374 Notes and Gleanings, 



An absurd idea. — General Pleasanton, of Philadelphia, it is stated, claims 

 to accomplish wonders in vegetable and animal growth by the use of violet or 

 blue glass. He remarks very truly that the violet are the chemical rays, but he 

 overlooks the important fact that by using violet-colored glass he diminishes the 

 very rays that he proposes to increase. No means are known to science by 

 which we can increase the intensity of light in any portion of the spectrum. 

 We cannot change red light into violet, or violet into red ; the only change we 

 can make is to cut off a portion of the rays ; but in so doing we diminish the 

 intensity of the remaining ones to a greater or less amount. The only effect of 

 the violet glass would be to cut off the yellow, orange, red, and green rays, with- 

 out adding anything to the violet ; in fact, the violet would rather be diminished. 



Boston Journal of Chemistry. 



Wier's Codling Moth Trap. — Mr. D. B. Wier, of Lacon, III, exhibited 

 at the late meeting of the American Pomological Society a trap for destroying 

 the codling moth, the invention of Mr. Thomas Wier. A committee, consisting 

 of Charles Downing, Mark Miller, and P. T. Ouinn, who were appointed to ex- 

 amine it, reported that " it is a simple and efficient means of trapping this destruc- 

 tive insect, without doubt the worst enemy of fruit growers." It consists of three 

 or four old shingles (new ones will not answer) fastened together by a screw 

 through the middle, the same screw fastening the trap to the tree. Some slight 

 grooves were made in the first ones for the worms to crawl into, but a few straws 

 between the shingles are found preferable. It appears to be one of those inven- 

 tions at once so simple and so effectual, that every one wonders why he did not 

 think of it before. A patent has been applied for. 



Entomological. — Among the losses by the Chicago fire was the State col- 

 lection of insects, made by the late B. D. Walsh, State entomologist of Illinois. 

 It was deposited in the building of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, which in 

 any ordinary fire would have been fire proof. 



A Texas Garden. — Our fall garden is assuming a promising aspect. Dwarf 

 wax, and other varieties of beans, planted the ist of August, are now yielding an 

 abundant supply for the table. Egg plants are abundant and large ; four or five 

 pounds are very common weights. Cabbage plants, that were sovra August ist, 

 are being set out to afford a supply for winter'. Onion seed is nicely up, to be 

 grown during the winter months for a supply in April and May. As for fruit, 

 peaches and grapes are past and gone in August. The only fruit we now have 

 is persimmons — the largest and finest I ever saw. Soon a supply of apples will 

 come in from the west by commerce. Apples are grown to some extent, but not 

 to meet the demand. Mrs. S. E. B. 



Clear Creek Station, Galveston Co., Texas, Sept. iS, 1S71. 



