146 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[October, 



question. AVe supposed that those who were 

 practically connected with poultry culture, 

 and who ought to have some knowledge of 

 the diseases that are contingent to that busi- 

 ness, would have given their views u])on the 

 subject. 



As to the question of the breeding of eels, 

 we are confident, from personal observation, 

 that the young ascend the streams in the 

 spring and descend them in the fall in very 

 large numbers ; but, at the same time, we do 

 not deny that there are individuals, if not 

 species, that become local in their habits. In- 

 deed, some thirty years ago, we visited a lake 

 in Lycoming county, into which eels had been 

 long previously introduced, and in which 

 they •became very large, weighing as mncli as 

 ten pounds, and out of which they could not 

 have migrated without going some distance 

 over land ; nor could there have been any 

 migration into it, for it was at least thirty 

 miles distant from the river, and the dis- 

 charge of water from the lake was small and 

 precipitous, and as their presence was con- 

 tinuous and the fish very large, the inference 

 is that they must have inhabited the lake 

 for many years. In former numbers of the 

 Farmer we have given our observations on 

 the migration of eels in the .Susquehanna, and 

 these have been corroborated by intelligent 

 authority. 



It seems a little singular that the most ex- 

 perienced pisciculturists and naturalists have 

 never placed on record the easy and certain 

 mode of eel generation that our contributor 

 does. In the September number of the 

 Fakjier, commencing on page i;53, is an 

 article, abridged from a larger article pub- 

 lished in BlachuoocVs Magazine, in which the 

 writer puts a different face on the matter. 

 He reiterates the doctrine that eels are not 

 ovqmroits. but on the contrary viviparous, or 

 perhaps ovo-vinparous. As some oth* fishes, 

 and also some snakes possess these different 

 characteristics, it is not impossible they may 

 be extended to some species of eels. Under 

 any circumstances, it shows that the simple 

 process of eel-generation is not a definitely 

 settled question, however confident different 

 observers may be in the finality of their 

 theories. 



We sjieak that vhich wc do kumc on the sub- 

 ject, and it is, that eels do ascend the Susque- 

 hanna river in the spring, and descend in the 

 fall ; whether the habit is universal or not, 

 it at least cAsts. 



KITCHEN GARDEN FOR OCTOBER. 



In the Middle States, the labors of the gar- 

 dener are varied, as during the preceding 

 month ; but he who then neglected duties 

 necessary to be done, has lost time not to be 

 regained— the autumn is upon him. Seeds of 

 a few varieties may still be sown. Tlie prin- 

 cipal labors are, however, the protection of 

 crops, already grown, transplanting others, 

 and setting out trees and shrubs. Asparagus- 

 beds dress. Cabbage plant out in light land 

 for next season's use. Beets and carrots store 

 now, or early nest month. Lettuce plant 

 out for next spring. Potatoes dig. Bpinach 

 sow at once, if not sown last month. Vacant 

 ground, trench. [Landrcths'' Ilural licgisfer.) 



And when you sow spinach, don't forget 

 the extia curled Bloomsdiile, an improvement 



on the best former stock. This edible plant 

 was introduced and named by Landreths 

 many years ago, and is conceded by all gar- 

 deners to be the very best under cultivation 

 in this country. Very productive in leaf, 

 thick foliage, and deeply corrugated, very 

 like a Savoy cabbage. 



How not to Apply Stable Manure. 



"The worst method of applying manure is 

 to place the same in small piles all over the 

 field, and allow it to remain to be leached by 

 every rain storm. The spots thus covered 

 soon become saturated, and, in loose, open 

 soil, the soluble soaks into the subsoil, or is 

 carried away in drains (if any exit), thus 

 forcing an overgrowth on these spots, and a 

 baldness in other places. Manure when car- 

 ried to the field, should be at once spread 

 and ploughed in, if not intended as a top 

 dressing." 



Good wholesome advice, but one would 

 hardly suppose that any intelligent farmer of 

 the present period needed it ; and yet, now 

 and then, these neglected piles of manure 

 may be seen for weeks after they have been 

 hauled on the land. Some other work has 

 been considered of more importance, and the 

 manure-speading has been compelled to await 

 a more convenient season. Like a good many 

 other manual operations of the household, 

 that which is last ought absolutely be the 

 first. 



NECROPHORE. 



The Burying Beetle, Alias Clarion Beetle. 



The word Nccrophore is derived two Greek 

 words signifying a dead 60% and a carrier ; 

 and is applied to a genus of beetles named 

 Necrophorus, of which there are about twenty 

 species in the United States, that have been 

 described, named and catalogued. They be- 

 long to the familSiLPiiiDCE, called after Silpha, 

 the typical genus of the family group,- an ar- 

 bitrary term, perhaps, of which the derivation 

 is not clear. In plain English the different 

 genera of the family are usually denominated 

 "scavenger beetles," and they perform an 

 important function in the economy of nature. 

 This mild October weather revives them and 

 brings them abroad ; and to-day (6th) one 

 was captured by the senior reporter of the In- 

 telligencer aud placed in our possession. 

 This is Nccro2}horus marginatus, about an 

 inch in length, in color black, with transverse 

 orange marks on the wing covers. The indi- 

 viduals of this genus are commonly called 

 "sexton beetles, "or "burying beetle, " from a 

 singular habit they have of burying the sub- 

 stances in which they deposit their eggs. 

 Perhaps I ought also to state that the name 

 of " carrion beetle " has been very generally 

 applied to the family, and wherever there is 

 a putrid carrion exposed there you may find 

 them, their cogeners and their more remote 

 family relatives. But the genus Necroplwrus 

 has a peculiar habit that does not pervade the 

 whole family. If the carcass is large, for in- 

 stance that of a horse, ox, sheep, swine, dog, 

 &c., these beetles will make no attempt to 

 bury it ; except, perliaps, a small detached 

 portion of it. But when it finds the dead car- 

 cass of a toad, a rat, a mouse, or a small bird, 

 it forwith commences to bury it, in which 

 labor the sexes unite. They dig out the earth 



from under it, and when the carcass sinks 

 down a little below the surrounding level, 

 they cover it with the earth removed in mak- 

 ing the excavation. Into this nidus the eggs 

 are deposited, the larva^ are hatched and ma- 

 tured. Exposed to the hot sun and the rapid 

 decomposition, assisted by the various species 

 of " Blow-flies," their larvie could not become 

 fully developed, and hence would perish. 

 There are districts in Mexico and South 

 America, where carrion-beetles are not known ; 

 the air is so pure and dry that carcasses be- 

 come "jerked" or dried, before decomposi- 

 tion takes place. Our beetle buries the carcass 

 to prolong decomposition. The name of 

 " Buzzard-beetle " suggested by the aforesaid 

 reporter, would be appropriate ; because as a 

 scavenger and for its size it will compare with 

 the "Buz." 



SEEDLING PEACH. 



Epiirata, Pa., October 12th, 18S2. 

 PROF. S. S. Rathvon : Herewith we send you a 

 late seedling peach. It is a medium sized peach. 

 Having noticed it two years ago we then thought 

 it merited further notice. This year the tree is full 

 again of very fine peaches. We do not think that 

 there is a finer pe.ach out. We want your opinion 

 whether you think it is worth propogating; or if 

 anything is out similar to it let us know what it is. 

 You may report in the Fahmer or by mail, as you 

 think proper. Yours respectfully, 



S. R. Hess & Son. 

 Your peach was duly received, and almost 

 immediately submitted to the practical test 

 of Messrs. H. M. Engle, J. C Linville and 

 W. L. Ilershey — three members of the Lan- 

 caster County Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Society — and they unhesitatingly concluded 

 that it is worthy of propogation and distri- 

 bution, in which we heartily coincide. Good 

 late peaches are very desirable, and this seems 

 to " fill the bill." There seems to be some in- 

 decision as to the variety, but the prepon- 

 derance of opinion is that it is a "Salway," 

 or a cross between that variety and "Kteffer's • 

 Smock."* Mr. Engle happened to have a 

 Smock with him, so that we were able* to 

 compare. In external appearance it closely 

 resembles the Smock, but is more acid — not 

 so sweet. The Smock is a foreign peach, and 

 was originated by the celebrated Mr. Kickard, 

 of England. We had not a Salway tocompare 

 it with, but if it differs from that variety in 

 appearance flavor, texture and habit, of 

 course, you will have the privilege of naming 

 it as a new variety. Therefore, we would say, 

 "go ahead," give it a wide circulation, and 

 you will be doing a good work for the late 

 peach crop of Lancaster coimty. There is, 

 however,a later peach cultivated in the county. 

 Mr. Windolp, of Marietta, we think, has a 

 variety that will not ripen before the 20th of 

 October. Probably some of yours may con- 

 tinue until that date. 



One writer on ensilage truly says : "It 

 will assist enormously in making mankind 

 independent of the weather, for the constant 

 use of the plow and the cultivator, and the 

 raising of strong, growing crops will greatly 

 obviate the difficulties from drought while the 

 serious loss and expense of havcsting crops in 

 wet seasons will be greatly diminished by this 

 method of presejving food." 



*Not the "old Smock," of twenty or thirty years ago. 



