132 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[September 



county, Pa., twenty-one chrysalids of tliis 

 buttertly, out of which we only bred four of 

 the flies, but from the other seventeen we 

 bred over fifty of the parasites. Two years 

 ago, out of twelve armyt worms wliich he had 

 confined, eight were infested by parasites — 

 from one to three in a single worm. Only ten 

 days ago S. P. Eby, Esq., gave us tlie frag- 

 ments of a cocoon containing the dead body 

 of what appeared to be Orgi/cx lencostujma, or 

 " vapor moth," which contained fully a dozen 

 larvie of a hymenopterous parasite. 



In our early entomological experiences we 

 were surprised when we bred a large wasp 

 {Trofjus fulvus) from the chrysalids of the 

 "Parsnip worm" {PajjiHo astcrias), but it 

 goon became a common occurrence, nor longer 

 excited surprise. 



But the foregoing is not "«/ie all " of para- 

 sitic insects. In addition to a large number 

 of fjregarimis species, there is still a greater 

 number that may be regarded as solitary in 

 their infestations— that is, only one individual 

 occurring in the body of its host, the magni- 

 tude of the host being just large enough to 

 fully develop the parasite. Perhaps the reason 

 that only one individual is found in such a 

 nidus is because there would not be sufficient 

 aliment to develop two ; and often the para- 

 site itself is infested by one that is smaller 

 still. Aphith, or " plant lice," are very liable 

 to be infested by parasites, and it frequently 

 occurs that a whole colony is extinguished by 

 parasitic infestation. The Aphids are found 

 firmly adhering to a twig or leaf of tree or 

 plant, the body swollen or bleached, with a 

 small aperture on the side or back of the ab- 

 domen, through which the parasite (a hyme- 

 nopter) has made its escape. But there are 

 also cases in which two or more may occupy 

 the same host. Nor is this the limit of para- 

 sitic infestation, for the very ajgs of insects 

 becomes infested by parasites, and, small as 

 the infested eggs are, they find sufficient ali- 

 ment within the shell to complete their larval 

 development. 



All of the foregoing relates to those para- 

 sites that penetrate the body of their hosts, 

 and live upon their substances, manifesting 

 no external sign of their presence until they 

 arrive at maturity; they, however do not all 

 spin a cocoon; some pass also the i)upa state 

 within the body of the host. But there are 

 also external parasites that affect insects the 

 same as lice do other animals. The "dor- 

 beetles," (Co^jris) and the "chick-beetles," 

 (Elater) are especially subject to them. On 

 one occasion we confined seven or eight large 

 white "grubworms" in a box of decayed 

 wood and earth. We raised from them one 

 mature specimen of Pt lidnota punctata (great 

 grape beetle. ) All the remainder of them tell 

 a prey to a large voracious white "maggot," 

 from which we reared a specimen of Myclas 

 flata, a large two-winged black tly, with an 

 orange band near the base of the abdomen. 

 We found the maggot among the grubs, but 

 can't say how many grubs it destroyed before 

 we obtained it. It however only seemed to 

 live on the fluids of the grub, and hence it 

 killed more than it consumed. When a grub 

 became putrid it abandoned it and attacked a 

 fresli one. It also fed on a specimen of 

 Lumbrieus or fish-worm, given it. 



fLeucania uniininc/a. 



Tiuis, the silent work of nature is ever per- 

 tinaciously working onward towards its ulti- 

 mate ends. It may be, and often is, thwarted, 

 partially defeated, or turned aside from its 

 legitimate purposes by contingent interven- 

 tions ; but when its freedom is restored it will 

 gradually converge towards its accustomed 

 channel. Perhaps the forces of nature en- 

 counter no greater barriers to their harmoni- 

 ous progress than those imposed through 

 human ignorance. Many years ago we noticed 

 a man in a "potato-patch" with his brows 

 knit and his lips compressed running along the 

 rows, and engaged in a most vigorous manipu- 

 lalion. Curious to know upon what he was ex- 

 ercising himself, we drew near him, and as we 

 approached he assumed an attitude of triumph, 

 exclaiming : "There, I have just smashed the 



last d d ladybug in the patch." When we 



desired to know his reasons for smashing 

 them, he replied that they laid the eggs from 

 which the plant lice bred, for his potato vines 

 were seriously infested by a species of A2-)his. 

 He did not trouble himself about the Aphids 

 —there were too many of them— but felt sure 

 that they would not long survive their pro- 

 genitors. Our adverse views had no effect 

 whatever ; he know all about them ; he was 

 raised among them. Now, the "lady-birds " 

 {Coccinillidce) are so distinctly the enemies of 

 the Aphids that the group including them is 

 called .4p/!M?yj/i«ya— "aphid-eaters." Manual 

 effort alone will not accomplish the destruc- 

 tion of noxious insects; it must be intelligent 

 eff"ort, discriminating effort, persevering effort; 

 the intelligence, the discrimination and the 

 perseverance of the little microgaster, which 

 is the joint subject of these reflections. It 

 would not deposit its eggs in a piece of putrid 

 flesh, in a decayed fruit, or in animal fcsces, 

 but only in a living, noxious worm. The pro- 

 gress of improvement on the earth's surface 

 may necessarily disturb the equipoise of na- 

 ture, and where this is the case, it will im- 

 pose additional vigilance, additional labor, 

 and additional intelligence, in order to insure 

 additional compensation. In the matter of 

 willing and doing, it is of some moment that 

 we ku iW what not to will and do, else we may 

 be standing in our own light, and knowing 

 whatnot to do is a progressive step towards 

 knowing what we ought to do. 



EXCERPTS. 

 Boiling water will remove tea stains and 

 many fruit stains ; pour the water through 

 the stain, and thus prevent it from spreading 

 over the fabric. 



Ripe tomatoes will remove ink and other 

 stains from white cloth ; also from the hands. 



A TEASBOONFUL of turpentine, boiled with 

 white clothes, will aid the whitening process. 



Boiled starch is much improved by the 

 addition of a little spermaceti, or a littte salt, 

 or a little gum arable dissolved. 



Beeswax and salt will make flatirons as 

 clean and smootli as glass ; lie a hunp of wax 

 In a rag, and keep it for that purpose ; when 

 the irons are hot rub them with a rag, and 

 then scour with a paper or rag sprinkled with 

 salt. 



Kerosene will make tin tea-ketteles as 

 bright as new ; saturate a woolen rag and rub 



with it ; it will also remove stains from clean 

 varnished furniture. 



Kerosene will soften boots or shoes which i 

 have been hardened by water, and render i 

 them as pliable as when new. 



Agriculture is the financial barometer 

 of the United States. — London Paper. 



We would not advise the sowing of white 

 clover in lawr.s. It exterminates other grasses 

 and does not stand heat drought. 



Give the laboring class 10 or even 12 hours 

 work a day, with plenty or good newspapers 

 and no strong drink, and the country will 

 soon become prosperous and its men en- 

 lightened. 



The value of poultry in the United States 

 amounts to over .S300,000,000. This large 

 sura would be increased if poultry received 

 the same attention as is bestowed on sheep, 

 cattle or horses. 



The winter wheat crop of Illinois this year 

 exceeds 50,000,000 bushels, and it is the 

 largest, except that of 1820, ever harvested 

 in that State. The spring wheat aggregates 

 over .52,000,000 bushels, a little under the 

 average of 1879, but the quality is much 

 better. 



The Herefords in the London market are 

 always worth more per pound than Short- 

 horns. We supposed that the Short-horn edi- 

 tors and advocates had conceded this fact, 

 but in conversation with a prominent editor 

 a few days since he denied it was true. If he 

 will place this in some direct and positive 

 form we will produce the proof of it, and will 

 offer this much now. The Chamber of Agri- 

 culture Journal, in its issue of June 19tb, 

 speaking of tlie Smithfield market of London, 

 says : " The Herefords range with Scott cat- 

 tle at OS. lOd. to 6s. as the topping current 

 rate of the morning trade, the Hereford cat- 

 tle ranging up to 5s. 8d. to 5s. lOd. These j 

 prices are for ihe stone of eight pounds weight. 

 The Canadians sold at 5s. 4d. to 5s. 8d. ; Dan- 

 ish at 5s. 4d. to 5s. 6d." The editor he refer- 

 red to has all the means at his disposal to in- 

 form himself, and he ought to know that 

 Hereford beef is always at the top of the 

 market, and that this is especially true with 

 the Herefords from grass. 



There are but few circumstances that will 

 justify the burning of straw as it comes from 

 the machine. Upon all uplands, or soils in- 

 clined to be light, and which are deficient in 

 vegetable mold, it is better to rot the straw 

 and apply the same to the most unproductive 

 portions. Where the soil is of a heavy clay 

 character, and fall plowing can be done for 

 the growing of a crop the following summer, 

 the plowing under of a heavy coating of straw 

 will render the soil lighter by reasons of the 

 diainage afforded, and richer by the partial 

 decay of the straw. Occasionally it may be 

 of advantage to burn the straw, especially if 

 weed seeds or the eggs and larvae of insects 

 are unusually abundant. Consider the matter 

 well before burning the straw, for when rotted 

 it forms a rich mold, which is the " one thing 

 needful " on all our clay uplands. East, West, 

 North and South. 



The Mexican Dog. — Of the hairless Mexi- 

 can dog, which is the shepherd dog of that 

 country, the Texas Siftings has this to say : 



