1871 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



57 



capsa pomondln) ; and the latest worm to make our 

 acquaintance, the Apple Maggot {Trypiia porno- 

 ■ntUa — Walsh). This insect is ilescribed by Walsh — 

 "The fly has a rust-red head — eyes and bristles 

 black — face tinged with white — thorax shining 

 black — legs pale rust-red — wings whitish, glossy — 

 breadth of wings 0.30-0.43 inch. The larva; green- 

 ish white color, 0.1!5-0.30 inch long, and about one- 

 fourth as wide — tail end square, gradually tapering 

 to the head, from the middle of Ihe body — head 

 pointed. Pupa but little difi'crent from the larvae 

 except in being a pale yellowish brown color. The 

 Apple Maggot is a native American species ; and 

 its earl}- habitat is supposed to be the thorn-apple 

 and probably native crab-apples, but within a few 

 years it has attacked our cultivated varieties. It 

 works differently from the apple worm ; instead of 

 confining itself to the core, the maggot traverses 

 the whole apple, ratlier avoiding the core. This 

 maggot more generally infests fall sweet apples, 

 and when taken from the tree looking perfectly 

 sound and liealth}-, and laid away for a. few days or 

 weeks, there will be nothing but one mass of pulp, 

 or the inside will be all burrowed out. I have 

 often taken a sweet fall or winter apple, sound to 

 all appearances, looking most temptingly, and upon 

 cutting it open there was no part of it eatable, 

 being either pulp or very much discolored. At 

 present I think the apple maggot is confined to the 

 Eastern States, but no doubt that it will soon be 

 more extensively known in other sections. Instead 

 of being two bronded like the Apple Worm, it is 

 single brooded, the flies making their appearace in 

 July, and inserting their eggs in the fruit, which in 

 turn produce the perfect fly the next July. 



loit^ on mt ilnlture. 



The Red Sptoer. — This pest is often very de- 

 structive to fuchias, carnations and roses. A writer 

 in the Rural iVeJi Yorker} gets rid of the pest 

 in this way : "Take one dozen sulphur matches, 

 break ofi" their ends and turn over them one coffee- 

 cup of boiling water. When cool to the touch, 

 sponge over leaf and stalk of each infested plant. 

 The sulphur impregnated bath is very efficacious ; 

 and after three applications at the most, our red- 

 skinned foes depart to parts unknown. Pure water 

 will not kill them. A writer . in the Horticulturist 

 years ago announced that his red mite-ship wore an 

 armor water-proof, unless of such heat as to kill the 

 plant as well as himself, but he does not like a damp 

 atmo.sphere." 



Flower-Beds. — Tilton's Journal of Horticulture 

 mentions as an example of a well arranged flower- 

 bed on the grounds of Col. Wilder, producing a 

 pleasing effect by way of combination ; one with 

 centre conlmnjn gColens I'crschaffelti, next Oentnurea 

 gymnocarpa, and outside AUernethera amcma. 



Bee-Keeplng In Connection ivltb FruK-Grow^- 

 Ing. 



Ed. Western Pomologist : — Of all rural occu- 

 pations I know of, none can be carried on together 

 so profitably as fruit-growing and bee-keeping. 

 Let us consider the advantages that bees de- 

 rive from the fruit grower through his trees 

 and plants. In early spring when bee - stocks 

 are very feeble, and when the sources from which 

 to gather honey are scarce, the bloom of the peach 

 and plum furnishes honey and fresh bee-bread to at 

 once arouse the bees to new vigor. The queen fills 

 the cells with brood with wonderful rapidity. The 

 colony is fast increasing in strength, and when the 

 moth-miller makes her appearance suflicient bees 

 are in the hive to cover every part of the comb, 

 and Mistress Mischief finds no empty and unoccu- 

 pied comb for her eggs. Next comes the cherry 

 which furnishes considerable food for the bee- 

 keeper. The gooseberry, currant and blackberry 

 supply more or less honey-making food ; strawberry 

 and blackberry plantations make rich bee pastur- 

 age. The latter especially, furnishes the best of 

 honey and of superior flavor. Apple and pear 

 orchards are also valuable sources from which bees 

 obtain honey and bee-bread. In the spring of 1867, 

 while residing in Des Moines county, Iowa, my 

 bees gathered over thirty-five pound of surplus 

 honey per stock from the blossoms of apple 

 orchards, and this at a time when no other blosisoms 

 worth naming, were out. "But," .says one, "can I 

 not obtain all of this, without being a fruit-grower ? 

 can my bees not go across the fence and obtain the 

 sweets from the blossoms of my neighbor's 

 orchard ?" It is true bees pay no regard to fences, 

 division lines etc., but distance of flight is an item 

 worthy of consideration in bee economy. Bees 

 placed under a tree, obtain the benefits of its shade, 

 and make at least three trips, whilst others from a 

 distance gather but two. 



Further, what will you do to occupy the balance 

 of your time if you keep bees only ? To keep as 

 many bees as may be to advantage does not, or 

 should not, occupy all of a man's attention. Some, 

 who noticed the large profits derived from a single 

 stock of bees, have asked the question : Does not 

 the time required to give proper care to bees fully 

 counterbalance this profit? In order to give a sat- 

 isfiictory answer to this question, I have during the 

 past year kept an exact record of the time actually 

 spent in attending to my bees, and the result shows 

 3 hours and 56 minutes per stock ; and profit per 

 stock in increase and surplus honey .^36.14 ; though 

 the past season was not very favorable for 



