528 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



son attached to it, the female wasp, ever since the 

 creation of the world, has been doing the very 

 same thing in its own department of life. Yet, 

 because the animal is comparatively a small one, 

 wetoverlook and despise the beauty and simplicity 

 of the process by which it works. In reality, how- 

 ever, this process is just as wonderfully ingenious, 

 as if a ship-owner had the power of provisioning 

 his ship with living sheep and living oxen, man- 

 ipuia'ed in such a manner that they could be 

 packed in the ship's hold like so many hogsheads ; 

 that they should require no food or attendance 

 there, and neither kick nor struggle, nor bellow 

 nor b'eat, but lie perfectly still; and yet that, 

 whenever wanted tUr food, they could be hauled 

 up out of the ship's hold and converted at pleas- 

 ure into good fresh, juicy beef and mutton. 



In some cases, a single caterpillar, or spider, 

 forms sufficient food for a single larva; and then 

 the nest is provisioned with only a single individ- 

 ual, la other cases, as v/ith several species of 

 wood wa-ps, that bore nests for themselves in 

 timber, and provision them with plant-lice; nearly 

 a liundred individuals are stored up for a single 

 larva. The more usual numoer is from half a 

 dozen to a dozen. In no known case does any 

 digger wasp attempt to rear more tlian a single 

 larva in a single nest. As already hinted, each 

 species of digger wa^p usually selects a particular 

 species, or, at all events a particular group, either 

 of insects, or of spiders, as food lor its young; 

 but there are several exceptions to this rule, owing, 

 no doubt, in part, to the occasional inability of the 

 mother insects to procure the appropriate kind of 

 food in sufficient quantities. Some provision their 

 nests with grasshoppers, some with cockroaches, 

 some with snout beetles of various kinds, some 

 with ants, bees, and in Europe even with honey- 

 bees; a few with different kinds of bugs, frog- 

 spittle insects, and plant-lice ; a great number of 

 them with various kinds of two-winged flies, and 

 a still greater number, perhaps, with the larvas of 

 various moths; and, besides all these, many dis- 

 tinct speiies, belonging to widely distinct genera, 

 prey up3n spiders. 



WHEAT TURNED TO CHESS. 



I notice in your last issue an item from the Dixie 

 Farmer, concerning the changing of wheat to 

 chess. We all know how often this theory has 

 been broached and how strongly defended or at- 

 tacked, and while myself an unbeliever in any 

 such transmutation, I desire to give you an in- 

 stance reported to me on good authority, — by an 

 eye witness, — and will leave you and your readers 

 to explain the matter if you can. 



About two years ago Mr. P. H. Strong, of Pom- 

 fret, Vt., sowed a piece of mowing ground, rather 

 moist soil, near his barn, about three-fourths of an 

 acre, with winter wheat, as nice seed as could be 

 obtained, and not a particle of chess to be found 

 in it. The following spring, to all appearance, the 

 wheat wa5 in good condition, seemingly not win- 

 ter killed in the least. During June, passers-by 

 commented frequently on its flourishing appear- 

 ance—stout, thrifty, and promising at least thirty 

 bushels to the acre. On heading out, the whole 

 piece was chess; hardly a head of wheat in the 

 field! He cue it for fodder. My informant saw 

 the straw in the barn after cutting, and it was as 

 stout as any wheat straw he haa ever seen, and 

 apparently identical in appearance. 



Now the question arises, Where did the chess 

 come fiom, or what became of the wheat? And 

 another query : Has any one ever seen chess in 

 spring wheat ? 



Now, Mr. Editor, will you tell us whether chess 

 is anything more than imperfect wheat? Will 

 chess giow when planted, or is it like the mule, in- 



capable of propagating its kind? I do not wish 

 to start a controversy, but I know there are many 

 farmers who thoroughly believe in the change or 

 degeneration of wheat to what is called chess, and 

 you may convince them possibly of their error. 

 Thetford, Vt., Sept., 1869. e. 



CL'LTIVATION OF THE CRANBERE.T. 



It seems singular that this fruit is so little culti- 

 vated, when there is nothing that can be made so 

 profitable to those who will engage in it. When 

 you can get from ^10 to ^25 per barrel for the 

 truit, what is there that will pay so well about the 

 farm ? I see large pieces of land on many firms, 

 now lying worthless to their owners, which would 

 bring them almost fortunes in a few years if they 

 were got into good cranberrv meadows. 



Mode of cultivation. — The swamp or meadow 

 should be thoroughly drained, the surface soil 

 taken off from six inches to one foot deep, being 

 sure to take all the grass and weed roots out, as 

 the vines will do nothing if they are suffered to 

 grow with them ; then sand should be carted on 

 about six inches deep — coarse, yellow sand is the 

 best; when this cannot be obtained gravel will do. 

 The vines should then be set from one to two fjet 

 apart, j ust as you like, in small bunches ; the nearer 

 thev are set the sooner they will cover the ground. 

 Build a dam so as to flow them in the fall. Keep 

 the water on all winter, and till about the middle 

 of May. They will begin to fruit the second year, 

 and will increase for ten or twelve years, when 

 they should be reset. They frequently produce, 

 in good locations, from four to six bushels per 

 rod. Vines can be obtained in this neighboriiood 

 at a reasonable price. Geo. M. Wonson. 



East Gloiicesle); Mass., Sept. 16, 1869. 



native oats. 

 Mr. M. C. Peck, of Benson, Vt., has left with us 

 a stool of forty-two stalks from one kernel, which 

 came up in a potato field on the farm of Elliott E. 

 Smith of that town, from seed probably dropped 

 in the manure. He was not able to give the num- 

 ber of grains, as the hens harvested the crop and 

 neglected to keep a record. It shows, however, 

 that under favorable circumstances our ordinary 

 oat is not far behind the crack varieties. 



TOP DRESSING. 



Last year I had a piece of grass land that for 

 two years had borne but very little, and I con- 

 cluded to plough it and cultivate it a year or two. 

 Early in the fall I gave it a good coat of manure, 

 intending to plough it under at once; but being 

 delayed a little, I found the grass started finely, 

 and, with the advice of a neighbor who watched 

 it closely, I concluded to leave it and see what 

 would be the result upon the crop. Last spring 

 the grass started and grew finely, and I cut a heavy 

 crop of hay, of the first quality. A strip on one 

 side of the piece was not manured, and the hay 

 was much lighter; but a good second crop of 

 clover has sprung up on it, while on the manured 

 part, scarcely any clover appears. Why is this ? 

 The grass on both parts was alike last year. If I 

 can obtain manure, I intend to give it another 

 dressing this year. 



GRAPES. 



I have a Concord vine that h^s borne a few 

 grapes several years. I have cut the vines hack to 

 two eyes, every fall, until lastyear, when thinking 

 I could obtain more fruit by leaving more vine, I 

 left them three or four feet long. This year it 

 hangs full of grapes, but the wet and cold weather 



