132 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[September, 



after sunset, and continues until late at night, 

 or very early in the morning, and if you liap- 

 pen to be very near one, and listen a long 

 time to its song, it will sound less like whip- 

 lioor-will than when you are farther away — 

 indeed it always sounds to us more like ivhip- 

 jioir-wimv, with the emphasis on the first and 

 last syllables, Vmt heaviest on the last. Its 

 tail is romidcd, especially at the outer angles, 

 and extends considerably beyond the tijis of 

 the wings, and this alone might be sufficient 

 to distinguish it from the "Xight-Hawk." 

 During t)ie day the whip-poor-will sleeps either 

 upon the ground, on a fallen tree trunk, or on 

 a low liranch, and may often be very nearly 

 approached befoi'e it becomes alaimed and 

 flies away. AVhen it is sitting on a trunk or a 

 branch, its body is said to be always parallel 

 with them, and never crosswise. It lays two 

 eggs on the bare ground, ar on dry leaves, in 

 the month of May. The color of these eggs is 

 greenish white, blotched and spotted with 

 bluish gray and light brown, and short, 

 elliptical, and much rounded in form. 



Although the eggs seem to be carelessly de- 

 posited oil the ground, yet they are not easily 

 discovered, for the bird usually chooses for 

 this purpose the most secluded parts of a 

 thicket, or other unfrequented place. Tlie 

 feet are very small, and appear very far for- 

 ward on the body. There are three species of 

 this bird known to the territory of the United 

 States, namely : "Chuck-wills-widow" — An- 

 trastmmis caroUnensis — of the South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States, and "Nuttall's whip-poor- 

 will" — Antrostonuts nutallii — of the central 

 plains and westward to the Pacific coast. 



There is a superstition that obtains in 

 Lancaster county, in reference to this bird, 

 (A. vocifenis) to the effect, that if it sits upon 

 a house, or near it, wherein a sick person is 

 lying, it is a sign that such sickness will ter- 

 minate fatally to the patient. Indeed, we 

 were on one occasion a good deal amused 

 when a person told us "how mad he got" 

 when the whip-poor-will came singing around 

 his house, while he was lying with a fever. 

 Although he survived it, yet "that goes for 

 nothing," for he knew a man that did die 

 under such circumstances, and that was a 

 sufficient confirmation of the superstitious 

 theory to last him for a lifetime. His own es- 

 cape was probably owing to some incantation 

 equally superstitious. 



The "Night-hawk, "«Kos "Night-jar," alias 

 "Fern-owl" — Chordeihs popttue — is a very dif- 

 ferent bird from the foregoing. It is about 

 nine inches long, and the wings are eight 

 inches, extending lieyond the end of the tail, 

 which is pointed at the outer angles, instead 

 of rounded. It has a white bar across the 

 wing, which is visible on top, and very much 

 so beneath, even when the bird is at a consid- 

 erable height in the air, and also a white 

 throat. In its colors and their distribution it 

 strongly resembles the whip-poor-will, but it 

 lacks the conspicuous bill bristles, and its 

 mouth does not open quite as far as the eyes. 

 Its locale is North America generally, and it 

 is more common than the whip-poor-will. 

 Night-hawks, as their name would seem to 

 imply, are not strictly nocturnal birds, but are 

 often upon the wing during the entire day, 

 especially if it be a cloudy day. Tliey are, 

 however, most active during twilight, and re- 

 tire as soon as it gets dark. They have a loud 

 squeaking note, which is familiar to all who 

 are in the least given to observation, and 

 those must also be familiar with their habit of 

 rapidly descending towards the earth, and 

 makhig a loud booming noise just at the point 

 where they suddenly turn to ascend again. 

 This descent is sometimes made from a great 

 height, and the peculiar sound "is said to be 

 produced by the concussion caused by the new 

 position of the wings at the moment when the 

 bird passes the centre of its plunge, and com- 

 mences its ascent again." The night-hawk, 

 like the whip-poor-will, makes no nest, but 

 deposits its eggs on the bare ground, or some- 

 times on a flat rock, in fields, or in open 

 woods. These are two in number, similar to 

 those of the whip-poor-will, but less blotched, 



more freckled, and not so elliptical in form. 

 When the female is interrupted while sitting 

 on her eggs, she suddenly flutters off and acts 

 as if she" was woimded ; and so well does she 

 dissemble this, that persons are tempted to 

 follow her and ti-y to capture her ; but some- 

 hf>w, no matter how helpless she may apjiear, 

 she always contrives to elude the grasp of her 

 pursuer by an inch or two ; and after she has 

 decoyed him far enough away from her eggs 

 or young to secure tlieir safety, she darts out 

 of sight in a moment, and often leaves her pur- 

 suer in the most profound astonishment or 

 chagrin at her rapid recoverj', or the ruse she 

 had adopted to secure the pr(jtection of her 

 progeny. We distinctly recall an occasion of 

 this" kind, wherein we were led into a chase 

 after one of these birds in a corn-field, when 

 we were a boy ; but of course the bird came off 

 conqueror by an adroit retreat, and we were 

 disappointed. 



To recapitulate : The whip-poor-will has 

 the mouth margined with long, stiff bristles, 

 while in the night-hawk they are hardly ap- 

 preciable. In tiie former the wings are short, 

 not reaching to the end of the tail, whilst in 

 the latter they are long and sharp-i)ointed, 

 reaching beyond the tail. In thewhip-poor- 

 will the tail is short and rounded, while in the 

 night-hawk the tail is rather narrow and 

 emarginate, or forked. There is also some 

 difference in their cohirs and markings ; liut 

 color is not always constant, and therefore the 

 most reliable points are those above enum- 

 erated. 



There are also several distinct species of 

 night-hawks. The "Western Night-hawk"— 

 Cliordeiles hcnri/i — of New Mexico, and the 

 "Texas Night-hawk" — Chnrdeiles tcxensis — 

 of Texas ; and there are probably other North 

 American species. 



We have prepared this article because we 

 are often asked numerous questions about 

 these birds, and about nme out of every ten 

 of our interlocutors enter into a disputation, 

 and contend that the night-hawk is a whip- 

 poor-will, any experimental or recorded /ncfs 

 of nutiiral history to the contrary notwith- 

 standing. Nevertheless, there may be others 

 who think it worth whUe to have a knowledge 

 of the truth as it is. 



A BEAUTIFUL TREE OF FRUIT. 



" Hich and Rare.^^ 



Not more than about thirty feet from the 

 inner southeast angle of Centre Square, in the 

 city of Lancaster, stands a plum tree, hearing 

 a crop of fruit as remarkably well formed and 

 prolific as any that ever adorned a fairy tale. 

 The tree is on the premises of Dr. B. Mishler; 

 it is trellised against an eastern exposure 

 of a western wall, and is about eighteen 

 feet in height. The fruit is oblong, or egg- 

 shaped in form, of a pale yellow in color, 

 and tolerably uniform in size, averaging 

 about two inches in length. The inclosure, 

 on the west side of which it stands, is 

 hardly twenty feet square, so that it can only 

 get the benefit of the late morning and mid- 

 day sun. The ground is paved with brick up 

 to within an inch or two of the base of the 

 tree. The fruit and the leaves look exceed- 

 ingly healthful, not one being infested by the 

 Curndio or any other insect. Dr. Misliler in- 

 forms us that it it was grafted on a wild-plum 

 stock, which he purchased and planted about 

 six years ago; but he had forgotten or did not 

 know Isy what name it was sold. There are 

 about four bushels of plums on the tree, and on 

 some of the limbs they hang in clusters of from 

 ten to twenty. The fruit, at this writing, 

 (Sep. 3,) is not yet ripe, but from itssizc, form, 

 texture, and color, we should adjudge it to be 

 Coe's Golden Duor, or one of its aUies or 

 varieties. The seed is about an inch in length, 

 over half an inch in width, flattened, and in its 

 broadest outline approximates to the form of 

 the fniit. In its present condition the flesh is 

 solid, a pale yellow in color, and adherestothe 

 sharp edges of the seed, and in taste it'is plea- 

 santly tartish. The stem is atiout three quar- 

 ters of an inch in length, firm, and moder- 



atety sunk into the upper end of the fruit, and 

 the suture is tolerably distinct. "Coe's Gol- 

 den Drop," is represented as an English vari- 

 ety, with characteristics similar to those we 

 have mentioned ; that it matures late, is ex- 

 cellent for table use, and comes in after other 

 varieties are over : that it is sometimes con- 

 founded with the "Yellow Egg plum," which 

 is a little larger; that it will keep a longtime 

 after it is gathered, if wrapped in fine paper 

 and kept in a dry room ; and judging from its 

 texture, we should consider such to be the 

 case. It is regarded by good authority as one 

 of the most delicious of all plums, and is re- 

 commended for this latitude by good judges. 



Qiii'ry. — Has the paved yard anything to do 

 with the healthy condition of the fruit, and 

 its exemption from the ravages of the "Curcu- 

 lio ?" Some years ago we witnessed a similar 

 case near the southwest angle of Centre Square, 

 (rear of now Locher's building) where a plum 

 tree stood in an enclosure — all except one limb, 

 about a fifth of the whole — in which were con- 

 fined ducks, chickens and pigeons. Not a sin- 

 gle spear of grass of any kind grew in the yard, 

 and the soil was beaten down and bare, as it 

 usually is in poultry yards. The tree matured 

 a large crop of sound fruit, all except the one 

 limb, which hung over the garden, on which 

 every plum was stung with the Curadio. 



Years ago, this kind of culture had been re- 

 commended as a preventive of this insect, but 

 subsequently it was contradicted by the expe- 

 rience of others, and hence we made no allu- 

 sion to it in our paper on the " Plum Weevil, " 

 in this number of The Farmer. The theory 

 was that the female Curculio will not deposit 

 her eggs in fruit hanging over water, a paved 

 yard, or any other condition of the ground un- 

 der the tree which would' prevent the grub 

 from burrowing after it had left the fruit. 



THE STATE FAIR. 



It may be interesting to visitors and exhibi- 

 tors at the coming State fair to know that the 

 general admission fee will be 50 cents ; life 

 member's fee 20 dollars ; and that all entries, 

 except horses entered for speed, will be free, 

 whether they are entered for competition for a 

 premium, or merely for exhibition ; and that 

 all exhibitors have the privilege of purchasing 

 five tickets for one dollar on each day of the 

 fair, limited, however, to twenty-five at that 

 price ; all beyond that limit will be at the 

 general price of 50 cents each. 



No premiums will be offered or awarded to 

 reaping or mowing machines, sewing machines 

 or musical instruments : Provided., however, 

 that Judges in their reports may notice the 

 specific advantages, if any, claimed by the 

 exhibitors or makers. 



Books of entry were opened on the 31st of 

 August, at the office in Lancaster, and will re- 

 main open until Septemter -iOth, at 10 o'clock 

 p. m., and all exhibitors must have their 

 animals and articles entered before that day, 

 (Sep. 20th.) 



Horsemen will be allowed to enter the en- 

 closure on payment of 50 cents additional, for 

 horse and rider, and the same for a single horse 

 vehicle. A pair <jf horses and driver, 75 cents, 

 and all additional passengers 50 cents each. 

 Scats for spectators will be provided at the 

 charge of 25 cents each, good for the day. 



No animal or article without a descriptive 

 card attached, can be permitted to be placed 

 within the inclosure by the superintendent or 

 his assistants, and when properly entered, they 

 cannot be removed from the ground before the 

 close of the exhibition (except by permission 

 of the President) without forfeiting any pre- 

 mium that may have been awarded them. 



If one day's notice is given, the State Society 

 will convey, free of charge, all articles from 

 railroad depots to the fair ground. The most 

 liberal arrangements have been made with the 

 various raihoads of the State for the transpor- 

 tation of all articles intended for exhibition, 

 both to and fro, of which infomiation will be 

 given by application to D. W. Seller, Secre- 

 tary, at Lancaster or Harrisburg, and com- 

 plete details will be given. 



