1880. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



147 



Ichneumon flics " — the PimplaiBhi/ssa) luna- 

 (01- of entomologists. Tlie family (IcUNEU- 

 monid(k) to whicli it lu'lon^s, inuliuh's a very 

 large number ot species, l)ut this species and 

 tlic atratii: possess the longest ovipositors. 

 l'ructi('ally tlie long caudal api)endages you 

 allude ti) is not a sting or slings, but simply a 

 modification of the sting of other families of 

 the same order. The insect is entinily harm- 

 less and may be handled with impunity. This 

 insect is a parasite, and did not bore the holes 

 in the tree which you say you saw. 



'Xhese holes were previously bored by some 

 other insect in its larva state — perliaps a 

 species of Tremcx, Sircj:, Ch/tiis, Elaphideon, 

 or some other wood-boring larva ; and the 

 instinct of the Pimpln taught it that there 

 were grubs in the old tree, which would be a 

 proper place to deposit an egg or two, and it 

 availed itself of its normal relations to the 

 host inside. Whore the host is within reach 

 of the ovipositor they reach it through the 

 aperture already existing ; but where it is too 

 far off to be thus reached they penetrated the 

 wood, and their instincts unerringly teach 

 them where to penetrate. The ovipositor of 

 these insects is composed of three parts — two 

 outside sheaths and a central saw or rasp, 

 with which they saw or rasp a small aperture, 

 pushing the two sheaths inward as the pipes 

 are introduced into an artesian well. Having 

 reached the grub inside, they deposit one or 

 more eggs into its body (according to its size,) 

 and these these eggs are hatched, the yonng 

 I'implas feed upon the carcass of the grub. 

 From this habit they are also called " cuckoo 

 flies" — that is, they have no hole and make no 

 nest of their own, but trespass upon the prem- 

 ises of other insects and feed upon the bodies 

 of their young. Sometimes, when the wood is 

 hard, they are unable to withdraw the ovi- 

 positor, and die in that position. I have 

 often taken them in that situation. When they 

 pass through all their transformations and are 

 ready to emerge as a fully developed pimpla 

 or cuckoo fly, they generally come out through 

 the aperture made by their host, but if that 

 should be impracticable, they have sufficient 

 mandibular power to cut their way out by a 

 shorter process. They seem to be partial to 

 tlie larva of the " Pigeon Tremex '' (Tremex 

 Columba,) which usually bores into dead or 

 decayed wood, but I have captured theiu fas- 

 tened to pietty solid oak wood, and when the 

 host inside was probably the grub of the 

 "Horned Passalus " {Fassahts cornutus.) 

 They are classed among innoxious insects, or 

 insect friends. 



Mr. J. H. P., Lancaster, Pa.— Tha plant 

 submitted to our examination, from your 

 Maryland friend, is the common ''Horse- 

 Nettle," (Snlunum caroHnense, Lin.) usually 

 grows in sandy soil, from Connecticut to Illi- 

 nois, and southward, at least as far as 

 Georgia. It is a low perennial, and grows from 

 the root every year, and is therefore difficult 

 to exterminate ; although, like its cogeners, 

 the common potato, the tomato, the egg- 

 plant, and the deadly night-shade, it will also 

 grow from the seeds. There is an allied species 

 (S. virginiamim, L. ) very nearlj' like it, which 

 is now not recognized as distinct, by the best 

 authorities ; it therefore becomes degraded 

 to a mere variety. In the absence of (lowers 

 this noxious plant may be known by its 

 orange-yellow spherical berries, hanging in 

 loose racimes, like the common potato-apples; 

 by its roughish, pubescent, oblong leaves; 

 by the pale yellow prickles on the stalk.s, and 

 especially along the mid-ribs of of the leaves. 

 On the same plant may be found a variety of 

 leaf forms, "ovate, acute, toothed or angled.'' 

 It is the favorite food-plant of the "spurious 

 potato-beetle," (Doryphnra junctn,) and we 

 observe that the leaves of the specimens 

 before us are profusely punctured, probably 

 by some species of "Flea-Beetle," (Halti- 

 CIDjE). We cannot recommend any better 

 remedy for its extermination than digging it 

 entirely out of the soil. Cutting it off before 

 the seeds mature, and making a bonafire of 

 the plants, when dry, would not effect the 



desired end, for it would grow up from the 

 roots .as rank as as ever the following season — 

 it must be dug out "root and branch." 



Mr. J. H., 7^f/ncos(ci-, Pa.— Your grapelike 

 vine, with theclustersof blackish berries, is a 

 species of "Virginia Creeper," (Ampelopxis 

 bipinnata, Michx.) also called the "Anu;rican 

 Ivy," the; leaves of which turn red in later 

 autumn. It lielongs to the vine family ( Vita- 

 ce.k), although it is entirely without tendrils. 

 It grows usually in rich .soils in Virginia, Ken- 

 tucky, and tarlher southward. Dr. Grey re- 

 tains it in the genus V'dix, but Mieheaux 

 places it in the above genus, which includes 

 the true Virginia creeper, and from which it 

 is maiidy distinguishable by the entire ab.sence 

 of tendrils. The berries are two-celled, have 

 a sweetish taste, and contain two seeds very 

 like grape seeds. Its presence in Lancaster 

 is accidental, or perhaiis it may hav(! been in- 

 troduced, but it is quite common farther 

 south, along rich river bottoms. Possibly 

 you might cross it with some of our local 

 native varieties and produce a new grap.j, if 

 not a good one. 



Mr. 11. G. D., your plant exhibited to us 

 some days ago, as nearly as we can recall it, 

 is a "False (purple) amaranth," Enxulu.'! livi- 

 dus,) and belongs to the family AmarantacvE, 

 which includes many varieties, some of which 

 are common weeds, although a few are culti- 

 vated on account of the bright and varied 

 coloring of their foliage. Yours being a livid 

 purple would include it among the chosen 

 varieties. 



Communications. 



For The Lancaster FARiiKB. 

 KANSAS FAIR AND TRAVELS TO THE 

 ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 



On the 8th of September, 1880, Walter M. 

 Franklin, Hon. J. B. Warfel and the writer, 

 had the pleasure of joining J. S. Conyngham, 

 Esq., Pay Director of theU. S. Navy ; A. P. 

 Brown, of Philadelphia ; J. H. Borland, of 

 Pittsburg, Pa.; Rev. R. J. Kevin, of Rome, 

 Europe ; Charles Edelheira, proprietor of the 

 great Viena bread bakery, of Philadelphia ; 

 E. G. Cattell, Esq., brother of Hon. O. G. 

 Cattell, Senator of New Jersey ; B. H. Mor- 

 ton, Esq., Librarian of the Horticultural 

 Library, New York ; Right Rev. Bishop Vail, 

 of Kansas ; Rev. W. M. Baker, novelist and 

 divine, of Bo.ston ; W. Hutchinson, Esq., of 

 the State Department, Washington, D. C; 

 Hon. Geo. Ilylton, of Jalliff, Bath, England, 

 son of a member of Parliament, and Gen. 

 John H. Rice, of Fort Scott, Kansas ; under 

 the charge of W. W. Reitzel, business mana- 

 ger of Forney's Progress, and car conductor 

 J. N. Taggert ; having been invited by Hon. 

 James F. Keeny, President of the Western 

 National Fair Association, organized in Kan- 

 sas, as representatives from America and 

 Europe to the great Agricultural and Indus- 

 trial Exhibition, at Bismark Grove, near 

 Lawrence city, which opened on Monday, 

 the 1.3th of September, and closed on Satur- 

 day, the 18th of the month and year as above. 



We took our departure on the magnificent 

 Pullman palace car Celtic, in a special train, 

 which left the station of the Pennsylvania 

 Railroad, at .Jersey City, in the morning, pro- 

 ceeding by way of Philadelphia and Lancas- 

 ter to Pittsburg, and westward to the place 

 of destination, with transportation free over 

 the P. R. R. to Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. 

 Louis, and from thence over the Vandalia, 

 the Missouri Pacific, the Union Pacific ; and 

 west from Lawrence, Kansas, to Denver and 

 Leadville, Colorado, over the Union Pacific, 

 Kansas Division, the Denver and Rio Grand, 

 the Denver and South Park and Pacific Rail- 

 roads, and back again. 



We had the satisfaction of enjoying a ride 

 in a new Pullman palace and sleeping car, 

 witii all the modern improvements and con- 

 veniences, and arrived at Pittsburg in the 

 night, and at Indianapolis on the 9th, about 2 

 o'clock, where we took dinner. Of course 



that part of the country which we passed 

 through during the night we liad no oppor- 

 tunity ot .seeing, but that part which we did 

 see exhibited the usual beauty and activity. 

 Our object being the extreme west I will for- 

 bear a description of intermediate places, ex- 

 cept to .say that many of the towns, and even 

 the country, has improved very much since I 

 traveled through it before. We arrived at 

 St. Louis on the evening of the 9th, about 10 

 o'clock, where we stayed over night, and 

 spent llie lu-xt day in viewing the city. We 

 stopped at the Planters' House, from which 

 place each one .struck out to see the 

 many sights which St. Louis so abundantly 

 presents. Some went to sec the river, some 

 to the wharf, some elsewhere, after which we 

 all accepted an invitation to visit a fine horti- 

 cultural exhibition being held in a spacious 

 liall belonging to the IJoard of Trade, and 

 located near the Planters' House, an occasion 

 which we enjoyed, the Board being in session 

 at the time. Our next movement was a ride 

 through tlie city and about four miles out to 

 a very fine park, containing a great variety 

 of splendid flowering plants and shrubbery, 

 interspersed vi'ith evergreens, fine statuary, 

 surrounded by beautiful scenery. Among the 

 statuary are Humboldt and Shakespeare, all 

 of which is owned by Mr. Shaw, who hand- 

 somely entertained us. This politeness, under 

 the circumstances, was unlooked for, and he 

 would not permit us to leave without joining 

 him in a glass of refreshing lemonade. Thus 

 ended our visit to St. Louis which was 

 pleasantly spent. Having received a tele- 

 gram from the President of the Agricultural 

 Exhibition, at Sedalia, to attend their fair, 

 we departed and arrived there on Saturday 

 morning, and were under the hospitality of 

 the society. After looking over the varioua 

 displays, which were very creditable to the 

 society and the place, we started for Kansas 

 City, where we remained over Sunday, stop- 

 ping at the Coates House. This city seems 

 destined to be onS of the largest and ilvclies 

 in the West. It has already reached a popula- 

 tion of sixty thousand souls. We left Kansas 

 City on Monday morning for Lawrence, in 

 Kansas, as our next objective point, which 

 we renched at about 11 o'clock, and were re- 

 ceived by members of the city government 

 and the executive committee of the fair asso- 

 ciation, who conducted us to the Ludingdon 

 House, where we dined. After dinner we 

 were taken to the University, the view of 

 which, and the grand panorama of the 

 country from the cupalo,were exceedingly de- 

 lightful. From the Univereity we were 

 driven to Oak Hall Cemetery, where we saw 

 the grave of General James H. Lane, and 

 also "tho.se of the Quantel-raide martyrs. 

 From thence we were driven to the river to 

 inspect the water-powt-r, which is computed 

 to be about two thousand horse-power, and 

 when all utihzed will be, perhaps, the greatest 

 water-power in the West. Lawrence is the 

 county seat of Douglass county, Kansas, 

 plensantly situated on the Kansas river, about 

 forty miles west from Kansas City, Missouri, 

 (which is on the Missouri river) and is a most 

 beautiful town, containing abont ten thousand 

 iidiabitants. It is principally built on the 

 south side of the Kansas river, noted for the 

 defence of the Free Soilers against the pro- 

 slavery men, before the "great rebellion," 

 and especially the Missouri raiders, who 

 spotted it for their battle ground. It was 

 also attacked by large numbers of Missourians 

 in 1863, led by Quantrel, who attacked the 

 place about .5 o'clock one morning, setting 

 fire to the town, and burning all he could, 

 and killing every man, woman and child 

 without distinction. The Lawrence people 

 say that it is a wonder that a single house or 

 person escaped. But the town was so " beau- 

 tiful for situation," and the country around 

 it so fertile and picturesque, that it was soon 

 rebuilt by the escaped and returned citizens, 

 and strangers. 



Bismark Grove is located about one mile 

 from the City of Lawrence, and consists of 

 about 340 acres. About one-third of the 



