THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL. 

 The heavy drain upon tlie prospeetive ag- 

 ricultural resources of our country bj' de.struc- 

 tive insects is very generally atlniittcd ])y all 

 who are sutiiciently intelligent to comprehend 

 the subject. It is not necessary to go into 

 details ; it is sufficient to say that, in the 

 entire country, it annually aiiiounts to mil- 

 lions of dollars. Some knowledge of the sub- 

 ject, therefore, becomes a matter of interest to 

 evei'y farmer. But few farmers, if any, can 

 hope to become W(e»((/;e entomologists. There 

 is nothing, how<:ver, to prevent them from 

 becoming prartical entomologists, and what- 

 ever assistance the editor of this journal cau 

 render to make them such, will Ije freely ac- 

 corded. We therefore jiropose the following 

 si/ntem in the pursuit of the subject, liecause 

 without system of some kind, very little pro- 

 gress can lie made in any direction. 



We propose, tlien, to gha them all the infor- 

 mation we can, on any specified subject, when 

 proper ai)plication is made. It would be 

 almost useless to volunteer genei-al princi]iles 

 or scientific theories on the subject of ento- 

 mology. People want scientific knowledge. 

 For instance, when they find a certain insect 

 depredating upon their crops or industrial 

 productions, they want to know what it is, 

 something about its transformations, habits, 

 history, jieculiarities, local characteristics and 

 the proper remedies for its destruction, as 

 well as irhtn and Imw to apply the remedies. 

 Now, as it is difficult for a novice to describe 

 an insect plainly enough to be clearly under- 

 stood, and as such a description might involve 

 more time and lalior tliat could be immediately 

 bestowed upon it ; and moreover as the indi- 

 vidual who desires the information may not 

 possess the necessai'y books, nor have access 

 to a library containing them, it is clear that 

 some shorter and more practical plan must be 

 adopted. A pr/'pcr ai>plication can be made 

 by mail, enclosing specimens of the noxious 

 insect, carefully secured against death or 

 injury, together with a few lines descrilnng 

 the nature of its deiiredations, on what vege- 

 table it has been found, what it had been 

 doing, as well as the time and place it was 

 found. And what is of equal or greater im- 

 portance to the editor, not only the ]iostage 

 on the communication shoidd be paid, (it 

 , would not lie forwanled if it is not) but it 

 should either contain a three cent stani]i or a 

 postal card, to insure an immediate reply. 

 This, however, is only necessary witli those 

 who are not regular subscribers to The Farmer, 

 through the columns of which all (luestions 

 will be answered, so far as they enn lie. f)ur i 

 reasons for this course are obvious, and will I 

 be regarded as valid by the liberal-minded. 

 la good truth, we cantujt nfforel to write a 

 specific reply and furnish paper and enveloiies, 

 and i)ay the return postage into thelmrgain — 

 it is not in equity. On a single letter the post- 

 age would be a trifle, but our correspondents 

 should rememlier that we receive many such 

 letters in a month, and to answer them all, 

 individually, would be a greater burden than 

 "even-handed justice',' requires us to bear. 

 By answering con-i'spondents through the col- 

 lunns of our journal information becomes more 

 diffused than it (itherwise could be, for other 

 persons than the ones immediately addressing 

 us may Vie interested in the very same insects. 

 This will inculcate habits of nwre minute 

 observation than usually obtains among fanners 

 in general — a thing much needed — and will 

 suggest experimentation in their destruction 

 or removal. Tlie time seems to be surely aji- 

 proaching when our agricultiu-al iiopulation 

 will be rrmipelhil to give more jiatient and per- 

 severing heed to this qmstion than they have 

 heretofore been in the habit of doing. Our 

 plan is co-o])erative and equitable in its special 

 effects, and ought to meet the approval of 

 those interested. 



The openitcg month of the year is a good 

 time for us to take a retros]iective glance at the 

 past, in order to avoid in future, where possi- 

 ble, errors of judgment and defects in prac- 

 tioe, and thus profit by experience. 



OVER-PRODUCTION — UNDER-CON- 

 SUMPTION. 



"In 1872, when there was a great abimr'ance 

 of all things, we were not afflicted with over- 

 production. What now is the luatter is under- 

 consumption. Some eight hundred thousand 

 men and women are compulsorily idle who 

 then were regularly employed. The earnings 

 of the people amounted, probably, to $2,U()0,- 

 000 a day, or to §1500,000,000 in 'a year. This 

 l>urchasing power, vast in the aggregate, has 

 disappeared. Restore it in the shape of wages 

 paid for daily work, then what is styled ' o\'er- 

 production ' would vanish. We shall not get 

 out of our industrial depression in any sudden 

 way. Recuperation will be apt to emblemize 

 the slow return of the invalid to health and 

 strength. The medicine needed by the coun- 

 try is iilenty of live money to o]ierate-the cus- 

 tomary exchanges, and thus keep men and 

 women at work when once more the industrial 

 movement gets safely upon its legs. Mean- 

 time, enough things are not produced to satisfy 

 the wants of the people. There are more 

 mouths to be jed, more backs to be clothed, 

 more bodies to be warmed, more feet to be 

 shod, more heads to be sheltered, and more 

 minds to be instructed in 1874 than there were 

 in 1S7'2; yet the quantity of things produced is 

 smaller. The over-production is apparent, 

 not real — constructive, not actual — a ratio be- 

 tween production and the crippled power to 

 consume, not between production and the 

 urgent needs of consumers. To get at the 

 complete truth it is requisite for the Tribune 

 to shift its point of view. More money is the 

 key to the problem." — Inter-Oceun. 



To this we may add that there will be more 

 wants to be supjilied in 1875 than there were 

 in 1874; Init what does all this amount to if 

 the necessary means are not available to pro- 

 cure the supiilies? We want more employment 

 for the laboring millions of the country, no 

 matter how unwisely they may squander the 

 products of labor. That is a thing beyond 

 constitutional control, and hardly worth talk- 

 .ing about, although it means a great deal; still, 

 if peoiile don't see it themselves it would be as 

 difficult to inject it into the fissures of their 

 brains, as to shoot potatoes into the crevices of 

 a millstone. In order to furnish more emi)loy- 

 ment we want "more live money;" by wliieh 

 we infer, money judiciouslj- invested where it 

 will pay at least six per cent., and which will 

 continue to be thus invested so long as it yields 

 any per cent, at all— money bnnight out of old, 

 uniiroductive " stocking legs" and put to prac- 

 tical and rational i(Sf/i('?ic<.s — money, if possi- 

 ble, unifonn in value, and secured against jieri- 

 odic fluctuations and depreciations. Just tliink 

 of the extraordinary measui'es wliicli the phi- 

 lanthroiiically inclined are compelled to resort 

 to, periodically, for the relief of the indigent, 

 unemiiloj'ed. or starving millions of our coun- 

 trymen. If these people had the pecuniary 

 means there would not long be an over-produc- 

 tion or supiily of anything, nor yet an under- 

 consumptioni the latter being the effect of the 

 absence of these means. Tilings woidd be kept 

 moving, and motion is the only sure remedy 

 against stagnation. We believe tliat a univer- 

 sal nation of spendthrifts would be ]ireferable 

 to a universal nation of njisers. It is the penu- 

 rious hoarding of some, the bloated accumula- 

 tions of others, and the imiirudent profligacy 

 of the many that cause the inequalities and 

 stringencies of the times, with all the depriva- 

 tions and stifferings that follow in theii' train. 



"More money is the A'c// to the problem," 

 but a I'ei/ is of very little account so Ions; as 

 there is no availalile J(i<-k into which it will fit, 

 and that may be opened by it. Those locks 

 ai'e the rich agricultural, mechanical and min- 

 eral resources of the country, and these are now 

 shut u)) and rusting, for the want of a key to 

 open them. There is a point in the domestic 

 aflairs of a nation beyond which " endurance 

 ceases to be a virtue," and no one can tell ex- 

 actly wlien that point is reached. The British 

 govemment did not " see it" previous to the 

 revolt of her American colonies; France did 

 not see it before the bloody revolution of ' 0?>;' 

 and the South did not see it before her attempt 



to nationalize slavery. When will the pos- 

 sessors of the "key " of our industrial inter- 

 ests learn that it is more profitable in the end 

 to keep the laboring population of our country 

 constantly employed, at any cost ? 



LARGE EMIGRATION TO GERMANY. 



PKUSSIAN MANUFACTUKERS SENDING TO 

 AMERICA FOR WORKMEN. 



"Forseveral daysjiast many jiersons, mostly 

 Germans, have besieged the offices of the com- 

 missioners of emigration at Castle Gai'deu, and 

 besought them to jirovide steerage passage to 

 Europe; Most of them professed to be with- 

 out means, while othei-s asserted tljat they had 

 a portion of the passage money. Of course it 

 was impossible for the eonunissioners to pro- 

 vide means for them to return to Germany; 

 but in some few instances, where only a small 

 deficiency existed, the balance was supjdied by 

 the commissioners. In nearly every case they 

 came provided with letters from Gennany, in 

 which they were assured that labor is plenty 

 and profitable at home, and that the demand 

 for mechanics is greater than for many years 

 previous. Information received by the com- 

 missioners themselves from all parts of Prus- 

 sia show that the situation has not been exag- 

 gerated. Skilled labor is scarce, and the prices 

 paid exceed anything that has been paid for 

 years past. Bookbinders, machinists, tjpe- 

 setters and mechanics in the different trades 

 are receiving from ten to thirty florins a week, 

 where only one-third that sum used to be paid. 

 This rate, considering the prices of rent, pro- 

 visions and living generally, is equivalent to as 

 many dollars here. Accomplished book-keep- 

 ers with large manufactiuMug companies are 

 receiving from 3,000 to 10,000.r' a year. Busi- 

 ness is brisk throughout the Empire, and pros- 

 perity and plenty prevail throughout the land. 

 Thisis accounted for by the eonunissioners and 

 others, from the fact that while Germany is 

 now homogeneous and a unit, she became en- 

 riched by the late war, levying tribute uiiou 

 France, which was made to bear all the ex- 

 pense of the campaign. She was more than 

 indemnified. Money became plenty, and the 

 industries which had slumbered when the war 

 was raging, were set in operation at its close. 

 Business relations were ojiened with other 

 nations, which, previous to tlie war, had only 

 fritting commercial relations with the Prussian 

 provinces. There was an increasing internal 

 and external demand for the manufactures of 

 I'russia, and skilled laborers were sought for. 

 ]5ut the war had killed off many of them. It 

 had taken the bone an<l sinew of the land, and 

 many who had not been killed had been 

 maimed for life. This created a great want, 

 and the price of labor advanced. Manufac- 

 turers and tradesmen, as well as the friendsof 

 Germans in this country, are sending to Amer- 

 ica for them.jirotfering good positions at home. 

 The inducement is increased on account of the 

 prevailing dullness of trade here, and the com- 

 missioners predict that during the next three 

 or four months there will lie an uniirecedented 

 emigration to Germany. In many cases money 

 has been sent from Europe to per.sons here 

 with which to pay their passage home. Innni- 

 grants are still arriving here from Germany, 

 but they arc not mechanics nor tradesmen. 

 The commissioners state that the country is 

 losing those who have learned trades but can 

 find no work here, and have gone back to Eu- 

 rope to work at them. It is feared, too, that 

 the jNIennonites will cease to ccmie, as the in- 

 fonnation has reached the commissioners that 

 the Russian government has concluded to let 

 them remain exempt from conscrijition and 

 war duty, and no longer violate the convic- 

 tions of the Mennonifes by compeUing them to 

 take up arms." — Tribune. 



The foregoing is very significant, and shows 

 how very superior the occujiation of a farmer 

 is, in comparison with that of other men ; 

 for it will lie observed that no farmers are 

 among the "large emigration to Germany," 

 in search of that employment which they are 



