148 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



t Octobei^ 



This is the case, perhaps, "all the world over," 

 and it will require a long time yet before the 

 readers of daily papers are educated up to a 

 scientific standard — possibly not until there is 

 more unanimity in scientific deductions. But 

 the fact is, that science in many respects is 

 comparatively in its infancy, especially on the 

 subject of "thread- worms." The existence 

 of these worms was discovered many long 

 years ago — some say two hundred years ago — 

 and yet there seems to be as little known 

 specifically of their habits, modes of repro- 

 duction, migrations and transformations at 

 the present day, as there was at the time of 

 their discovery, or within a reasonable sub- 

 sequent period. In vol. ill. of the "Natural- 

 ist's Miscellany " (which is now before us), 

 edited by George Shaw and Frederic P. Nod- 

 der, and published in London, somewliere in 

 the eighteenth century, we have an illustra- 

 tion and description of the common "hair- 

 worm" (Gordius equaticus), which details 

 nearly or quite as much about the history of 

 that peculiar worm, as is usually to be found 

 in modern accounts. It was believed by the 

 "common people" at that period to be an 

 animated horse-hair that had accidentally 

 dropped into the water — and, to illustrate 

 how slowly the common people unlearn such 

 erroneous notions, that class of people of the 

 the present day believe pretty much the same 



thing. Scientists also knew then already that 

 hair-worms pass certain stages of 

 their existence in the bodies of 

 beetles, caterpillars and other in- 

 sects ; and the writer records the 



fact that he found a number of 



Gordii in the brain of a species of 



" AVater newt " (Lacerta eqitatica, 



Linn.), which is still more re- 



markab le than to find them in the 



"eye of ahorse." Modern science 



has been busier in classifying and 



renaming them than in develop- 

 ing their histories. On several 



occasions we have found species 



of them in the middle of a solid 



head of cabhage, and on one occa- 

 sion one was brought to us in the 



heart or seed-cavity of an apple. 



The family to which they belong 



is by no means a large one, but 



they are all so very peculiar in 



their habits and are found under 



such various and complicated 



circumstances that many almost 



insurmountable barriers to their 



study in detail are continually 



interposed. But tliis we may 



pretty surely know, that they 



are not snakes, nor the progeny of snakes. 



. ^ 



RED BIETIGHEIMER. 

 There is no fruit cultivated on the continent 

 of North Americu— if anywhere else on 

 earth — that, under all the circumstances, is 

 more generous to the human palate, more 

 healthful to the human system, more economi- 

 cal in its various adaptabilities to human 

 wants, nor one which retains its flavor, its 

 soundness and its edible qualities longer tlian 

 that of the apple. One thing more, there is 

 no fruit of so simple culture that is so mis- 

 represented by the growing, or, allowing to 

 grow and palm upon the market, such miser- 

 able apologies for fruit as the apple. Perhaps 

 it may with truth be said : 

 " They are like Jeremiah's figs, 

 The good are very good, the iaad not fit for pigs." 



It affords US rare pleasure in being able to 

 chronicle and illustrate in this number of The 

 Farmer a rare and valuable German variety 

 of the apple— that Germany from whence we 

 have derived so much in this country that 

 contributes to the domestic health and com- 

 fort of its people. " Fruit, large to very large; 

 roundish, inclining to conical ; stalk short, 

 stout, iua deep cavity; calyx closed in a large, 

 deep basin ; skin, pale cream-colored ground, 

 mostly covered with purplish crimson ; flesli 

 white, firm, sub-acid, with a brisk, pleasant 

 flavor ; tree a strong grower and abundant 

 bearer. This is one of the largest and hand- 

 somest apples, and worthy of extensive culti- 



vation." It is an early fall variety, and is 

 grown and for sale by those veteran nursery- 

 men, Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, of 

 "Mount Hope Nurseries," Kochester, New 

 York. Two to three years standard and 

 dwarf trees, 11.00 each. A business estab- 

 lished in 1840, increasing and maintaining its 

 integrity down to the present time, ought to 

 be a sutiicieut guarantee to those wlio are 

 looking abroad for reliable varieties of fruit. 



'BEST WATCH MADE IN AMERICA." 



of the 



Unbiased European Endorsement 

 Lancaster Watch. 

 At tlie request of the officers of the Lan- 

 caster Watch Company, State Superintendent 

 Wickersham carries with him on his European 

 trip one of their finest watches. The company 

 had designed to enter the Lancaster watch at 

 the Paris Exposition, but were unable to pre- 

 pare their exhibit for competition at the early 

 date named in thfe French regulations. As 

 the ne.xt l)est thing they sent out one of their 

 finest nickel movements with Dr. Wicker- 

 sham, requesting that he should have it ex- 

 amined at the best centres, in comparison 

 with any other watch that might offer, and 

 report the opinion of unprejudiced European 

 experts. Tire city of Geneva, in Switzerland, 

 is everywhere admitted to be at the very head 

 and front of the watch manufacture in Europe. 



More watches are made there than anywhere 

 else in the world, and the finest grade of 

 Geneva watches is, perhaps, unequaled else- 

 where for elegance of finish, accuracy as time- 

 keepers, and extravagance of price. Favor- 

 able endorsement from such a quarter, there- 

 fore, carries weight. It "means business." 

 Dr. W., after his party had been shovm 

 through one of the leading factories, had his 

 Lancaster watch examined, and reports as 

 follows in a private letter dated at Venice, 

 August 11th : 



"Tell IMr. that I have good news for 



the Lancaster watch. I visited one of the 

 most celebrated watch factories at Geneva, 

 and the manager there, in the most public 

 manner, before thirty or forty persons, said, 

 after examination, that it was the best watch 

 made in Aine7-ica .'" 



The italics in this extract are Dr. Wicker- 

 sham's. Tlie endorsement is of a very strong 

 character, and will give renewed encourage- 

 ment to the men whose faith in the success of 

 their great enterprise is equaled only by tlieir 

 pluck and the intelligent energy with which 

 they are driving it forward. There are some 

 eighty employees now in the factory, a part of 

 whom, during the past month, have been at 

 work day and night. No better man than 

 Abram i3itner could be foimd for financial 

 manager and executive head ; while Chas. S. 

 Moseley, the superintendent, has already 

 "run" three watch factories successfully — 



Waltham, Nashua and Elgin — and proposes, 

 with the aid of his skilled assistants, to add 

 Lancaster to his honored list. It is but fitting 

 that his fourth and last success should pro- 

 duce — " the best watch made in America." 

 Those of our readers who have not yet seen 

 the Lancaster watch will find it on exhibition, 

 side by side with the Springfield, the Wal- 

 tham, and one or two other movement, in the 

 show window of Ezra F. Bowman, No. 106 

 East King street, where we had the pleasiure 

 yesterday of comparing these timepieces. 



SCIENTIFIC. 

 The Cabinets of Natural History in Eng- 

 land, the United States and other civilized 

 nations are from time to time greatly enriched 

 by collections made by their armies. As an 

 instance of these contributions we notice that 

 Post Surgeon Wilcox, at Camp Supply, Indian 

 Territory, contrives, with the assistance of 

 his steward, Seymour Kitchen, to send, 

 through Col. Hambright, specimens of the in- 

 sects of that far-ofl' land to our genial towns- 

 man, Mr. Lewis Haldy. The specimens are 

 packed in small boxes, in cotton, and sent 

 through the mail to Mr. Haldy, who forwards 

 them to an entomological friend in Philadel- 

 phia. The last lot received consists of butter- 

 flies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles, locusts, 

 crickets, spiders, etc., including fine and large 

 specimens of the centipede and tarantula. It 

 is true, there may be busy times 

 when our soldiers cannot be 

 spared for such peaceful pursuits 

 as the gathering of scientific mate- 

 rial, but it is evident that much 

 more might be accomplished in 

 this direction during those long 

 periods when the problem before 

 I "'St commanders is how their 

 Mil n can be profitably employed. 



I liere might be at each post one 

 wide-mouthed jar or bottle into 

 wliich all insects that will bear 



,' immersion could be deposited, 

 iiid when enough have been ac- 

 ( umulated they might be packed 

 m boxes, between dampened lay- 



I I ^ of paper, securely closed and 

 m.uled to some enthusiast, like 

 our own Dr. S. S. Kathvon, who 

 would make the best use of them 

 in the interest of science. Any 

 package weighing less than four 

 pounds can be sent through the 

 mails, provided it contain no 

 liquid or other substance that 

 can injure ordinary mail matter. 

 Small tin or wooden boxes are 



the best for the transportation of insects ; if 

 packed in paper alone, they are liable to be- 

 come crushed and rendered useless for scien- 

 tific inspection. — Examiner and Express. 



HO'W PLANTS PROVIDE FOR THE 

 FUTURE. 



Each species of plants must, of course, 

 solve for itself the problem, during the course 

 of its development, whether its energies will be 

 best employed by hoarding nutriment for its 

 own future use in bulbs and tubers, or hyj 

 producing richly endowed seeds which will 

 give its offspring a better chance of rooting 

 themselves comfortably, and so surviving in 

 safety amid the ceaseless competition of riva" 

 species. The various cereals, such as wheatJ 

 barley, rye and oats, have found it most conj 

 venient to grow afresh with each season, anc|_ 

 to supply their embiyos with an abundant' 

 store of food for their sustenance during the 

 infant stage of plant life. Their example has 

 been followed by peas and other pulses, by the 

 wide class of nuts, and by the majority of 

 garden fruits. On the other hand, tlie onion 

 and the tiger-lily store nutriment for them- 

 selves in the underground stem, surrounded 

 by a mass of overlapping or closely-wound 

 leaves, which we call a bulb ; the iris and the 

 crocus lay by their stock of food in a woody 

 or fleshy stalk ; the potato makes a rich de- 

 posit of starch in its subterranean branches or 

 tubers; the turnip, carrot, radish and beet use 



