122 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[Augusy 



Tennessee, which last year produced 6,400,- 

 000 bushels of wheat, and purchased from the 

 West nearly 3,000,000 bushels at a cost of 

 over $4,000,000; while the wheat crop of that 

 State this year is about 2,000,000 bushels, 

 which will provide for domestic wants and 

 leave a surplus for sale of about 3,000,000 

 bushels. In Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, North 

 Carolina, and other States, the change is 

 equally as great. 



The acreage devoted to corn and oats, as 

 previously stated, is also much greater than in 

 former years, and this means more home- 

 raised bacon, and also less provender from 

 the west for live stock. We think that we 

 are fully within bounds in estimating that 

 the decrease to be paid out by the South for 

 foodstuffs during the crop-year 1882-83, as 

 compared with 1881-82, will be not less than 

 $35,000,000 to 840,000,000. A revolution in 

 the afl'airs of the South so great as this will 

 undoubtedly tell upon the future prosperity 

 of that whole section, and a few years more 

 of the same course of diversified farming will 

 make the Southern States practically inde- 

 pendent. — Baltimore Journal of Commerce 

 and Manufacturers'' Becorcl. 



THE MOSQUITO. 



There is another little l!idy whom you have 

 fed and regaled at your own expeuseand very 

 unwillingly withal. She is by no means 

 modest, but steals unbidden into your room. 

 She generally heralds her coming with song 

 that is anything but soothing, and she is so 

 persevering that even the strong "bars" with 

 which you protect yourself are not proof 

 against her persecutions. You have all, no 

 doubt, at times exercised a little strategy 

 with the mosquito, and when the little tor- 

 ment was fairly settled, made a dexterous 

 movement of the hand, and, with a slap, ex- 

 claimed: ''rve got him this time." No such 

 thing ; you never get him in your life, but pro- 

 bably have often succeeded in crushing her, 

 for the male mosquito is a considerate gen- 

 tleman. In lieu of the piercer of the female 

 he is decorated with a beautiful plume, and 

 has such a love of home that he seldom sallies 

 forth from the swamp where he was born, but 

 contents himself with vegetalble rather than 

 animal juices. (I do not wish to make any re- 

 flection, but in the insect world it is always 

 the females which sing. ) 



But to its history. The mosquito was not 

 born a winged fly, and if you will examine a 

 tub of rain water that has stood uncovered 

 and umnolested for a week or more during 

 any of the summer months, you may see it in 

 all its various forms. You may see the fe- 

 male supporting herself on the water with her 

 four front legs and crossiug the hinder part 

 like the letter X. In this support made by 

 the legs she is depositing her eggs, which are 

 just preceptible to the naked eye. By the 

 aid of a lens they ate seen to be glued to- 

 gether so as to form a little boat, which 

 knocks about on the water till the young 

 hatch. And what hatches from them V Why 

 those very wrigglers (Fia. 14, f.) which jerk 

 away every time you touch the water. They 

 are destined to live a certain period in this 

 watery element and cannot take wing and 

 join their parent in her war song and house 

 invasions, tillafter throwing ofE the ski an 



few times, they have become full grown, and 

 then with another mols have changed to what 

 are technically known as pupaj (g.) In this 

 state they are no longer able to do anything 

 but patiently float with their humped backs 

 at the surface of the water or to swim by 

 jerks of the tail beneath, after the fashion of 

 a shrimp or a lobster. At the end of three 

 days they stretch out on the surface like a 

 boat, the mosquito bursts the skin and grad- 

 ually works out of the shell which supports 

 her during the critical operation. She rests 

 with her long legs on the surface for a few 

 moments till the wings have expanded and 

 become dry, and then flies away to fulfill her 

 mission, a totally ditt'erent animal to what 

 she was a few hours before, and no more able 

 to live in the water as she did then than are 

 any of us. Is it not wonderful that such pro- 

 found changes should take place in such a 

 short time? Even the bird has to learn to 

 use its wings by practice and slow degree, but 

 th'3 mosquito uses her newly acquired organs 

 of flight to perfection from the start. 



In this transformation from an aquatic to 

 an aerial life tlie mosquito has first breathed 

 from a long tube near the tail; next through 

 two tubular horns near the head, and finally, 

 through a series of spiracles along the whole 

 body. 



From a calculation made by Baron Latour, 

 the mosquito in flight vibrates its wings 3,000 

 times a minute — a rapidity of motion hardly 

 conceivable. 



Those who have traveled in summer on the 

 lower Mississippi or in the northwest have 

 experienced the torment which these frail 

 flies can inflict. At times they drive every 

 one from the boat, and trains can sometimes 

 only be run with comfort on the Northern 

 Pacific by keeping a smudge in the baggage 

 car and the doors of all the coaches open to 

 the fumes. 



The bravest man on the fleetest horse dares 

 not cross some of the more rank and dark 

 prairies of Northern Minnesota in June. 

 It is well known that Father De Smit once 

 nearly died from mosquito bites, his flesh be- 

 ing so swollen around tlie arms and legs that 

 it literally burst. 



Mosquitoes have caused the rout of armies 

 and the desertion of cities, and I would 

 counsel all who desire to learn how the hum 

 of an insignificant gnat may inspire more 

 terror than the roar of the lion, to consult 

 Kirby and Spencer's history of the former. 



There are many species of the mosquito, 

 all diftering somewhat in habit and season of 

 appearance, and doubtless also in mode of de- 

 velopment, which, in fact, has been studied 

 in but few. They occur everywhere, whether 

 in the torrid or the arctic zone, and are no- 

 where more numerous or tormenting than in 

 Lapland. 



Both the fly and the mosquito are great 

 scavengers in infancy, the one purifying the 

 air we breathe, the other the water we drink. 

 They perform, in this way, an indirect service 

 to man which few perhaps appreciate, and 

 which somewhat atones for their bad habits 

 in maturity. 



Breeding from immature animals is a 

 great mistake. It is the fouubation of de- 

 generacy. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The Lancaster County Agricultural Society met 

 statedly in their rooms on Monday afternoon August 

 7, 1882. 



The following members were present: H. M. 

 Engle, Marietta; Calvin Cooper, Bird-in-Hand, Jos. 

 F. Witmer, Paradise; J. C. Linviile, Salisbury; 

 Johnson Miller, Warwick; Simon P. Eby, city; M. D, 

 Kendig, Creswell; F. R. Diffenderfifer, city; Peter H. 

 Hershey, city; Henry Shiffner, Bird-in-Hand; J. 

 Frank Landis, East Lampeter; Jacob B. Garber, 

 Columbia; W. B. Paxson, Coleraid; I. C. Hunsecker, 

 Mauheim; Ephraim H. Hoover, Manheim; Enos B 

 Engle, Marietta; J. M. Johnston and W. W. Griest, 

 city. 



On motion the reading of the minutes of the last 

 meeting was dispensed with. 



Crop Reports. 



Henry M. Engle reported corn as rather irregular; 

 some is excellent, but some rather poor. It may 

 come to an average crop with good weather. The 

 early set will make a full crop. Potatoes are hardly 

 a full crop. Pe<irs will be short. Pasture is pretty 

 plenty, but a little short. Wheat never wasof better 

 quality not the average higher, perhaps. The oats 

 are good — not quite as good as last year. 



J. C. Linville said the wheat was very good; the 

 cots had smut and rust; potatoes are an average 

 crop. The tobacco is the poorest ever he saw. The 

 grass is well set, 



M. D. Kendig, of Manor, reported a very full 

 wheat and straw crop, corn looks well; oats was me- 

 dium; fruits are falling fast. Tobacco is growing 

 well since the last rains. The green worms are very 

 numerous. The rainfall for July was 1 2-5 inches 

 for June it was i;^^. 



Johnson Miller said the wheat crop was a remark- 

 able one in quality and quantity. Oats about half a 

 crop. Hay better than expected. Tobacco is now 

 growing well; the prospects are encouraging; 

 peaches are inferior, apples are dropping fast and 

 are imperfect. 



J. Frank Landis said that wheat was never better. 

 A professional thresher reports an average of 30 

 bushels to the acre. Corn is doing well. Peaches 

 are ripening immaturely. Grapes are rotting a 

 little. 



Calvin Cooper never saw a more promising crop of 

 grapes but some are rotting. He was unable to ac- 

 count for it. Telegraphs and Hartford Prolifice seem 

 exempt. Tlie vines have been well cultivated. 

 Rogers Nos 9 and 53 are afflicted mostly by the rot. 



H. M. Engle said some growers hold cultivation is 

 no preventive of rot. He did not know what the 

 cause was. 



J. C. Linville said in Ohio and New York the dis- 

 ease is very common, and their cultivation has in 

 some cases been given up. Rose bugs have done 

 much harm to his grapes. He has tried to put the 

 clusters into paper bags. 



H. M. Engle said it was believed by some that 

 bagging was a remedy for rot. He proposes to do 

 this himself. 



S. P. Eby reported an unusual crop of grapes; very 

 few have so far been injured. Peaches are very 

 abundant on his trees. Has been obliged to thin 

 out largely. Tobacco is West Hempfield is uneven. 



"W". B. Paxson said he had a peculiar experience 

 with a grape vine. It died down to the ground. He 

 applied bone, which seemed to nurse it, and this 

 year it is very full. There are no peaehes in his 

 neighborhood this year. What is are incomparable 

 in quality. Corn looks very well. Tobacco looks 

 well in early planted helds and bad in the late. 



Calvin Cooper placed tobacco stems around the 

 trunks of peach trees, and there is not the sign of a 

 borer in any of the trees so treated. He set the 

 stems around the butts of the trees and tied them at 

 the top. 



