issa-xi'ii.) 



THE LjANGASTER FARMER. 



83 



I 8 



conspicauusly Btritited, juld^nmcturod'betMiceii' 

 the stlise: Tlie other sp^tiiiien, I liavei little 

 doubt,! is the i?j(;<>rj.i; fTnbascoiis oi lliijiiorii: It 

 is slightly more obkiliK, in«l not quitn ao cl)U- 

 vex as the Ibnuerj but olhoi'wiae ia abuut 

 the Sluice in size. Tlie whole ol th<' body bf- 

 neiilh is of a dull black color, iuchuiinjl; ;d*>i 

 the posterior thighs. The leet, the iiuteiimu, 

 (which are slifjhtly :ierr:iU:(l :iloiiu tlie an- 

 terior mar";iii) and tlie wlmle of the dorsal, or 

 upper' part of the body, fire of a hooey yellow 

 colon, rxoppt ii'h( nit a third iidddle porticni of 

 the WiDg-<!oversi \Vhieh i.s a tiusky Itlaek. The 

 thorax ifi ofi a muah l)righler color than the 

 other upper portions, of the body, &c., and 

 the eyes are veiy black, their composite 

 charaete.i' boiiifj; inoredi:stiuct tlian in the tirst 

 named' species; and except the thorax' thu 

 upper and lower part of the -wliolo body is 

 morelhan '•alinhtly ))ubedcrnt." This pub- 

 e.sconce i.s: oouspiouously in rows between i the 

 striae 4if the' wing-eovci's, aud along the niar- 

 gina of tjliij cihdominal segments. .! 



These insects are about l-lli of an ineli i in 

 length' vbutsiiiaH as they are they are capable 

 of doing a' great, deal oi" dauiarre when they 

 becoiiJe! numerous, and it) appears from all 

 partB (^' thoeburitryi' they aire ■ aJready ! (very 

 numerous, and also very destiuctive. The.se 

 Halticans are also numerous in species, but 

 even the same species will feed on different 

 species of plants. The potato, the cabbage, 

 different kinds of beets, the turnip, radishes, 

 cress, horseradish, the "jimsou-"'Weo(1,'''-«<;«M<r 

 nion nettle, and even tlitf ''deadly night- 

 shade," are all infested by different species, 

 and often the same species. Coincident with 

 a dozen other species of insects that hereto- 

 fore were partial to other kinds of vegetation, 

 they now attack the lobbaco beds, wiien the 

 plant is in its most tender and precaiious con- 

 dition. It is surpi'ising how fond the grass- 

 hoppers, the tree crickets and several species 

 of Hic3iii'TF,KA have become of Lancaster 

 county tobacco. Tobacco is becoming king ; 

 everything, from a, "snow flt'a" to au "ele- 

 phant," is in iv fair way of becoming a to- 

 bacco chewer. 



As to a reiiiedy there doubtless are several 

 that would lie eflective if we could reach 

 them, but they leap oil' tlio plants and hide 

 themselves so (luickly that it would be difficult 

 to rtpi>ly a dry remedy. A solution of lime 

 has been used very effectively both in Eriu'- 

 laiid and America in destroying the cucumber, 

 turnip and potato (lea beetles. Liijuid Paris 

 green would doubtless have a similar effect, 

 applied early in the morning, before they be- 

 come too "lively." If they hide under ulods 

 saturate them with the liquid. 



But the third siiccies is much more numer- 

 ous and more minute, yet fully, if not more 

 destructive than the "ilea beetles." This in- 

 sect belongs not only to a different genus and 

 a different family, but also to a ditterent order 

 of insects. It is no larger than a grain of the 

 finest gunpowder; is a very itetive rtmner,'and 

 is also able to leap to a considerable distance. 

 From a, . piicrpscopic e.xamiuatiou it, agrees, 

 witl) Dif., ilfit^h's. "Garden Fleaj," {S.i/hiiuhu- 

 rMs,/uW;i«ius^.^,jde,sc,ribed by him about 2(i yeius 

 ago, ir^ Ilis eighth r^yo,i-t on the "Noxious Iii- 

 .sectSi of ;Xew Tor)j." This insect belongs to 

 the apteroi^r.s o^ wuiglessordeik Tuysanuk.v, 

 and fijruily Pouvifiij.E, commonly called 

 "Sprii^g Tailsi,',' "Sn,ow Fleas, " "Garden 

 Fleaij,!' "FlttldFlea.s," etc.; etc. Jpr. Fitch 

 descvjJJea six or more species of these insects, 

 and ,a|so,five varieties of the /(orfc-Ji.sw three of 

 which t recognized among the ten individuals 

 examined^ — i\\(ijici:(mli)'. hai«i,lis, drirsulis, cpi- 

 caliii and malufLs—hnt I think, as he thought 

 at the, tuilP- that these ■were all the same 

 species in diiffereut,st;i|ge.s of dovelopinent. 



Tl*es^ ijjijepts, are very peculiar in their 

 slrucf-jUrc, WliBii, they are viewed from the 

 ui)pi>r|SiiJp (dorsal view) the most conspicuous 

 divisioi) of the. body arc a proportionally large 

 head and abdomcu, perfectly smooth and 

 lilumi", withmit I a-txy segmental cross lines. 

 The [tVorax swettis ^o ),»« couflueut \vith the 

 abdppMj^i. ,,iT5cueajth ate .some transverse 



j TIiIb anteunie a)M'longii(tiiuea-foi»rtlie> ns long 



I as th« body, j ,elbowf;d abovit; tl^e ,midiHe, fvtub 



I coiiij)ost;d of ujjif; joints, six VBiy shout and 



Uu*ee very ,loi)gi Proitigting, out from tlje, 



I hii)d, eud of the abdomen, is a potie-sliaped 



I v>i-i)c.chs:compos«d, of, three distinctly mark(j<l 



I Segmental lines,, that ajjpears tobp a caudal 



I teriiiinaliou of tlie body. On the lower side 



of the abdomcu, and near its end, is a lorked 



: nii'inber (a spriug-Uiil) which lies folded up 



I agJiinst the under side: anil reaeiies a.i far for- 



I ward as the head, in which lies Its leaping 



1 i)ower. Its feet, six in number, are united 



apparently to the front end of the abdominal 



pjilt of the body, which from a ventral view, 



exhibits a rudimental ntcrnum, compensating 



Ibc the absence of the usual thorax in insects 



generally. (Jf course it ha.s neither wings 



nor wing covers, and from a top view mvjlit 



be mistaken for a smjill bhick sviidec by a 



novice, if he did not know that a .spider has 



eight feet, and that the he.-xd and thorax are 



confluent, instead of the thorax and abdomen. 



On one' occiisioh, Geo. W. Mehaffev, esq., of 



Marietta, .sent me half a gill of a species allied 



to those above (the "Snow Ilea," Podnra 



nivca,) wMch he found in his garden-walk, 



like small heaps of guni)owder. iiiid of which 



he could have gathered a (juart or more, but 



they disappeared within a day or two. Mr. 



Mehafley informs us that be used " Persian 



CEDAk BIRD. 



{Alupdis ctdnnnn, .SW ) 



Insect Powder " against the depredations of 

 the "Snow fleas " in his garden .successfully, 

 and that his tenant used a mixture of sulphur 

 aud ;issaff«tida withsatisfactQVy efiejc.tioiidJi?: 

 tobacco beds. 



These i'lisects'itB ciipabid of bfesirfe'^ aW*' 

 degree of t^mperatiin^-^itideM, tWty"aWft-e- 

 ijuently found covering the surfhce of'Stiow,: 

 from which comes the name "'Smow IWa,''' so 

 that liicy may be considered the first Insects 

 that would attack early vegetation in the 

 spring. The.y, too, it 'would appeaa', Iwve 

 been attraoted.by the yaungiand Reader tiar- 

 colic weed. , ;. -n , , .•,. ,. .,' : 



For the pitat ,twio seasons our tobaccof 

 growers have been eoraplaiuiug of these little 

 pests under the uaines'of " black dy." ''black 

 spider," 4S-C., and I have frei|ueutly soUcited 

 specimens, but all in vain. My opinion is 

 that thiBy will prove greater enemies to the 

 tobacco plant than either the halticans, thu 

 tree i:rickets, or the horn worms; inaamucli 

 as they appear earlier, r^tn stand more cold, 

 and puncture or eat the seed lenvea a.ssoou as 

 they api)ear, into thousands of minute bolus, 

 and, nwrcover, are too small to l)e readily 

 seeUj and from their leaping facilities are able 

 to escape or secrete tlieniselvea. These in- 

 sects for many years have been alternately 

 depredating upon different species of' ivegetiif^ 

 ; tioiii, espccialiy garden crops, but titere are 

 :Some peojile ,w)io allege that they are alto- 



his|li)rie.s btotatobo unkuo^v"- i 'Clvayj.TWW'f „ 

 duriJig the moulliJ^ «f May and|,.^fme,,a|>d ^^y, ,,., 

 the lijt of .July, they. hi»v«,a.H disappeared, *nd„i>i 

 uolhing is seen of them again until tup jpl,-] ,|j 

 lo\i'ing spring. They rctuain, however, long 

 enough to dam'Agetlie earl^v »l/a'.jes, ,0^1' ^}9',t<ifj 3 

 bacco (uop, and when they leave they con- 

 sign what is left to the tMnde*"ci.'Peri'(if^a'hii-A 

 memiis lin« of succi'ssoi'S. ' ■"'■■ '' ■ imiIi ■.•i.kh 

 As a remedy, ilnely pulveriwd briirtstdn*'! '' 

 (Hour of sulphur) ha« beei* highly ■i'e(;()irii-' 'It 

 lueudpd. They are very delibaio ' i'n ' tlif«t'i-"l 

 structure, and cannot be tuk'ih ftetw^en'tha"/" 

 fingers without eru*hlng t.lienti.^Hoinetltvng'' ' 

 like aphids in this respfct — thorefore We'i'l 

 •should suppose that »iiy remedy' pffi/ct-nlil hv" 

 the destruction of aiihids wnnld bo uqitdllV'sdi-''' 

 in its ap|)lication to this speitieft; Tobiuseo " 1 'I 

 seed beds are necessarily hot very large hlre»«( ' 

 therefore I would suggest ah a'n PAfly prbpaTaM^ '•■ 

 tion, a thorough pulverizntioin of th(i tioil, aind'i': > 

 eoj>ious drenching witli .scalding water" tot i" 

 threi" or four days before the seed l.^'iown' J '' 

 for evidently, the first stageri of these "iiiscets ' 

 must be passed under ground.' ' The sdil stioolft^ 'i 

 be loose so that the liot Witier"cah'i*iietrAt«,'io1 

 and the drenchin;4 sl-voiilrt 'hb'ftottei'ohiifchfci^ii' 

 warmest and drycst (J^vs. ' Under such cir- 

 cnmsl;iii.' ilj' insici< might naturally l)e 

 suppij.-.cd I" I'u iiearc.';! the surface. It might 

 also destroy a speciea "f small centipedes 

 which girdle or eat oft' th^ young ))lants. No 

 man who attempts to raise tobacco in the.se 

 days can hope to succeed without due atten- 

 tion to its various insect encuiirs. 



CEDAR B«H3. 



This beautifully dove-colored bird has a 

 number of oOi' r common names, bv which it 

 is known in various locixlities, or by different 

 persons in the same Iwality ; but nmlrr none 

 of those names is it more nni)opular than by 

 that of "cherry l)ird," because of the havoc 

 it .sometimes commits upon the (cherry crop, 

 especially when the crop happen* to be a 

 small and very desirable one. In ad<lfition to 

 the two common names already mentioned, it 

 is also known as the " Wax-wing," 1' Wax- 

 chatterer," ''.Tnniper-bird," &e.. &c. J'Afew 

 of the " secondary " feathers on tlie Vfjuitrs of 

 the adult males arc terminated by small, 

 oblong, flattened lobes, resembling •' gcarlet 

 sealing-wax, hence the name wax^-wing. 

 These birds api)e.ar in the early )>art. of the 

 season, in small Hocks, and arc soniewdiat 

 nomadic in their habits, ehant'hig thoji; ((iiar- 

 tcrs according to the attainable suppiv of 

 food. Early in .Tune, however, the flocks 

 break up into pairs, and then the building of 

 nests, laying of eggs, incubation, and the 

 rearing of the young brood become tlie all- 

 absorbing occupation, during which time 

 various species of insects constitute, at least 

 ^a part of tkoir fare, including different kinds 

 of DiPTETtA— tworwinged flies— also, anhids, 

 1)ee!^', slugs, th'e la't-f.-B of virlduS ' spe'6ies of 

 moths and butterflies, Ac, &c. At the end 

 of the bree/lirig seasbil^ trtwaurda fali. thoyi'Uei-id 

 corae again gregarious. rtnd' less ineootivoroufljcib 

 and cohsenhently more' fmigivorons, feedinflirfi; 

 on various kinds of autumti berries. tliiaa^'iM 

 a " cherry-bird " that it is most obaasioub ia'ui^ 

 the ftirmer and fliiit-gffowen ' We cannot vsayjy di 

 however, that \t"o would recommend a totshsd 

 and indiscriminate •slaiighter' of them, for.i r 

 after the cheriT sfilson is over there is iM>if 1: 

 much on the farm thnt' they are particularly ul 

 destructive to which is of'any fepecia/1 TaluB'tiii' 11 

 the farmcf, luid during' the" brecdinsr season//-. 1 

 Mr. Gentry enumerated at least twenty -fiVeion 

 species of insects that they ffed* oot add Soinfc">i>< 

 of these are of thu most pmlitlc and de-stuucM 

 tiyei Icinds. Some remetly can mirely ' be-./'j 

 adopted to keep them off the cherry trees, Ituicv 

 thns compound with them. In onreftrlvdayiiit;!! 

 thev WPTc quite abundant, stnd towards fiii/ll lo 

 were very fat. and, althouch nrit L-^rge. tlwy/l .ji 

 were considered a good gnme bird. Webef(i;iM 

 lievn the insects they destroy during the //• 

 breediug seas(m. will mnre tbancoraperitiiteio't 

 for all the valuable frnit"they desttoyji 06 

 late years they have not been io alinv^rous^ oJ 



