The Lancaster Farmer. 



Dr. S. S. RATHVON, Editor. 



LANCASTER, PA., AUGUST, 1884. 



Vol. xn Mo. 8. 



Editorial. 



AUGUST. 



" AnJ as he pasbed ia pride unguised, 

 One more majestic came, 

 To (ill the measure of my dream — 



The seasons shifting train — 

 He bore the fuU-growu stalks of mulse 



As soldier bears a lance. 

 And in his wake an elfin band 



In spoitive glee did dance ; 

 The spicy melon and the pear 



In colors rich as gold , 

 They offered at midsummer's shrine 



In numbers all untold ; 

 A red-robe hung in ample folds 



Around his form, most robust. 

 His shield was blazoned with a name 

 That Indicated August. 

 This eighth month of the year, according to 

 our calendar, was the sextilus, or sixtli month 

 of the Romans, as well as of the Jews in their 

 primitive reckoning. It was named August 

 in compliment to Augustus Cajsar of Rome, 

 whose "lucky month" it was ; in which oc- 

 curred many of his most fortunate events. It 

 may be interesting to state that Augustus was 

 not a proper name, but merely a title, be- 

 cause he was head of the priesthood. Ills 

 prior name was Oclnvius, and probably it 

 would have been better to have given that 

 name to this mouth, under the altered calen- 

 dar, as that name relates to the number eight. 

 In the reign of Diocletian, the two Emperors 

 wore each styled Augustus (that is, sacred 

 majesty), and the two Viceroys were named 

 Ccesar. Among the notable events in the 

 life of Augustus Ccesar which associates his 

 name with this month, was his entering on 

 his first consulate in it. 



Specifically, August is the last of the three 

 restricted summer mouths, and much of the 

 fruit has reached the zenith of its develop- 

 ment, and occupies the remainder of the sum- 

 mer in maturing and ripening — much also has 

 passed entirely out of season. 



The name of this month in French is Au- 

 guste; in Latin Augustus, from augure, to in- 

 crease; iu short, the terra means grand, ma- 

 jestic, magnificent, solemn, awful. The Ger- 

 man is August, and its meaning about the 

 same, although it is commonly pronounced 

 short, as if one syllable, Augst. 



Although the harvesting and planting is 

 now pretty much over (excepting sowing of 

 winter grain), still, until the close of this 

 month, some varieties of turnips may be 

 sown for early winter food for cattle. The 

 cost of this crop is a mere trifle, and if the 

 season is at all favorable a good return may 

 be realized by the farmer. Buckweat may 

 also be sown where the climate is propitious, 

 and it pays well. This is also the principal 

 manuring month, when the land is being 

 made ready for fall-plowing and sowing. But 

 wliat is the use of telling the farmer what he 

 ought to be doing on the farm in the month 

 of August. We might almost as well ;>re- 

 sume to tell him ?ia»' to do it. 

 During this month also the second broods 



of many insects go into the ground to pupate 

 and pass their winter hibernation. Late |)low- 

 ing would turn up many of them to fall a 

 prey to insectiverous animals, or the mercy 

 of the elements. Late plowing also aflbrds 

 an escape from the attack of the Ile.ssian-fiy. 

 In connection with the subject of plowing 

 and sowing too little importance is often at- 

 tached to the quality of the seed that is sown. 

 If you "sow the wind you will surely reap 

 the whirlwind." Therefore, look well to the 

 qudlity of the seed you sow. If you have failed 

 to realize good seed in your own crop then go 

 to your next next neighbor, or a reliable seed 

 store, even if you have to pay double for it. 

 There may be those still who consider the 

 matter of seed of no importance, but the 

 number, among intelligent farmers, is grow- 

 ing less. 



MAPLE SCALE INSECT. 

 This insect (to which we' alluded in our 

 ■luly number, under the terms " Bark-louse or 

 Scale Insect," seems to have a very "wide 

 berth " the present season, including not 

 only eastern, middle, and western Peinisyl- 

 vania, but also several other .States. Else- 

 where in this number of the Farmek will be 

 found a paper on the subject from the pen of 

 Prof. Lintner, State Entomologist of New 

 York, which we clip from the columns of the 

 Pittsburg Chronicle Telegra-ph, which may not 

 only be interesting but also useful to those of 

 our readers whose trees are suffering under 

 the pending infestation ; especially as he 

 gives the formula of the best artificial reme- 

 dies that may be applied for its extinction. 

 Whatever it may be deemed necessary to do 

 in the matter, should be promptly and thor- 

 oughly done. 



POULTRY EXHIBITION. 



We observe from the proceedings of the 

 last meeting of our local Poultry Association, 

 that steps are already being taken to hold 

 another annual fair. We commend the per- 

 severance and the " grit" of our local poultry 

 men, and we sincerely hope they may meet 

 with the success they so richly merit. 



In the meantime we trust they will not fail 

 to honor the County Agricultural .Society, 

 which commences its exhibition of the first of 

 September next, with a practical recognition. 



PLUMED THISTLE. 



Mount Joy, July 18, 1884. 

 ,S. S. Rathvon, Esq.— Dear Sir: I send 

 you herewith a stalk pulled up in Joseph Det- 

 weiler's field. This Mr. D. calls the worst 

 wi>(nl that is seen growing in this neighbor- 

 hood. It was supposed for years to be the so- 

 called "Canada Thistle," but it is said by 

 those who are better informed than we are that 

 it is not the Canada Thistle. But what is it V 

 Please examine it and send us the proper 

 botanical name of it, and oblige yours, &c.. 

 Very respectfully, A. G. 



Your plant is one of the common " Plumed 



Tiiistles "—of which there are ten or more 

 species that are found in the United States — 

 the Cirsium disculor, Spreng., and is a native. 

 The "Canada Thistle" is Cirsium arvense, 

 Scop., and is more spiney and very much less 

 in height ; introduced from Europe. A few 

 days ago I found immense quantities of the 

 Canada Thistle growing on the banks of the 

 Susquehanna, below York Furnace, in York 

 county — enough to inoculate the whole State 

 of Pennsylvania. This is all wrong ; there 

 ought be some authority to compel its removal. 



If Mr. D. knows this to be " the worst weed 

 growing in his neighborhood," then he is cul- 

 pable in permitting it to go to seed ; it should 

 be cut down close to the roots and never be 

 allowed to ripen its seed ; each seed is at- 

 tached to a small "parachute," and by a 

 favorable wind the plant is enabled to scatter 

 its pernicious seeds to an immense distance. 



These thistles are difficult to eradicate, 

 from the fact that each root fiber may pro- 

 duce a plant, but by pensevering energy it can 

 he cowjiured, if all the farmers simultaneously 

 co-operate in its removal. The whole tribe 

 of thistles are pernicious, and none of them 

 ought to be tolerated. They are already be- 

 ginning to scatter their seeds by means of the 

 little parachutes referred to. 



TRUMPET GALLS FOUND ON GRAPE 

 VINES. 



Kirk WOOD, July 17, 1884. 



Prof. S. S. Ratiivok.— Sir .• Enclosed 

 you will find a grape-leaf which drew my at- 

 tention the other day, and not being able to 

 explain the cause of those protuberances, I 

 have referred the matter to you. You will 

 oblige me by answering through the columns 

 of the New Era. 



Yours respectfully, M. S. C. 



Letter and contents duly received. The 

 thorn-like " protuberances " on the grape leaf 

 are what are commonly called the "Trumpet- 

 galls." They are caused by a small fly be- 

 longing to the Cecid^)myans, or Midge family, 

 and are nearly allied to the Hessian-fly and 

 wheat midges. 



As galls of a similar form occur on the 

 leaves of other vegetation than the grape, 

 this one has been christened, by way of dis- 

 tinction, the "Trinnpet Grape Gall," and 

 has been described and named by Baron 

 Osten Sacken Vitis viticola. Tliey are usually 

 of a light brown or red color, from a third to 

 half an inch in length, spur or spine-shaped, 

 and occur from a single one to groups of three 

 or four ou the upper surface of the leaf. Oc- 

 casionally, however, they occur on the lower 

 surface of the leaf, when they are of a green- 

 ish color. If these g.alls are split open they 

 will 1)6 found to be hollow, and if at the proper 

 time a very small orange-colored maggot will 

 be found to occupy most of them, supposed to 

 be the larva of a gnat, belonging to the genus 

 Cecidomiiia. If the leaf is left on the vine the 

 gnat may escape without being detected ; and 

 if taken off, they are certain to die through 

 "drying out;" hence, so far as we know to 



