257 



hundred beetles and very few larvne, but did see the hens and chickens ; the rooster, 

 a fine Laugshau, at their head, ate the tiny larviB. To be sure, they did eat some 

 potatoes, but who woukl mind such a trifle ? Next season we put in a large patch of 

 potatoes near the henhouse, adjoining a large cabbage patch. Now, early cabbage 

 brings here five or six cents per pound. I had intended making my fortune that 

 year on "Early Jersey Wakefields." They had begun to head very nicely. I noticed 

 the rooster and his numerous family walking up and down the rows; my husband 

 suggested that they were worming the cabbage. I investigated; they had not 

 touched the potato beetles apparently, but had eaten the hearts out of over one 

 hundred cabbages. I sold the fowls the next day, all but the roosters, whom I took 

 real satisfaction in consigning to the pot. I was damaged to the tune of twenty- 

 five dollars. 



I have decided that turkeys and Guinea fowls are the only fowls that can be 

 trusted in a garden. Turkeys sometimes damage grain, but can be watched; they 

 destroy innumerable grasshoppers. 



But toads are the birds, as our Irish neighbor says : I even think it would pay to put 

 a 12-inch board around market and flower gardens and introduce toads, they make 

 nice pets (we have a big black one that has lived under the porch for years) and 

 destroy immense numbers of injurious insects. 



By the way, sprinkling the ground with a solution of Paris green (level teaspoon- 

 ful to 16 quarts of water) seems to materially reduce the leaf-hoppers, flea-beetles, 

 etc., that infest our garden. But thorough cultivation and plenty of manure— com- 

 mercial as well as barnyard manure, will place any crop beyond the reach of aay 

 but extraordinary insect depredation.— [Mrs. M. E. Rice, Pennsylvania. 



Bisulphide of Carbon against Grain Pests; Additional Correspondence. 



* * * The bisulphide of carbon vaporizes so rapidly that we do not understand 

 how it can be effective for more than a few days at a time unless the crib is practi- 

 cally air-tight. 



My experiment on the evaporation of the bisulphide of carbon at a temperature 

 of 90° to 100^ degrees F. are as follows : 



I filled five one-ounce vials with the carbon, and placed them in a row in a warm 

 room. 



Vial No. 1. Without any covering. Fluid evaporated in three days. 



Vial No. 2. Covered with two layers of fine muslin. Evaporated in six days. 



Vial No. 3. Covered with four layers of fine muslin. Evaporated in 5| days. May 

 have been some defect in tying. 



Vial No. 4. Tightly corked with a pipe-stem through the cork, running almost to 

 the bottom of the vial. In half an hour the gas forced the fluid to the top of the 

 tube, but never ran over. Evaporated in three days. 



Vial No. 5. Covered with a thin sheet of gum elastic, and perforated once with a 

 very fine needle. Evaporated in ten days. 



In these experiments the evaporating surface of each vial was about three-fourths 

 of a square inch. Of course, as the size of the surface is increased, there would be 

 an increase of evaporation, a matter to be observed for practical purposes. 



Experiment No. 5 has agreeably disappointed me, for I expected that the evapo- 

 ration would be exhausted somewhat within the range of six days. 



For weevils our remedy is fully reliable, but for the exclusion of mice and rats 

 the vapor should be kept up, if not continuously, at least at short intervals. 



I have concluded to treat this year my corn in the bin as proposed in my last let- 

 ter, with half-pound bottles of the bisulphide of carbon, covered with two layers of 

 very close texture ot cloth, capped over with a wad of cotton tightly compressed. 

 At least, I will test it shortly as above, with the expectation of prolonging the evap- 

 oration a full month, or even longer, within the bin. I would offer reasons to adopt 

 18430— No. 4 4 



