FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2869, 2 December 1890, Page 4

FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

New Fodukk Grass. — Professor Marcus Hartog, at the British Associatiou made an important statement on the aucliroatisation in Ireland of the tussock grass of (ha I'Vikland Islands. Hβ said this was a noble grasH of the habit of the pampas-grass and most valuable as fodder. It would grow in bog land and close to tho sea. It had been acclimatised many years ago iti Lewis, but appeared to be failing there owing to the unchecked browsing of cattle. In introducing the plants into Ireland in the spring of 18S9, he had raised a limited number of plants for seeds, growing them sufficiently wide to ensure good individual development, and increasing hie supply of nur try plants by dividing them from time to time into seta. lie anticipated that in a few years these plants would be just like the pampas-grass, and suitable directly for planting out on farms. The plants will will do well at Cork, and at Duuraanway, in the west of the country. Plants raised for seed in spriug and planted out in May had in the autumn formed tussocks of 80 or more stands, each as thick as the finger at the base, and seeded, though not very freely. Tall f.ve.%- j?ora Yankee Yarn.—The' Drovers' Journal, of Chicago, gives the following despatch from Micldlesborough, Kentucky, dated August loth :—"Edgar Ramsey, who lives i<> the eastern part of Claiboru county, Tennesseo, came into Middlesborough this morning, and related the following extraordinary story, which be in willing to swear to as being true. Ho claimed that on Sunday afternoon ho saw a large green-looking cloud coming from a westerly direction towards his house, while the rain was falling in torrents. It then suddenly grow very I cold, anil it commenced to hail, and, in less than half an hour, it became as dark as night. The wind blew hard, and hailstones fell as large as eggs. All this occurred in the space of one half-hour. Later in the afternoon, Jake Warren, a neighbouring farmer, galloped to his house at full speed, and begged him to go at once and look at the extraordinary transformation which had taken place in his cornfields. All parties concerned were, however, too frightened to vonture out until the next day, when, in company with several friends, the cornfield was visited. Every stalk of corn was found to havo been turned iuto stone. The field was a five-acre one, and everything upon it had been petrified, even to two pigs that hud lingered upuu the ground. It is claimed that hundreds of people have visited the place since then, and there is no reason to disbelieve the story as told, remarkable as it is."

How to Destroy Insect P*;.sT:i.—An it:terestin;;report,containing valuable infortnutiou for horticulturists, orchardists unci market gardeners, has been furnished to the Victorian Minister of Agriculture by Mr C. French, tho Govornment Entomologist. Ho states that: —Aphides and scale should bo treated with kerosene emulsion, the former requiring a weaker solution (say 1 to l>0) than the hitter (1 to 12 or 1-1). Against tl'e resting spores of as mildew, sooty blight, apnloscab, black spot, peach yellow, shot hole of the apricot, and othei pests, a solution of the bluestono solution should now be used (mid Mr Ctawford, who is always ou the careful side, suggests the use (if say, lo;;. of bluostoue to the gallon of water); but tLu real use of this and othur so culled vpcuitics bus yet to bo determined by loutr aud carefully conducted experiment iu tho fiold. Against red spider, sulphur iu any form is very good. Eternal vigilance and united action is, however, the price of am; x'»s in the eradication of both insect and fungus posls. Against the cabbago-worm use tar-water ; -lib. tar placed in a cask containing say 1000 gallons of water. Several of these casks could be placed at intervals throughout the garden, and by this means the crop can be kept clean. This remedy has been tried very successfully upon young cabbage plants, without injury to tbem. The potato-moth or " grub" is a more difficult pest to combat; still, by destroying as many of tho badly diseased tubers as possible, and by applying lime to the soil, and tar water to tho tops whilst growing, its ravages may be crreatly lessened. Tho destruction of unfledged locusts is a matter deserving of Bpecial attention, and I feel quite certain, as Mr Thompson, of Dookie, has suggested, that countless numbers of these insects might be destroyed by the use of simple branches of bushes in beating them to death, as, if the wings are injured, they are of course incapable of flight, and fall early victims to the attacks of birds, ants, &o. Bush harrows, if strongly constructed, and passed over country where locusts abound, would destroy vast numbers, united action being absolutely necessary for the reduction in the ravages of the locust plague. The time is approaching when tho apples and pears will be setting their fruit, and this is the proper and only time for attaoking the eodlin moth grub whilst in tho fruit, by a liberal use of Paris green or London purple. The latter, say 1 lb. to 100 gallons of water, will, with care, be the means of greatly lessening tho ravages of this very troublesome pest to apples and pe:irs. Formerly it was believed that the femalo moth deposited her eggs on the flower of the npple, but from long experience, coupled with the largo preponderance of evidence of growers, it has I think been fairly proved and decided that tha egg is deposited iu the calyces of the apple immediately after its forming ; but bo this ay it may, wo urc sure to bo sufo iu attacking the grub when just hatched, ua described above.