160 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[October, 1881, 



certainly be a relief — and to some persons a very 

 great relief— especially if they had not had the plea- 

 sure to hear at any of these places for a quarter of a 

 century. It may well be supposed after reading all 

 the^e positive, or affirmative testimonials, that we 

 should have looked forward to the advent of "the 

 Dentaphoue anxiously and hopefully, and so— in 

 in some measure — we did ; although we are free to 

 confess, not without some marginal misgivings ; and 

 by tnarginal misgivings, we meSwQ the possibilities of 

 disappointment. We had tried an instrument called 

 a dentaphone, or andaphone, about a year ago, with 

 a very unsatisfactory result, and we bad also pub- 

 lished our opinion of it. We had then read nothing 

 specific in reference to it, but the theory, as verbally 

 related to us, was to the effect that the sense of 

 hearing was reached through nervous communica- 

 tion between the teeth and the ears, and as our teeth 

 were artificial, we felt satisfied that we ought never to 

 expect to be benefitted by the use of such an instru- 

 ment. When, however, we had devoted nearly a 

 whole week to the careful perusal of the circulars and 

 testimonials we received from the Dentaphone Com- 

 pany Of Cincinnati, and were informed that commu- 

 nication with the seat of hearing was effected by the* 

 "boney structure of the head," and that artificial 

 teeth were no barrier to the "connection," we be- 

 came more hopeful ; but, a3 we above intimated, by 

 no means sanguine. Fortunately, a gentleman of 

 Marticville, of whom we had made inquiry, exhibited 

 two of the "company's" Dentaphones to us, and 

 kindly loaned us one of them for several days ; but 

 the result was as unsatisfactory as it had previously 

 been. Taking the edge of the instrument ietween our 

 teeth made no improvement in our hearing whatever, 

 but pressing it against the teeth, made only a barely 

 appreciable difference ; but the continued pressure 

 pushed our teeth out of place, and the influence was 

 immediately lost. Subsequently a gentleman of 

 Lancaster city, who has a Dentaphone of a different 

 make, which he purchased in Philadelphia, permit- 

 ted us to make a trial of it, and the result was that 

 we could hear ten times more distinctly than we 

 could with the Cincinnati instrument, all the circum- 

 stances being equal. This we attribute in part to the 

 superior finish of the surface of the instrument, but 

 more especially to the fact that the surface is con- 

 tinuous, and not divided longitudinally into three 

 slats united by metallic hinges. We believe the com- 

 ■ pany has sacrificed quality to convenience, in adopt- 

 ing such a form. 



With all tbi3,we do not condemn the Dentaphone; 

 there is "something in it." The fault may be in 

 our imperfectly adhering teeth ; or in the obtuseness 

 of the "boney structure" of our head. Neverthe- 

 less, we believe that many are making testimonials 

 now, who would not repeat them a year hence. Im- 

 pulsive gratitude for temporary relief, may induce 

 those of a sajnguine temperament to make affidavit 

 to that which time and experience fails to realize. 



Tenth Report of the State Entomologist, on the 

 Noxious and Beneficial Insects of the State of Illi- 

 nois. Being the Fifth annual report, by Cyrus 

 Thomas, Ph. D. A royal octavo of 240 pages, and 

 eighty-two characteristic illustrations, with many 

 figures, including a copious index, and an alphabeti- 

 cal list of plants, trees, and shrubbery, and the, 

 number and species of insects that feed on them re- 

 respectively. Also a "chronological table of Hessian- 

 fly years, so far as recorded. Issued by the State 

 Board of Agriculture, Springfield, 111., 1881. 



*It is claimed that tliis comniuiiication is entirely in- 

 dependent of the ears ; and to make the case stronger, an 

 instance is cited in which a woman who was born with- 

 out ears, and who has no external aperture to the inner 

 ears whatever, ean liear distinctly by the aid ol the Den- 

 taphone, althoufjli she never heard before. 



Again, tlie Marticville patient, alluded to in tlie.se re- 



marks, states that he ca 

 the Dentaphone than 1 

 using it, and attributes tnm u 

 after he commenced its use 1 

 from his ears lumps or pellets 

 lowed by watery discharges I 

 Dusly with this evt 

 ■ing, ring: 



Id before 



I bette 



ced 



fol- 



from the roaring, ringing, and liissing noises that had 

 previously accompanied his deafness. Now, we do not 

 Intend to question any of these positions, but we entirely 

 fail to apprehend how the Dentaphone can possibly ex- 

 ercise such an influence on the ears, if, in its operation, 

 it 13 entirely independent of theui. 



We thankfully acknowledge the receipt of a copy 

 of this excellent work, sent us at the request of the 

 courteous authT>r, which possesses more than ordina- 

 ry interest, not only to the farmers and fruit growers 

 of the State of Illinois, but also to those of the mid- 

 dle and northern portions of the union. Forty-three 

 pages are devoted to the history, the habits and the 

 development of the "army-worm," with the natural 

 and artificial remedial agents for its arre8t,estinction 

 and prevention ; giving a synopsis of all the most re- 

 liable literature on the subject, so far as it is known 

 at the present time ; illustrating also that there is 

 much yet to be learned. The work is devoted mainly 

 to the consideration of the Lepidoptera and Ht- 

 MENOPTEKA of Illinois, with an appendix of forty- 

 six pages, on "The Hessian-Fly:" its ravages and 

 habits; and the means of preventing its increase; by 

 Dr. a. S. Packard, Jr. Considerable prominence 

 is given to Larvology, a very important subject in 

 connection with the insect world, but one that has 

 not yet advanced very far beyond the pale of infancy. 

 A very clever paper,embrac;ng forty illustrated pages 

 on the Larv^ of Lepidoptera, is contributed by 

 D. W. COQUILLETT, in which he describes about an 

 hundred diflTerent species, many of which are illus- 

 trated. This feature ought to be acceptable to those 

 for whom this report is mainly intended, and the sub- 

 ject is sufficiently divested of those technologies 

 which are so objectionable to those who have only re- 

 ceived "a common school education." Illinois, and 

 its State Board of Agriculture, show a commendable 

 appretiation of the State Entomologist and his official 

 labors, and the quality and execution of the work be- 

 fore us^is alike creditable to both. 



The denizens of the insect world are so numerous 

 and so varied, that perhaps the wisest plan for their 

 proper illustration is to treat them in groups, fami- 

 lies and orders; and on this occasion Dr. Thomas has 

 selected an order that contains more destructive in- 

 sects to vegetation, than perhaps all others put to- 

 gether, for the larva, almost universally, are feeders 

 on the various subjects of the vegetable kingdom. 



Seeing that is so difficult to eet our State Legisla- 

 ture to give any encouragement to Entomology in 

 Pennsylvania, our State Board might copy after Illi- 

 nois, without discredit to itself, or injury to the 

 people. 



AoRlcnLTtTRAL ADDRESS. — High Farming and 

 Home Culture. The future of East Pennsylvania 

 farming — new crops and new methods, delivered be- 

 fore the Cumberland Valley Editorial Association, at 

 the Tri-State (Pennsylvania, Maryland and West 

 Virginia) Grangers' and Farmers' picnic, at Wil- 

 liams' Grove, Cumberland county. Pa., on Friday, 

 September 9th, by W. U. Hensel,of Lancaster, Pa. A 

 neat demi octavo pamphlet of eight pages, in which 

 is condensed a good many progressive and common 

 sense ideas, on a variety of subjects connected with 

 agriculture and agriculturists. Our National Domain ; 

 Agrictiltural Problems ; High Farming ; Small 

 Farms ; Closer Farming ; New Crops ; Dairying ; 

 Silk production ; Fencing ; Ensilage ; Improved 

 Machinery ; Fertilizers ; Good Stock ; Home Culture ; 

 Forestry ; Local Politics ; Broader Learning and 

 Comforts of Living ; are all discussed with an ability 

 which, if unappreciated now, are sure to have a more 

 respectful hearing in the future. In the promulga- 

 tion of progressive ideas on any subject — and es- 

 pecially that of agriculture — of course, it is sound 

 wisdom to — " Prove all things, hold fast to that which 

 is good." 



Official Publication of the " Veiled Prophets" 

 of the Mississippi Valley, St. Louis, September 1881. 

 This is a super-royal quarto of twelve pages, printed 

 on heavy calendered paper, and most elaborately 

 illustrated in gorgeous colors ; containing the Edict 

 of the Magnificent, the Ancient, and the August 

 Ruler of the Veiled Prophets of the Valley of the 

 Mississippi ; admonishing the faithful subjects of the 

 Western Hemisphere, that they " are commanded " 

 to prepare, on the night of Tuesday, October the 4th, 

 1881, to participate in their Royal Autumnal Festival. 

 And thiit no member may fail to attend, the Edict sig- 

 nificantly concludes. "We hereby delegate to you our 



own supreme authority over all the forces of nature, 

 all the treasures of Art, the discoveries of Science 

 and the whole earth's countless stores of Gold and 

 precious gems." Of course, such authority is very 

 cheap, and much easier to give than the bestowing 

 of a fish which is yet in the stream, or a lion in the 

 jungles of Africa, but aside from all this, these night 

 processions of the " Veiled Prophets " are said to be 

 the most gorgeous and elaborate pageantries of mod- 

 ern times ; and the approaching procession and festi- 

 val is proposed to transcend anything that has ever 

 preceded it. Just where they are domiciliated, what 

 special objects they have in view, or who aie the per- 

 sons that compose the membership of this mysterious 

 organization, is what no " feller" can find out. We 

 have very courteously been invited to be "a looker on 

 in Gath," but unless we are vouchsafedjsome of the 

 above " gold and precious gems," our place must be 

 among the stay-at-homes. 



The Weekly Express. — This fine seven-columned 

 folio is the development from a "Sunbeam" that 

 for four years had been diverging its rays from the 

 village of Lititz, so favorably known for its educa- 

 tional establishments and its (creni; spring, .all over 

 the country. The Express makes a creditable ap- 

 pearance, and is published every Saturday at $1.50 a 

 year. Two very lively newspapers published in the 

 little village of Lititz— well, "did 1 ever" — or did 

 its " oldest inhabitant " ever dream of such a thing ? 

 Why, it's not so very, very, vert long ago since 

 Franklin's mother-in-law doubted whether more 

 than two could be sustained in the united colonies 

 (now the United States and Canada,) but it'8a/ac(; 

 here they are every week, poked right under the 

 noses of the people. Well, good speed, and God 

 speed to them, is our very best and worst wish — 

 " may their shadows never grow less." 



The Children's Museum.— An illustrated 

 monthly, published by F. B. Goddard & Co., No. 6 

 Bond street. New York, at one dollar a year. We 

 have received the October number of this excellent 

 magazine, and it truly contains " reading for the 

 young," and much that is interesting to older heads 

 and hearts, and none of these can read it without 

 feeling young again. It is a royal octavo of thirty 

 pages, with embel ished covers, on good paper and 

 fair print, and is attractive both in matter and me- 

 chanical execution. " To Washington in a spoon- 

 drift" is an especially good reading story. "How 

 Majolica Ware is made," with its illustrations, is 

 very instructive. It also has a fair share of wit, 

 sentiment and fun. 



The Western Home Journal. — Published 

 monthly by the Home Journal Publishing Company, 

 104, 106 and 108 South High street, Columbus, Ohio; 

 monthly, $1 a year. The September number of this 

 magnificent publication has been received, and it 

 " wonders us " how so much can be afforded at so 

 small a subscription. It may be called. a demi-folio 

 in form, and has 24 pages, printed on fine calendered 

 paper and in clear type. The illustrations are very 

 picturesque and excellently executed. Devoted to 

 politics, news, general literature, romance, poetry, 

 education, biography, progressive and economic 

 agriculture, household affairs and western industries. 



The Home Journal, devoted to the farm, garden 

 and fireside, Lafayette, Indiana, No. 30 Main street. 

 An eight-page folio, weekly, at $1..50 a year. L. R. 

 Thompson & Son, publishers and proprietors. 



Northwestern Farmer and Dairyman.— De- 

 voted to improved methods in agriculture and dairy, 

 farming, Portland, Oregon. A handsome royal 

 quarto of 16 pages, monthly, at 75 cents a year, 

 moderately illustl-ated. This far-off northwestern 

 corner of our Union seems to be prospering and pro- 

 gressing in all that relates to the material welfare of 

 her people, and this journal is a creditable exponent 

 of her agricultural and domestic affairs. 



The Kansas Farmer, Topeka, Kansas, an eight- 

 pag.e folio, published by a company of that name, 

 monthly, at iPL.50 a year, full of interesting industrial 

 matter, and from its advertising patronage, seems to 

 be the representative of a very live sort of people. 



Our Home and Science Gossip, Rockford, Illi- 

 nois, 16 pages royal quarto, devoted to general 

 literature, entomology, home and household affairs, 

 agriculture, geography, numismatics, history, 

 anatomy, cosmography, meteorology, philately, 

 education, paleontology, mythology, relics and gen- 

 eral science— a real home to those who are interested 

 in these matters. 



