1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



143 



taken respectinK the dreaded visit. Questions are 

 asked about liira In Parliament, and letters written to 

 to the newspapers — those liein;; the two resources of 

 the Briton on all oecasions ol' peril or annoyance. 

 The privy couneil has sent out circulars about liini — 

 for it Is one of many oddities of Enijllsh aduiiniistra- 

 tion that her majesty's privy council deals with such 

 agricultural calamities as the cattle plague and the 

 potato plafjue. Pictures of the interesting animal 

 have been sent all over the kingdom, more pai'tieu- 

 larly in Ireland, where an enter|irising farmers' jour- 

 nal has given him the widest possible circulation. 

 His biography has lieen published. Minute accounts 

 of his habits and haunts are In the hands of the 

 police, and of everybody who is concerned in hia ex- 

 clusion from these islands. Town councils debate 

 about him. The lord provost of Glasgow told the 

 police board this week that he had seen tlioueands of 

 beetles heaped upon the American shores as they had 

 been washed In after attempting to cross the Atlantic ' 

 It is imjiossibie to suspect the wortliy Scot of mean- 

 ing to joke, and it must be supposed that he believes 

 this dreadful creature capable of flying 3,000 miles, 

 with or against the wind, as the case may Iw. I sec 

 Capt. Nolan is to ask another question to-night in the 

 House, which implies, perhaps, that the beetle is to 

 be pressed into the service of Home rule. He would 

 make a very suitable recruit to the faction of Irish 

 obstructives or destructives. But his identity ought 

 not to be in dispute, as it is. Has he stripes across 

 his back or not ? Tlie highest authorities differ, but 

 the balance of testimony is in favor of longitudinal 

 stripes, and none across. There are specimens in the 

 possession of naturalists, and more are promised 

 from (Germany, where they have made models of the 

 animal, waiting the moment when a few thousand of 

 him shall be hatched and forwarded by post. lie can 

 not be a rarity on your side, and your evidence on the 

 point of the stripes will be received, if dispatched 

 without delay. 



Industry of Ants. 



In industry ants are not surpassed even by bees 

 and wasps. They work all day, and in warm 

 weather, if need be, even at night too. I once 

 watched an ant from six in the morning, and she 

 worked without intermission till a quarter to ten at 

 night. I liad put her to a saucer containing larv!e, 

 and in this time she carried oil' no less than a hund- 

 red and eighty-seven to the nest. I once had another 

 ant which I employed in my experiments, under ob- 

 servation, several d.ays. When I came up to Loudon 

 in the morning, and went to bed at night, I used to 

 put her in a small bottle, but the moment she was 

 let out she began to work again. On one occasion I 

 was away from home for a week. On my return I 

 let her out of the bottle, placing her on a little heap 

 of larvaj about three feet from the nest. Under 

 these circumstances I certainly did not expect her to 

 return. However, though she had been six days in 

 continement, the brave little creature immediately 

 picked up a larva, carried it oil to the nest, and after 

 half an hour's rest returned for another. We have 

 hitherto had little information as to the length of 

 life in ants. So far, indeed as the preparatory stages 

 are concerned, there4s little difliculty in approxima- 

 tely ascertaining the facts — namely, that while they 

 take only a few weeks in summer, in some species, 

 as our small yellow meadow ants, the autumn larv;i? 

 remain with comparatively little change throughout 

 the winter. It is much more dillicult to ascertain 

 the length of life in the perfect insect, on account of 

 their gregarious habits, and the difficulty of recog- 

 nizing iutlividual ants. It has, however, generally 

 been suiiposcd that they live aljout a season, and 

 this is probably the case. 



Codling Moth. 



Nearly all the orchards in .Jo Daviess County are 

 becoming more or less infected with the Codling 

 Moth. Orchardists should know that there are seve- 

 ral remedies for this insect, among which is one, 

 fruitgrowers near Cliicago have used successfully 

 the present season. It is arsenic, applied in the fol- 

 lowing manner : Take one pound of arsenic to a 

 barrel of water, boll It in the open air (as boiling 

 within doors niiiy endanger life), and apply with a 

 hand pump, showing the whole tree. One man with 

 a team can shower 500 trees in a day. Tlic arsenic 

 can be obtained for 3 or 5 cents per pound. Paris 

 Green ajiplicd in the same way is equally eflicacious 

 but not so chea]). Several barrels of water can be 

 hauled through the orchard on a wagon, at one time, 

 and with an ordinary hand-pump, the mi.xture can 

 be thrown from the wagon on the trees. We have 

 seen a number of line orchards within the past few 

 days nearly destro.ved by this pest, to the owners of 

 which the above recipe is worth much, if they will 

 use it. 



A Texas sheep raiser says there are about 

 2,«00,000 head of sheep on the borders of the Rio 

 Grande, the fluest sheep raising country in the 

 world. 



THE POULTRY YARD. 



Eggs and Ways of Using Them. 



Dr. Edward Smith says : " It would not be pos- 

 sible to exaggerate the value of eggs as an article of 

 food, whether from their universal use, or the conve- 

 nient form in which the food Is preserved, presented 

 and cooked, and the nutrinn!ut whicli they contain." 

 Again he says, " There is no egg of a bird known 

 which is not good for food, or which would not be 

 eaten by a hungry man." The white of egg consist.* 

 of nearly pure albumen, oils, sulphur and water. 

 Albumen is considered the most im|)ortant single 

 element of food. It is found in all compounded ani- 

 mal structures, and in the vegetable productions 

 most valuable as food, though in a modified form. 



There is a great diflerence in the value of dillcrcnt 

 eggs, as there Is in their size and llavor. Well fed 

 domestic fowls yield far richer food In their eggs 

 than common, wild fowls. .Many suppose that raw 

 eggs are more easily digested than those that are 

 cooked, but for most persons this Is not the case, If 

 the eggs are not cooked improperly. Dr. Smith 

 thinks it is a mistake to give a mixture of raw eggs 

 and new milk to invalids, such a mixture tending 

 more to hinder than to promote digestion. Dyspep- 

 tics often tliiuk that they cannot eat eggs at all, and 

 It is the case that delicate stomachs do sometimes 

 sufler greatly from eating any but tlie freshest of 

 eggs. When we cannot be sure of the age of the 

 eggs provided, it is always most safe to break them 

 before cooking. For invalids, the very safest way is 

 to drop the eggs from the shell without disarranging 

 its form, into water Ijoiling in a shallow disli. A 

 few minutes boiling is sullicient and no dressing is 

 necessary, except a trifle of salt for those who eat 

 anything salted, though, of course, good butter and 

 pe])per may be added, or the egg may be carefully 

 laid upon a slice of toast. For a family of children, 

 it is often more convenient, in all respects, to serve 

 eggs in scrambled form, or in omelettes, than cooked 

 separately. Some children arc notional, and will 

 not eat the white of an egg, others think they dislike 

 the yolk, but when they are both cooked together 

 they think nothing about it, but eat, with pleasure, 

 all that they can get. In most receipt books, the 

 directions for scrambling eggs, advise a "good piece 

 of butter" with which to cook the eggs, seasoning 

 them with salt and pepper, and with chopped jiars- 

 ley, if you choose and can. But if for any other 

 reason you prefer it, you can use milk instead of 

 butter, and for children, this is best. The propor- 

 tions used for an omelette are very good, " a cup of 

 milk for six eggs." This increases the quantity. 

 The eggs are broken "but not beaten, and are stirred 

 simply to mix well, and prevent burning while cook- 

 ing. 



Omelettes are not common in the country. The 

 usual recipes are enough to frighten one, because 

 they enjoin extreme caution, lest the omelette may 

 fall or be heavy. At our house we have always had 

 good success with the Ibllowing recipe, perhaps be- 

 cause of the (lour or corn starch used, perhaps be- 

 cause we baked it in the oven in a shallow dish, 

 which we set upon the tabic, and so had no trouble 

 in turning it over or turning it out : Six eggs, the 

 whites beaten to a froth, the yolks well beaten ; one 

 teacuii of warm milk, in which a small bit of butter 

 ia melted ; a tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch, wet 

 to a paste with a little of the milk, and stirred into 

 the cup of milk ; a teaspoonful of salt and a little 

 pepper. Mix together, adding the whites last ; bake 



immediately. 



«. . 



Change of Color or Moult. 



A corre6i>ondent oT Land and ITf/Zt^r, in discussing 

 the subject of change of color in birds, says : 



To me rubbing ami wearing means destruction of 

 substance, and abrasion of surlacc, neither of which 

 I believe will be found to exist on any bird after 

 change of plumage by moult or change of color only. 

 A binl's plumage may be compared to the coat of 

 a horse, where we find rubbing produces a finely 

 shining and even coat, but where wearing commen- 

 ces, we find from the bearing of the saddle or har- 

 ness on a particular spot, there is cither a bare spot 

 or shortening of hair, producing change both in 

 color and eveness of surface, which remains in that 

 state until the horse casts his coat and gets new 

 hairs. Such, I believe, under the same circumstan- 

 ces, would be the elVect on a bird's jilumage, and how 

 a process when applied to a bird's tail should destroy 

 the tail, but if applied to the head and cheek should 

 have a renovating ctVect there, is more than I can 

 possi ly understand. The little time I have had to 

 spare from my usual occupation for more than forty 

 years has been chiefly pleasantly passed in making 

 observations on various departments of natural his- 

 tory, more particularly In ornithology; and my ob- 

 servations show me that birds assume In the autumn 

 a plumage they carry on through the winter months 

 without the slightest appearance of rubbing and 

 wearing up to the end of .January, or even longer, 

 when a change commences, and iu a few- 

 weeks they have assumed the nuptial dress, which, 

 in most cases, continues until the autumnal change 

 again takes place. The spring change is not confined 

 to any particular parts of birdt, but is a general 



brightening of the plumage, while in some parts an 

 entire change of color, all this, I believe, produced 

 by a change of color, as rhown by Mr. J., takes place 

 by a jiourlng In of color In the head of the blackbird, 

 gull, and In the feathers on the back of the great 

 northern diver. It Is nearly twelve years since I 

 noted the same change In the autumnal change of 

 the great nortliern diver, and then ventured to pre- 

 dict that on future Inquiry many changes In the 

 ()lumageof birds would be fouml to be change of 

 color, not moult : and why Mr. J., seeing how beau- 

 tifully nature has provided for the change of color In 

 these liirds, should seek for a clilferent method of 

 change in the birds he mcmlions, is seeking for the 

 unnecessary and is quite nsedlcss. 



Effects of Cold Storms on Poultry. 



Kai h season of the year brings Its special work 

 and care, demanding the attention of the kie|>cr8 of 

 IMHiltry. Excepting the first bleak anlumn storms, 

 no period of the year is so trying to the constitution 

 of fowls as cold, spring rain storms. Birds that have 

 stood the severity of winter without any apparent 

 signs of disease, often succumli to the effects of a 

 chilly rain storm. The germs of iliseasc^ however, 

 are sometimes contracted during confinement In win- 

 ter, and the sudden change of weather, experienced 

 during a cold rain, will develop the malady, which Is 

 likely to Ijccomc contagious. Fowls that have been 

 highly fed and kept warm to induce laying, « ill, like 

 a forced plant, l>e too tender to stand neglect during 

 the early drenching rains that penetrate to theirvery 

 skins. 



The danger need not be feared, however, by those 

 who will take a little extra care of their stock during 

 such weather. As soon as the earth softens under 

 the first mild breath of spring, fowls are all awake 

 to the prospect of getting worms and other insects 

 from the ground. They will then be off, prowling 

 about before it is light enough even to sec their prey, 

 but as they evidently know that the early bird catches 

 the worm, they are on the ground betimes. Perhaps 

 the next day there Is a severe change In the weather, 

 with sleet or rain, and you will see the birds hunting 

 about. In hopcsof finding insects, till they get soaking 

 wet through their feathers, and if not weU cared for 

 this often proves fatal. 



Most fanciers have noticed that a cold storm fre- 

 quently stops hens from laying for a week. Now, this 

 delay and risk of sickness may often be prevented by 

 giving them a liberal mess of soft, warm food, with 

 a little cayenne pepper in it. To this should be added 

 a generous amount of animal food, either scraps or 

 haslets, to take the place of the supply of worms, 

 which is stopped when the fowls cannot get out. 

 With this little extra care hens will often keep on 

 laying, retain perfect health, and be profitable to 

 their keepers. 



Non-Sitters. 



The Black Spanish, the Polish, the Leghorns, and 

 the Hamburgs are all great layers, and not inclined 

 to sit. Some prefer one breed and some another. 

 One cock to every ten or twelve hens is sufficient, at 

 most, and some of our best poultry men keep a less 

 proportion than that. 



In the egg-producing class, the Leghorns stand 

 pre-eminently above all others. This variety con- 

 sists of the white and brown. The browns appear 

 to be favorites, being hardy, easily raised, and ma- 

 turing quickly, the jiullets often laying at four 

 months. Pullets of this breed fri'iiuently lay as high 

 as 2fi0 eggs during the year. Their large comb, and 

 pendants require warm honses during our rigorous 

 winters. 



The next in high favor is the Black Spanlsli; these, 

 like the former, arc non-sitters, and prolific, but not 

 so easily raised. They do not, until nearly grown, 

 gel their full feathers, being generally half naked 

 lor a considerable time after hatching. These, like 

 tlic Leghorns, require comlorlabic winter quarters, 

 owing to their large comb anil wattles. 



The HoudaHs, a French breed, come next as lay- 

 ers and non sitters. This Is what they call a made 

 breed, between Poland and Dorking — showing the 

 characteristic crest of the former, and the fifth toe 

 of the latter. Although not as continual layers as 

 the two varieties mentioned, yet they possess points 

 superior to the others in size, delicacy of flesh, and 

 haidihood, but are very liable to disease. 



The small breeds, the different varieties of Hara- 

 burg.s and Polands, have their admirers as fancy 

 foH is. They are excellent layers, partially non-in- 

 cubators, but are not recommendable, owing to their 

 size, as likely to improve our present stock of com- 

 mon fowls. 



^ — ' — 



Profit in Poultry Keeping. 



We do not keep hens as we do canaries, as pets, 

 but they are kept for the profit they will bring us in 

 eggs and poultry. Now, the Income from our [multry 

 will be large or small just to that degree In which we 

 are successful in making our hens forget or ignore the 

 season of the year, and our profits will be large or 

 small just in proportion as we accomplish this with- 

 out incurring unnecessary expense. If we can so 

 euiround our poultry with the conditions which be- 



