i8 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ February, 



THE FIRE FLY. 



Newport, Perry co., Pa., Jan. 31, 1877. 

 Dear Sir : We have found a " Firefly" in our fern- 

 ery, which is covered by a glass shade, and it 

 UlumiDates very nicely in the evenings. Please tell 

 me if it was likely to have been lying dormant when 

 the ferns were removed in the fall, or if it has been 

 hatched from eggs laid on the plants last summer. I 

 think it quite a curiosity, and would like to increase 

 the stock next summer, if it is possible. M. B. E. 



You may liave taken into your fernery last 

 fall either a dormant (cM-i'a, impa, or an imago 

 of this insect, but hardly its eggs. The time 

 would have been too short for the develop- 

 ment of the beetle, even if you had taken in 

 the eggs^ which are not likely to be extant in 

 the fall. It is well known that these insects 

 normally appear during the month of June, 

 which is their nuptial season, and before the 

 end of July they have all disappeared. After 

 the females are fertilized, they lay their eggs 

 on the ground, fastened to some object, as 

 moss, roots, grass, and protected from the sun. 

 Both the laixw and the mature insects are 

 carniverous, feeding on other soft- bodied in- 

 sects, and especially on small* snails ; and 

 here would come in the difficulty in attempting 

 to raise them. By the time fall comes, the 

 larvm are well advanced, if not mature, or 

 changed to impa ; so that you may have taken 

 your subject into your fernery in one of those 

 forms. The development of insects depends 

 more upon the surrounding temperatm^e than 

 upon the season of the year. 



Many species which we only find in the 

 spring and summer, will evolve in mid-winter 

 when the normal conditions are favorable. 



In passing up North Queen street on the 

 3d of February, we found a group of men 

 standing opposite the Keystone Hotel, look- 

 ing at a swarm of bees, which three or four 

 years ago located itself under the eaves of 

 the roof. They were out and on the wing in 

 thousands, and as lively as they are in sum- 

 mer; but as the weather has changed to ex- 

 treme cold, you might look in vain for them 

 to-day {17th. ) In their vital energies they are 

 governed by lieat, and not by days, or mouths 

 or seasons. 



A distinguished foreign entomologist dis- 

 covered that some species of "Plant-lice" 

 [Ajohids) would produce fourteen generations 

 in a season, and then deposit the necessary 

 eggs to carry them over to the next season ; 

 and hence the books told us that this was the 

 limit of their viviparous producing power. 

 But another foreign entomologist removed a 

 colonv to a green-house, before they had pro- 

 duced their oviparous brood, and found that 

 they continued to produce viviparously as 

 long as the normal temperature was supplied, 

 even up to the twenty-sixth or thirtieth gen- 

 eration. Of course, not having seen your in- 

 sect, we cannot tell exactly what species you 

 refer to, (for we liave more than one lumin- 

 ous species) but we presume it is the "com- 

 mon firefly," Photinui scintillans, Say, of which 

 our meadows, wardens, lawns,fields and woods, 

 become so luminously gemmed during early 

 summer; and the larvcB of which must neces- 

 sarily destroy millions of minute noxious ani- 

 mals. 



THE GUAVA. 



" This tropical fruit is now becoming quite 

 extensively disseminated over the Gulf States, 

 with the prospect of proving quite remunera- 

 tive to its owners. The genus Psidium of 

 Linnaeus contains several species very dif- 

 ferent in their characters and flavors. The 

 fruit varies in size from a plum to an orange, 

 and ripens continuously for nine mouths in 

 the year. Considering, among other good 

 qualities, the rapid growth of the tree, its early 

 fruiting and large crops, I presume there will 

 be little difficulty in .supplying the demand. A 

 correspondent in Florida states that the best 

 four varieties for cultivation are P. pyriferum, 

 L. ; P. aromaticum, Aubl. ; P. pomiferum, L. ; 

 and P. lineatifolium, Pers. Surely the time 



* On one occaeion Mr. Geo. Hensel, of this city, found 

 about two hundred of the common firefliee banqueting on a 

 large suail, in his garden, and we found about fifty so oc- 

 cupied, on our owu premises. 



is rapidly approaching when our northern 

 markets 'will be supplied with all manner of 

 tropical productions from our own shores." — 

 JV. T. IVihxme. 



Bring them along ; but until they arrive, let 

 us have a little more talk about them, to see 

 whether we shall like them or not when they 

 do come. 



" This genus of tropical fruits belongs to 

 the natural family Jf?/rfacce and the Isosandria 

 Monngynia of Lin." 



"There are seven or eight species of the 

 guava known to botanists— some natives of 

 Asia and others of tropical America." (Rind 

 367.) 



" The White Guava — '■'■ Psidium pyriferum— 

 is the best, and also the most abundant in the 

 West Indies. When wild, the white guava is 

 a shrub, rather than a tree, as it seldom ex- 

 ceeds eight or nine feet in height ; but when 

 introduced into gardens, it attains the size of 

 an ordinary apple tree, with a trunk about six 

 feet high and six inches in diameter. The wood 

 isveryhard and tough; the leaves are from two 

 to three inches long, and grow in pairs oppo- 

 site each other ; the flower is white, and has a 

 very agreeable flavor ; the fruit is rather larger 

 than a hen's egg, of a sulphurous yellow, very 

 smooth, and has a peculiar smell ; it is cov- 

 ered with a rind of some thickness, witliin 

 which are seeds, contained in a pulp without 

 a shell. The pulp is flesh-colored, sweet, aro- 

 matic, and very grateful to the palate. It is 

 used as a desert fruit, and also preserved with 

 sugar ; and guava jelly is esteemed one of the 

 finest conserves that come from the West 

 Indies. By proper culture it may be brought 

 to be a large and handsome tree ; but when 

 wild, it remains shrubby, and overruns the 

 land. 



"The Red Gna,va,— Psidium pomiferum— is 

 a much larger tree than the white ; tlie trunk 

 often attaining the height of twenty feet. On 

 ])oor soils, however, it is apt to be rugged and 

 shrubby. The leaves are of a light green ; 

 the flovsrers, white ; and the fruit shaped like 

 a pomegranate, and having an agreeable odor 

 when ripe. As a fruit, however, many of 

 the authorities represent it as very inferior to 

 the white guava ; but it is probable that they 

 have found it in the wild state, for it appeared 

 to be much improved by culture." 



"The mountain guava, found in the woods 

 of Jamaica, is not luuch esteemed as a fruit 

 tree, but it grows to a large size ; the wood 

 is of a beautiful dark color, finely curled, 

 easily worked, susceptible of a high polish, 

 and therefore much valued as a timber tree." 

 In a paper read to the Horticultural Society 

 (England) Mr. Cattley, of Barnet, gives an 

 account of a previously undescribed species of 

 guava. The fruit is nearly spherical, of a fine 

 deep claret color, grovv'ing at the insertion of 

 the leaves, and contains from twenty to thirty 

 seeds, inclosed in a pulp, which is sweet, and 

 slightly acid. Independently of the value 

 and beauty of the fruit, this is a highly orna- 

 mental plant, may be propagated freely by 

 cuttings, and bears at the age af eighteen 

 months. It is understood to have come from 

 South America, and has an external texture 

 resembling the fig: its internal consistence and 

 flavor bear a considerable resemblance to those 

 of the strawberiy. With proper treatment, it 

 is one of the most free growing of all tropical 

 fruits." 



"This guava which has received the name 

 of 'Cattley 's "guava,' {Psidium cattleyanum) 

 promises to become a very valuable addition 

 to stone-fruit both for its appearance, 

 and its flavor, merits attention. There 

 is a specimen in one of the hothoiuses 

 belonging to the Horticultural society, 

 which is a thriving and elegant tree. It is 

 about ten feet high, and trained something 

 in the shape of a fan, till the outside branches 

 have a width of sixteen feet. The bark is 

 a soft ash color, with a very slight trace of 

 brown, and smooth, but not glossy. ' Tlie 

 leaves are beautiful, the blossoms abundant. 

 That the fruit would, properly managed, come 

 to the same maturity in the average of sit- 

 uations of this country, as in those places of 



which it is a native, there caimot be the least 

 doubt: and it has this advantage over most 

 other fruit trees, whether indigenous or ex- 

 otic, that it produces two crops in a 3fear." 



From all we have read upon the subject, 

 the fruit of the guava is destined to become 

 as plentiful in this country as oranges, hence 

 we admonish our readers in advance. 



TABLE CUSTOMS. 



I want to add just a few words upon this 

 subject, which I think worthy of more con- 

 sideration than is generally accorded to it. 

 How well I enjoy being with a family where 

 the dining table is made a place of pleasant 

 social enjoyment. In looking back to my 

 "childhood home," there is no time remem- 

 bered with more pleasure, than the bright 

 happy faces and social good times around oiu: 

 family board. A pleasant meal, enjoyed by a 

 cheerful company — how much life and health 

 there is iu it ! But an untidy meal, eaten in 

 silence, how much dyspepsia and bad temper 

 in it ! It is not so much what is put upon the 

 table, as the way in which it is prepared and 

 arranged. 



This, m}- dear sister, depends upon us. Do 

 not try to get a great variety. A few dishes, 

 nicely prepared, so as to cultivate a fine taste, 

 aud not thrown together and seasoned until the 

 condiments are all you can discriminate. The 

 farmers eat too much fried food. It is con- 

 ducive to dyspepsia, which has a great train 

 of evils. So let me beg of you to use the 

 kettle and oven more, and the griddle less. 

 There is no finer art than cooking, and not 

 one that is so terribly murdered. But I am 

 getting too far from the case in point. 



Give, if possible, the table a festive look — a 

 few flowers, if you have them cultivate the 

 finer feelings — a dish of nice ripe fruit, clean 

 linen, bright glass and silver, with a few 

 dishes nicely prepared, are within the reach 

 of all. So many think it makes little differ- 

 ence how things come up, if the family only 

 are present ; but when "company" comes, 

 work themselves tired trying to have things 

 nice, and do not enjoy the society of their 

 company from being out so much. This is 

 not as it should be, If we want only some- 

 thing good to eat, let us go to work and get 

 it at home. If we want a good social 

 visit with a friend, let us have her spend the 

 time with us, instead of in the kitchen and 

 dining-room. "But," says one si.ster, "it is 

 too much work and trouble to have things in 

 trim all the time, I wouldn't get anything else 

 done." Not .so. There is nothing that saves 

 time so much as order and regularity. Learn 

 to economize time, by keeping ahead of yoiu- 

 work. This can be done by proper manage- 

 ment, aud saves confusion, hurry, and many 

 steps. You will have time for thought, then, 

 which is necessary in order to do anything as 

 it should be done. We want to live ; but the 

 mere animal necessity is lifted up and glori- 

 fied when the charms of pleasant conversa- 

 tion and mutual courtesy surround the custom. 

 There is a spiritual life that is to be fed and 

 sustained ; and it is starved where there is no 

 grace, not only before, but during a meal. 



One great trouble with the farmer is, he is 

 in too much of a hurry. If there is any place 

 where he should leave cares, and the press- 

 ure of business behind, it is when he enters 

 the dining room. When there, he should 

 take his time, and feci at rest. "But," says 

 one, "we cannot." Let me whisper, it is 

 habit, make your arrangement, both in work 

 and mind, to spend at least one-half hour at 

 your meals , in bright, genial, sparkling talk; 

 while you refresh the "physical man," 

 vou can do it better by also refreshing the 

 "spiritual man." Let the children join in 

 the conversation. There is no sense in com- 

 pelling an intelligent child to sit like a deaf 

 mute at a table, though, on the other hand, 

 they should not monopolize the conversation, 

 and be allowed to ask strings of questions. 

 Teach them, bv example as well as precept, 

 to make their appearance at table, neat and 

 tidy. Smooth hair, clean hands and nails, 

 the general appearance inviting; and each try 



