162 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[November, 



without moistui-e." The largest of the speci- 

 mens obtained from Mr. Scliaeffer are half an 

 inch in length, and are of a dark honey color, 

 verging tov^jards light brown ; and have eigh- 

 teen distinct segmental divisions of the body, 

 with four feet attached to each segment on 

 the underside, being eighty in number. The 

 antennre are six-jointed ; the last joint small, 

 and that next to" it large, making them slightly 

 clavate. The sutures between the segujents 

 are deep and square ; the marginal edges of 

 the segments serrate, and their posterior 

 margins slightly spined. The whole upper 

 surface is tuberculated, eacli tubercle being 

 surmounted by a short, whitish seta. They 

 appear to be immature specimens of Polydes- 

 miis scrratus, or varieties of that species, but 

 may be a new and undescribed species. 

 Specimens obtained next spring may be neces- 

 sary to determine the species. 



QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



Mr. Editor — Dear Sir : In my August 

 number I saw a gentle "dun" for money, and 

 as I, for one, am indelrted to you for The 

 Farmer from January last, I inclo.se the 

 amount due you and hope others will do the 

 same. I love to read The Lancaster 

 Farmer, and I expect to take it as long as I 

 can spare a dollar, for it is a good pa)ier.— 

 Bespcctfully yours, W. M. N., Dobbs^ Ferry, 

 JV. Y., Sept. nth, 1878. 



P. S. Last spring I read an article in your 

 paper on the subject of "Planting and Plow- 

 ing," with reference to the moon. I would 

 like to hear more from the same writer on the 

 same subject. He says people may laugh, 

 but really there is more in these things than 

 "we in our philosophy dream of." t would 

 like to know his experience in potato plant- 

 ing, with reference to the different phases of 

 the moon. — iV. 



Will J. G., of Warwick, rise ? 



• 



THE VEGETABLE WAX. 

 (Ji/ius Siiccedanpa.) 



The most important article for illuminating 

 purposes in Japan is the candle made from the 

 fruit of the Rhus Succedanea; a tree about 

 the size and appearance of tlie common Sumac 

 of this country. It is grown more or less ex- 

 tensively almost everywhere in Japan, and 

 especially in the western provinces, from the 

 south northwest to the 35tli degree. Speci- 

 mens of this tree have been imported. 



The tree has a quick growth, and attains 

 the diameter of a foot and a half, and a height 

 of 2.5 feet. They begin to yield berries the 

 third year, but in California may bear the next 

 year after planting. Tlie berry for introduc- 

 tion here is the size of a small pea, of a white 

 color, hanging in clusters, and contain the 

 wax, as a thick, white coating of the seed. 

 The full-grown tree averages 50 pounds of 

 seeds annually, about one-half of whicli is 

 wax. It is a hardy plant, growing on indiffer- 

 ent soil, and living for many years. In .Japan 

 they are planted by the roadside, on embank- 

 ments, and out of the way places. 



The wax is obtained by the berries being 

 crushed, steamed, and then placed in hemp 

 bags and pressed in a wedge press. It is also 

 obtained by boiling the bruised seeds and 

 skimming the wax from the top. The wax is 

 a pamatiue or glyceride ; when first extracted 

 it is of a yellowish white color, and somewhat 

 softer tlian beeswax. It melts at 127°,and wlien 

 formed into candles gives a fine clear light. 

 In ordinary candle making ttie unbleached 

 wax is used. When washed and bleached in 

 the sun and air, it assumes a pure white color. 



The vegetable wax of commerce is the im- 

 ported article from Japan. From experiments 

 made it can be readily grown in tliis country. 

 The tree is highly ornamental, as well as for 

 its production. As the foliage changes it has 

 the peculiar bright and attractive hues so re- 

 markable in the autumn landscapes of tlie 

 Eastern States. The wax is in great demand, 

 and commands a good price. It is valuable 

 for candles, making the gloss for linen, for 

 waxing thread, and other purposes for which 

 the ordinary was is used. Since it may be 



grown so readily, its cultivation could un- 

 doubtedly be made a source of profit, and 

 especially since the present process of extract- 

 ing honey from wax will tend to lessen the 

 supply of the ordinary article, and also leave 

 ample rooni for this new industry. — Henry 

 Loomis, San Francisco, Cal. 



^ 



A GIGANTIC PUFF-BALL. 



A large spherical fungus of the Puff-ball 

 family (Slerodermce) is now in our possession 

 at the corner of North Queen and Orange 

 streets, which has been presented to the Lin- 

 narnn Society by Martha Kamp, of No. 419 

 High street. This gigantic specimen was 

 first noticed on Saturday, the .5th of October, 

 growing on the ground in her garden, and 

 when it was taken up on Friday, the 11th, it 

 weighed 4 pounds, and measured 30i inches 

 in its transverse circumference, 28 inches in 

 its vertical circumference, and 10 inches in 

 diameter. It is of a cream color, is traced by 

 several large fissures on the apex and on one 

 side, the walls of which are a pure white. It 

 is the largest specimen of this peculiar plant 

 that has ever come under our observation, 

 and its remarkable development in so short a 

 space of time is a wonderful illustration of 

 fungoid growth. Species analogous to it, in 

 size and form, are grown in England, and are 

 sliced and fried or broiled, like beefsteak, 

 and are known among the common people as 

 the "beefsteak fungus " or "beefsteak mush- 

 room," and are highly relished. It is a pity 

 that we know so little about the edible quali- 

 ties of these plants in this country, for we can 

 hardly realize that such a great amount of 

 vegetable energy should be exhausted without 

 some useful end. Some of these Puff-balls 

 are so exceedingly minute that they can only 

 be detected by a microscope, but they occur 

 of nearly all sizes between a mer« atom and 

 the gigantic proportions enumerated above ; 

 wliich, if edible, would make a magnificent 

 feast for a small family. It miglit pay some 

 English or French cuisinier to locate amongst 

 us, and teach us how to utilize our mammoth 

 "Puff-balls." 



The "Puff-ball" referred to above is the 

 American variety of Lycoperdon giganteus, of 

 which Mr. Stauffer records a specimen tliat 

 grew in this county, which was fifteen inches 

 in diameter. Pouchet records a foreign one, 

 that grew up in one night whicli, according to 

 an estimate made by Lindley, contained 47,- 

 000,000,000 cells, averaging 4,000, 000,000every 

 hour of its growth, or 90,000,000 every minute. 

 But these are all eclipsed by a tropical species 

 described by Bulliard, which measured nine 

 feet in circumference. 



AUTUMN LEAVES AND FERNS. 



This is the season when autumn leaves are 

 in order, when the yellow foliage of the 

 hickory, the red brown of the oak, and the 

 erim.son of the maples are gathered to give us 

 their brightness in the coming dark days. It 

 is rather late for ferns, though many people 

 prefer to gather them after the early frosts 

 have touched them with white and brown, 

 thinking both that they keep better and are 

 prettier then, and combining more effectively 

 with leaves. AVe have written at length of 

 their uses, which are almost infiuite for pur- 

 poses of decoration. For bouquets in liaskcts 

 and vases, ferns, leave? and grasses mixed to- 

 gether are most effective. Window trans- 

 parencies look well of delicate ferns witli a 

 few bright leaves. Ferns are best simply 

 pressed and dried between sheets of blotting 

 paper or newspaper. Varnishing or waxing 

 gives them a stiff look, which is utterly at 

 variance with their simple beauty. "Tlie 

 London Queen recommends the use of linseed 

 oil, rubbing the ferns lightly with it and then 

 drying before using. This, it says, preserves 

 their freshness in a remarkable degree. Leaves 

 may be treated in the same way ; blit the 

 most satisfactory plan we have ever tried was 

 ironing them with a moderately warm iron, the 

 iron rubbed — not too thickly — with the end of 

 a spermaceti candle. 



Varnished leaves look well for lambrequins 



and any other uses high up on the walls- 

 close in the eye the varnish gives them a stiff, 

 unnatural look. A pretty mode of using 

 autumal leaves is in lamp 'shades. Cut the 

 sliade the proper shape in stiff white paper, 

 when the leaves, whicli have been' previously 

 dried and pressed, are arranged on it in a 

 wreath, and fastened securely by gum. The 

 whole is then covered with a very coarse net, 

 and the edges bound with gilt or colored 

 paper. The effect of the light shining through 

 this shade is exceeding pretty ; and it is one 

 of the cheap decorations wliich 'all persons, 

 possessed of a little taste and ordinarily skill- 

 ful fingers, may make for themselves. 



In pressing leaves be careful not to mash 

 them. A string tied around a large book will 

 usually give them pressure enough. Never 

 put the leaves away damp nor in a damp 

 place to dry — they are almost sm-e to mould 

 and injure the color. 



A pretty fernery, which will keep all winter, 

 may be made by piling mosses and wood into 

 an old platter. A partridge vine, with its 

 bright berries, will add mucli to its beauty. 

 A frame of biU'k tacked on around the outside 

 of the platter makes it as pretty as far more 

 expensive vase, and all winter, if kept moist, 

 your homemade fernery will develop new 

 beauties every day. — Philad<dphia Times. 



NOVEMBER. 



November, tlie first month proclaiming the 

 embers of the dying year, is upon us. It de- 

 rives its name from the word Novem, nine. 

 The last of the autumnal signs was Sagitta- 

 rius, because when the sun passed it the trees 

 were nearly divested of their foliage, which 

 the ancients considered as indicative of the 

 season for hunting, and hence they repre- 

 sented the constellation under the figure of 

 an archer with bows and arrows. TheSaxons 

 named it Wint Monath (wind month). The 

 closing day of November is St. Andrew's. St. 

 Cecelia has also conferred a ghostly honor on 

 this month, as well as upon music. Leigh 

 Hunt says November, " with its loss of ver- 

 dure, its frequent rains, the fall of leaf, and 

 the visible approach of winter, is undoubtedly 

 a gloomy month to the gloomy, but to others 

 it brings but pensiveness — a feeling very far 

 from being destitute of pleasure ; and if the 

 healthiest aud most imaginative of us may 

 feel their spirits pulled down by refiection 

 connected with earth — its mortalities and its 

 mistakes — we shall but strengthen ourselves 

 the more to make strong and sweet music 

 with tlie changefid but harmonious move- 

 ments of nature." 



But what is there sad in November '? The 

 crysantliemums and dahlias are out in their 

 glory ; the forest trees are as gay as a rain- 

 bow" ; the air is bright, crisp and invigorating; 

 there are corn huskings in the barns of the 

 farmers ; apples are gathered in ; fires are 

 kindled, parties aud balls are given, business 

 is brisk in town and country. The leaves fall 

 in October, It is true, but there is nothing sad 

 or melancholy in that any more than there is 

 in putting olf an old dress to put on a new one. 

 If the leaves fall it must not be forgotten that 

 they enrich tlie soil and protect the roots of 

 the trees that bore them. If they did not fall 

 there would be no green buds and white 

 blossoms in the spring. October and Novem- 

 ber are bright, jolly and enjoyable months, 

 the most so of any in the year. "There is 

 nothing so bright as a day in June," except a 

 (lay in October. But the brightness, glories 

 aud gaieties of November will follow their 

 predecessors into the dread and solemn past, 

 covered by the pall of dark December. Coming 

 after the summer wherein a destroying pesti- 

 lence benumbed the energies of the people in 

 one of the fairest portions of our land, and 

 caused the ordinary pleasures and recreations 

 of society to be neglected and the nation to be 

 bathed in sorrow because of the carnival of 

 death, a sadness marks its advent that all its 

 brilliancy cannot efface. But its bracing at- 

 mosphere will stop the tread of the re.aperand 

 dry the tear of grief and sorrow and bring 

 security to the house of mourning. —Patriot. 



