134 



THE LANCASTER FARMER 



[September, 



to know whereof they are speaking. In the 

 first and most essential place, there has not 

 been as many potatoes planted this season in 

 Lancaster county as usual, on account of the 

 " beetle," but more particularly on account of 

 the better prospects in tobacco. Last year the 

 potatoes were low in price and plenty, whilst 

 tobacco brought a good price, and the market 

 was firm. Then the cultivators reasoned thus, 

 " We will 'put in ' tobacco and buy our pota- 

 toes." And tln-ough this reasoning we will 

 have more tobacco and fewer potatoes. 



A redundant crop of tobacco, however, will 

 never compensate a depleted crop of potatoes, 

 unless some mode is discovered by which the 

 former can be cooked and eaten like "greens," 

 and the surplus can be salted down like 

 "kraut." But, enough on that .score. 



Secondly, the reason the (lotatoes are not so 

 good now as those that matured early in the 

 season, is because they were planted too late, 

 and not late enough. The early crop made 

 during the cool moist early summer weather, 

 and matured about the time the intense heat 

 set in, whilst the later crop made during the 

 intensely "heated term," iind their natural 

 aliment was too rapidly evaporated through a 

 protracted dry "spell," and ?)!a(Jtrc(i when it 

 was too late to regain what they had lost. 

 Those that were planted very late, and are now 

 VKiking, and that will mature during the latter 

 part of September and tlie fore part of Octo- 

 ber — other things being equal — will be of a 

 better quality. Tlie common potato is not 

 adapted to long-continued and intensely hot 

 and dry weather. Those conditions are con- 

 genial to the sweet-potato, but not thesolania, 

 and hence the former', at this time, are of a 

 good quality generally. 



We have only to compare the potato crops 

 of New York State and Canada with those of 

 the (Jarolinas and Georgia, in order to deter- 

 mine the meteorological conditions they re- 

 quire. Still, occupying a middle geographical 

 locality between those two extremes, we may 

 and do raise good potatoes here, when all the 

 natural conditions are favorable ; but, as a 

 general thing, we should plant very early and 

 very late, in order to realize a reasonable pros- 

 pect of a good croj), and particularly a good 

 quality. Potatoes are very succulent, and 

 while the tubers are forming they should not 

 have too much heat nor too nmch drought. 

 They need considerable moisture, but not too 

 much. The ground being kept loose by culti- 

 vation, is in just that condition to permit a 

 too rapid evajioration of the earth's moisture, 

 when a long, hot, dry spell intervenes. True, 

 the " Coloiado Potato-beetle," until it is 

 finally exterminated in our county, will be 

 something of a drawback to the cultivation of 

 potatoes, but that does not account for the 

 inferior potatoes brought to our market now. 

 We think it is owing almost exclusively to 

 meteorological causes. — Ed. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Mr. S. M. — Your pea-green caterpillar, 

 with gi'een head, a white and a light brown 

 stripe along each side, and with transverse 

 rows of green tufts of diverging hairs, on each 

 ring or segment of its body, is ihelarva of the 

 "Peacock-Moth," (Saturnia lo,) which will 

 spin a coccoon at the end r)f summer and re- 

 main in it until next .spring, and then come 

 forth a large and beautiful moth, the female 

 expanding nearly three inches across the ex- 

 tended wings, and the male somewhat less. 

 Both sexes have a large spot on the hind 

 wings, similar to one of the spots on the pea- 

 cock's tail-feathers. The male is of a mottled 

 yellow color, and the female a mottled brown. 



The larva?- feed on the foliage of difierent 

 kinds of trees, such, tor instance, as the wil- 

 low, elm, poplar, and otiiers. Tlie hairs on 

 the larva when it comes in contact with the 

 tender skin of the human body produces a 

 stinging or burning sensation, similar to that 

 produced by nettles. 



S. P. E., Esq.. Lancaster, Pa. — The insect 

 that is in the habit of girdling the hickory trees, 

 is commonly called the " Hickory Girdler;" 



(Oncidcres cingulatus) and we have reason to 

 suspect that the same species is girdling your 

 English Linden Trees. First, your inclosure 

 is in proximity to a piece of woodland contain- 

 ing a large number of hickory trees. Many of the 

 smaller branches we found girdled, in a ramble 

 we took over a part of it on the iOth of August 

 last, and especially along the margin of said 

 woodland. We think it was perhaps not ex- 

 actly in season to find the Beetle very plentiful, 

 as we only captured one specimen, and that 

 one we found on tlie flowers of a species of 

 Solidago. Secondly, so far as we know, there 

 is but one species of Oncideres in the United 

 States, and we cannot say positively that that 

 species confines itself to one particular tree, 

 although the hickory may be its specialty; but 

 we have heard of them girdling the smaller 

 brandies of the apple on several occasion, both 

 in the east and the west. 



Mr. Samuel Auxer, of this city, and the late 

 Henry G. Bruckart, of Silver Spring, collected 

 eighty-two specimens in one day along those 

 hills, about two years ago, and although they 

 were of many sizes, yet they were all of the 

 same species, (ciwjlatus. ) They are long-horned 

 beetles (Longicomia) and the family Saper- 

 didyE, which also has a family alliance with 

 the ajiple tree borers, and others of the same 

 forms and similar habits. These considerations, 

 therefore, lead us to conclude that the Hickory 

 Girdler, and the Linden Girdler, are the .same 

 siiecies, or are likely to be found so. The ma- 

 ture insects vary in size from half an inch to 

 nearly an inch in length, and of "grizzly-grey, " 

 relieved by liro wn, in color. It is not only possi- 

 ble, but it is highly probable, that this pruning 

 is ultimately beneficial to the trees they infest; 

 but, if a remedy should be necessary, we can 

 recommend nothing better at this time than 

 gathering up the fallen branches and burning 

 them, and for the same purpose, cutting off 

 all infested ones. 



J. M. TF., Lancaster, Pa. — The very singu- 

 lar footless cateqiillar you sent us, with the 

 fleshy and bristled horns at each end of the 

 body, with the green sides, and brown saddle- 

 like mark on its back, is called a " Hag-moth," 

 or "Saddle-back moth," {Empretia sthmda,) 

 and belongs to a Lcpidopterous family, called 

 Lamicodans. It has now spun itself up 

 into a brownish silken cocoon, about the size 

 of a marrow-fat pea, and if the surrounding 

 conditions continue favorable until next spring, 

 it will issue forth a small, rather robust moth, 

 exiianding from one-half to three-quarters of an 

 inch. There are several species of them, some 

 of tliem covered with a shaggy coat of fur, and 

 of a singular liag-likc form. They seem to be 

 omniverous feeders, and may be found on ap- 

 ple, pear, quince, cherry, and plum trees ; and 

 we have also found them on the blades of corn 

 and various other vegetable productions, feed- 

 ing on the leaves. The hairs produce a very 

 pungent and burning sensation when applied 

 to the tender .skin, something like nettles. 



A Rare Bug. 



QuAKRYviLLE, August 22, 1876. 



<S'. /S'. liathvon — /■?})• ; I send you a bug tliat I caught 

 to-day. I'Icase give it a name, for I am not ac- 

 quainted with it. If you have plenty of tlie same 

 kind you can do as you please with it I thought it 

 was a " big bug " at any rate, and you ought to have 

 it. Yours truly, 



R. C. Edwards. 



P. S. Please give it a name in the Jntellii/encer. 



In reply, it afTorfis ine the greatest pleasure to com- 

 ply witli the request of the writerof the above, for he 

 has sent me a most beautiful and a rather rare insect, 

 in Lancaster county; indeed, in an experience of 

 thirty years, I have not found half a dozen specimens 

 in the county, or its vicinity ; and I particularly de- 

 sire my correspondent to send me all of this species 

 that he may be able to collect. 



It is a Cychrvs vichms and belongs to the great 

 family Carabidre. — the larger number of which are 

 carnivorous — in the order Coleoptera, or beetles, and 

 not " bugs." If they were even numerous they would 

 have an economic value that ought to be respected, 

 for they feed on otlier insects. Tliis insect is too un- 

 common to have ever received a local common name 

 — other than "ground beetle " — a name that might 

 be applied to a multitude of different species; there- 

 fore, it would be better to impress upon the memory, 

 in connection with the object, the scientitic name at 

 once. — A'. iS'. H., Lancaster Intelligencer , Aug. 2S, 1870. 



Since publishing the above, we have insti- 

 tuted a thorough examination of our cabinet 

 and records, and find that all our specimens of 

 this species have been t;iken in loctilities farther 

 south than Pennsylvania, and that this is prob- 

 ably the first specimen of Ci/chrus viduns that 

 ever has been taken in Lancaster county; and 

 therefore, that it is entirely new to this dis- 

 trict. Mr. Samuel Auxer, the most tliorough 

 and keen-sighted entomological canvasser in the 

 county, or perhaps the State, assures us that 

 in an experience of over twenty years, he has 

 never fmind a specimen in Lancaster coimty. 

 The late Mr. Bruckart, of Silver Spring, had 

 one specimen in his collection, but it cannot be 

 iiscertained now from whence it came. This 

 very much enhances the value of the specimen 

 we received from ourQuarryville correspondent 

 and increases our thanks. When we received 

 this specimen it was yet alive, and emitted a 

 vei'y strong musky odor. Tliis specimen is 

 much larger than any now in our local collec- 

 tions, and on an analytical comparison may 

 possibly prove a new species. Under any cir- 

 cumstances, we admonish our kind correspond- 

 ent to keep a " look out" in the locality where 

 this one was taken; perhaps others may be 

 found. 



Mr. Editor: The inclosed insect pierces the stems 

 of the tobacco plants, and lays its eggs in the incis- 

 ion, which causes the plants to wither and die. — H. 

 M. A'., per li. S. M., ^ycst Hempfield, Sept. 4, 1876. 



Please identify and report in the columns of the 

 Lancasteu Faumek. 



We are sorry tiiat we are compelled to en- 

 tertain grave doubts as to the identity of this 

 as the insect which pierces the stems of the 

 tobacco plants of our friends, and lays its eggs 

 in the incision. The insect sent us is the well- 

 known " Wheel-bug" (Rcduvius novenarius), 

 which is carnivorous in its habits, and, so far 

 as our observittion goes, deposits its eggs on a 

 lilain permanent surface, where they would be 

 likely to remain all winter witliout disturbance, 

 and hatch in the spring. These are always set 

 side by side on their ends, like a miniature 

 honeycomb, with pinkish crowns and glued per- 

 manently together and on the object that re- 

 ceives them, whether it is a tree, a shrub, a 

 fence, or a brick wall. The insect itself seizes 

 other insects with its strong anterior feet, 

 pierces them, sucks out their liquid sulwtance, 

 and is said to thus destroy the larva of the 

 "Colorado Potato-beetle." Gentlemen, we 

 beg you to look again, and " be sure you are 

 right," before we withdraw our good oiiinion 

 from an insect that we have long so favorably 

 known. — Ed. 



Mr. Editor : I send you 9 green worm, caterpillar, 

 or whatever you may call it. I found it in my 

 orchard, on the grass near an apple tree, on the 18th 

 inst. I also had found three of the same kind fifteen 

 days ago, on a sweet cherry tree, with a top about 

 large enough for a good-sized fly-bush, which had 

 completely been stripped of its foliage by them . Those 

 I summarily mashed, which I thought an effective 

 cure. This one I send you for examination, in order 

 to elicit something about its habits, and also what to 

 do with such subjects. 



Please answer through the columns of The Lan- 

 caster Farmer, as it inierht be of interest to others 

 than — A HnhKcriber , " Delight Fnrni,^' Providence 

 towiifihip, Lancaxler county, Aug. 19(/i, 1876. 



The box containing the caterpillar, alluded 

 to by our correspondent, was duly received, 

 but it will be impossible to tell exactly what its 

 name is imtil next spring : for having spun a 

 silken cocoon, the insides of the box are 

 tied so firmly together that it cannot be 

 opened without destroying it, and to do so 

 would be like killing the goose to get the 

 golden egg. 



Judging, however, from the circumstances 

 under wliicli it was found, and from what little 

 we could sec of the color and texture of its .silk, 

 it is the "American Silkworm," "Cecropia 

 Silkwoi-m," or "Cecropia Moth," [AttacHS 

 cecropia,) and it has also other both common 

 and scientific names, not necessary to be men- 

 tioned here. If there is any purely American 

 insect from which silk miglit be successfully 

 produced, we think it would be this species ; 

 therefore, if our correspondent ever desires to 

 go into that business, he can let tliese cater- 

 pillars have the run of his orchard, for they 



