has quite enough to be proud of, without such small drafts upon the Yankees.

Rye and Barley for Winter Pasturage.

Living in about the same latitude as your correspondent in Texas who is desirous of knowing the qualities of Rye and Barley for winter pasturage, and having had some experience in winter pasturage, I will give him the result, hoping it may have the effect to induce further experiments among some of your numerous readers in this section.

I have ascertained from experiments that September and October is the best season for sowing rye and barley for winter pasturage. And if sown on rich soil it will be suitable for pasturing in January, and can be constantly pastured until April or May, when it becomes tough, and shows a tendency to go to seed. It should then be turned under with a large plow 8 or 10 inches deep and the land will be in a good condition for a summer crop. If the rye is left to go to seed the straw is of but little value and it is not liked by stock, and has but little nutriment. As regards the comparative value of rye and barley, rye has the preference, being more tender and nutritious. Barley has the advantage of a more rapid growth at first, but it decays earlier and does not grow as rapidly as the rye after having been fed off, and the rye is preferred by stock.

I had a few years since, a field of rye and one of barley adjoining. The enclosure was open so that the stock could feed in both or either, and I found they ate the rye off close to the ground whilst the barley was from 6 to 8 inches high. also tried the experiment of keeping a milch cow for a week on the different pastures, and I found the week's pasture on the rye had the preference both in quantity and quality of milk and butter, since which time I have abandoned the barley pasture and only sown rye. I have also been experimenting with several of the northern varieties of grasses, such as Timothy, Orchard grass, Ken

tucky Blue grass, Lucern, Red and White clover, Italian Rye grass, "Iverson's" Rescue, and the South American Evergreen. The seed of the latter I procured last fall from Dr. N. B. CLOUD, editor of the American Cotton Planter, and which I am inclined to think is the best adapted to our section of any of the varieties I have tried. Although the past winter has been a very unpropitious season for grasses, having been very dry and cold, still this variety has continued to grow, and afforded good pasturage all the spring, and is still looking well, having now commenced to go to seed. I intend saving all the seed I can for further experiments this fall. My experiments with red and white clover have also been very satisfactory, and have convinced me that, with the use of proper fertilizers, and care in preparing the ground, we can grow as fine crops of red clover here as in any other part of the Union. I sowed my clover about the first of November last, which, by the by, is about one month or six weeks too late. I have pastured it since February, until within about one month since, and it is now from eight to ten inches high, and in bloom; but to get a good stand of clover for a permanent winter pasture, it should not be pastured the first year. I am also cultivating a native summer grass I found in my garden, and intend saving the seed. I have just measured a stalk of it, which measures 4 feet 8 inches, and is very tender and juicy, and I am inclined to think it a superior summer grass.

I am convinced from my observations and experiments, that, with the proper fertilizers and cultivation, ours is the great grass-growing section of the United States, and if the eastern people who have for years past furnished this section with hay, could make onehalf the quantity to the acre that we can from our native grasses, they would have made fortunes by the traffic; but the high price the eastern hay has commanded here the past few years, has directed the attention of a few to the cultivation of the different varieties of foreign and native grasses, and I hope the result of these experiments will prove so favorable that in a few years such an article as eastern hay will not be found or known in our markets. Р. В. РОМЕROY. Mobile, June 25, 1855

BOSTON VETERINARY INSTITUTE-We have received a "Prospectus and Regulations of the Boston Veterinary Institute, incorporated by the Legislature of Massachusetts, May 2, 1855," and rejoice exceedingly that there is at last some prospect of an institution in this country where young men can prepare themselves for the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery. The first session of the Institution will commence the first Monday of November 1855, and continues four months. Courses of lectures will be delivered on the Anatomy and Physiology of the Horse, by G. H. DADD; on the theory and practice of veterinary medicine and surgery by C. M. HooD; and on Cattle Pathology by ROBERT HOOD. Students can also attend, without extra charge, courses of lectures on Pathological Anatomy and Chemistry, by Professors JACKSON and Cook. Tickets to the full course of lectures $75. Full particulars can be obtained by addressing Dr. Geo. H. Dadd, Boston.

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Steam Power for Threshing and other Farm Work LUTHER TUCKER-In reply to the inquiry of H. in a late No. of the Country Gentleman, permit me to occupy a limited space in your excellent paper. I am aware that his inquiry is the exponent of the same necessity felt by a very large number of the more thrifty class of farmers, for some motive power less expensive and more efficient than horse power, for driving the various machines now so generally used by them. The high prices of feed for teams as well as man, bas this year especialy impressed all with the necessity of curtailing as much as possible team labor, and all turn involuntarily to steam as a substitute, and judging from the few, yet successful, trials thus far made, little doubt can exist that upon farms where two or three teams are now needed, a steam engine will take the place of one of them at least, within a few years.

I have no personal knowledge of but one engine being used in this country for threshing Last fall Mr. R. WEAVER of Nelson, in this county, used a portable engine of four horse power, to drive a traveling threshing machine, and cleaner-that is, he went from farm to farm, doing his neighbor's threshing, as has been the custom with horse powers, and I am informed on good authority that it worked to his entire approbatio., there being but one trouble-there was not grain enough in the vicinity to give him full employment.

At the Madison Co. Fair, held in this village in 1852 Messrs A M. WOOD & Co. of Eaton, Madison Co., had on exhibition a portable engine, of four horse power, designed for farm purposes; it was run attached to an ordinary threshing machine, which it drove to the satisfaction of the judges and spectators, but this being principally a dairy region, less necessity for steam power has existed than in grain growing districts, and none except the one referred to, has, to my knowledge, been put in operation.

The Messrs. Woods still manufacture and have constantly on hand this class of engine. The price for three horse power is $275, four horse power $340, six horse $510.

This, I believe answers the inquiries of your correspondent, and permit me to add, that upon a farm or plantation, threshing is but one of many kinds of business that may be done with this little engine. It is equally adapted to a fan mill, corn sheller, cotton gin, clover huller, corn mill, corn stalk and straw cutter, grind stone, churn, wood saw, steaming fodder, and in short to any kind of work to which stationary power is applied. By an ingenious arrangement-discharging the escape steam into the smoke pipe, the sparks from the fire are so perfectly extinguished as to render it perfectly safe about a barn in the dryest time. At the trial at the county fair referred to, a bundle of straw was attached to the top of the smoke pipe all day, and at night was wet with condensed steam. A four-horse power will require less than one-fourth of a cord to run it ten hours. GURDON EVANS. Eaton, N. Y.

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