/anuary j, i88c>] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
457 
MANURE FOK GRAPE VINES. 
On the suhjoct of manuring grape vinos a writer 
in the New York Tribune gives the following infor- 
mation : — "Good stable manure thoroughly rotted is 
the best invigorator for grapes ; whether organic 
fertilizers are best for health and longevity of 
the vine is another question. Application of bones 
to the grape border is of the greatest importance, 
as careful examination of the roots will prove. Ctround 
or broken bone is preft ruble to the material in an 
unbroken condition, as it allows of a more evrn dis- 
tribution and hastens disintegration. Vinoroots, how- 
ever, will push a long distance in a straight line to 
obtiin th'm much. coveted food. Some years sin^e in 
removing ft vine it was found that the reots on one 
side wero much stronger than the others, and curiosity 
as to the cause instigated a careful soarch for the 
extremities or feeding rootlets. After several feet had 
been uncovered the bones of a dead animal were un- 
earthed, but they were so completely covered with a 
perfect network of small ljbres as to be almost indistin- 
guishable. These rootlets bad penetrated into very 
orack or inequality of the bones, which evidently had 
boon of great service as food for the plant. Beyond 
question iron in the soil is of great benefit tor colouring 
the fruit. Iron filings and turning!) answer an excellent 
purpose, and the effect may bo noticeable the first season 
after application. Above all else the sweepings of a 
blacksmith's shop have given excellent results, as wo 
then secure manure in a concentrated form and of 
a variety of constituents — the horso-dronpings, hoof- 
parings, iron-fillings, fco., combine to form a powerful 
fertilizer. Perhaps no other plant is more quickly 
benefited by the contents of the wushtubs every 
week. It is a mild solution of potash, and appears 
to be greedily absorbed at once. A plentiful allowance 
of wood-nshos forked in the soil in sprinp pays well 
in the crop of fruit. It may not destroy mildew on 
the foliage as some claim, but it will certainly in- 
vigorate the plant. — Adelaide Observer. 
SUCCESSFUL TOULTRY RAISING. 
Mr. Charles Lyman, a successful raiser of poultry, 
writes as follows ; — " In raising poultry or stock of many 
kind it should "be the aim of every one to keep it 
healthy and improve it. You can do it very easily 
by adopting some systematic rule." These may be 
summed up in brief as follows: — 
1. Const met your Louse good and warm, so as to 
avoid damp lloors and afford a Mood of sunlight. Sun- 
shine is better than medicine. 
2. Provide a dusting and scratching place whero 
yon can bury wheat and corn and thus induce the 
fowls to take the needful exercise. 
3. Frovide yourself with some good, healthy 
chickens, none to bo over three or four years old, 
giving one cock to every twelve hens. 
4. Give plenty of fresh air at all times, especially 
in summor. 
5. Give plenty of fresh water daily, and never 
allow the fowls to go thirsty. 
G. Peed them systematically two or three times a day ; 
and scatter the food, so they can't tat too fast or with- 
out proper exorcise. Do not feed more than they 
will eat up clean, or they will get tired of that 
kind of fei d. 
7. Give them a varioty of both dry and cooked 
feed; a mixture of cooked moat and vegetables is 
an excellent thing for their morning meal. 
H. Give soft feed in the morning and the whole 
grain at night except a little wheat or cracked com 
placed in the scratching places to give them oxercino 
during the day. 
9. Above all things, keep the house clean and well 
ventilated. 
LO. Do not crowd too mauy in one houso; if you 
do, look out for disease. 
11. Use carbolic powder occasionally in tho dusting 
bins to distory lice. 
12. Wash your roosts and bottom of Ujiog nests, 
and wbituwush once a *eek in summer and onco a 
mouth in winter. 
68 
13. Let the old and young have as large a rang 
as possible— the larger the better. 
14. Don't breed too many kinds of fowls at the 
same time, unless you are going into the business. 
Three or four will give you your bands full. 
15. Introduce now blood into your stock every year 
or so, by either buying a cockerel or settings of 
of;gs from some reliable breeder, 
16. In buying birds or eggs, go to some reliable 
breeder who has bia reputation at 6take. You may 
have to pay a little more for birds, but you cau de- 
pend on what you get. Culls are not cheap at any 
price. 
17. Save the best birds for next year's breeding, 
and send the others to market. In shipping fancy 
poultry to market send it dressed. — Standard American 
PauVtty Book. 
THE ORANGE PEST IN AMERICA: VISIT OF 
A SPECIALIST TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
By the last mail arrived in South Australia, Mr. 
Albert Krebele, Assistant Entomologist to the United 
States Department of Agriculture, deputed by that 
body to visit Aui-tralia and enquire into the history 
and habits of the Icerya Purcbaiii and its parasites, 
as well as to pick up iuformation generally concer- 
ning all kinds of coccidro and other pests affecting 
the industrial products of the colonists. Mr. Kcobele 
is at present living at Botanic House, North-terrace, 
opposite the Botanic Garden, where he will be 
very glad to receive information as to where 
specimens of Icerya particularly and other coccids 
(scales, &c.) generally can be seen ; or those at a 
distance who feel willing to help bun in his mission 
can send specimens. The Icerja Purchasii. it may 
be remembered, was supposed to have beeu introduced 
at the (Jape of (iood Hope some few years back, 
and within a very short time it increased so enor- 
mously that the msects utterly destroyed all the 
orange-trees in that colony, from which trees previ- 
ously tbe colonists bad derived a very considerable 
revenue. Not only did it attack the orange-trees, 
but many other plants also, and nothing could be 
done to resist its ravages. Finally, the Cape Govern- 
ment interdicted the introduction from Australia of 
all kinds of acacia and other trees and plants; hut 
tho mischief was already completed, and nothing can 
now be done unless they introduce the parasites 
which in Australia keep the coccida> somewhat iu 
check. This courro was suggested by our Agricultural 
Editor to Mr. P. van der Byl, a member of the 
Cape Lcgislaturo, who visited this colony, and he 
expressed au intention of getting this idea carried 
out, though up to now no steps havo been takou 
in that direction. Since the ruin of the orange 
orchards of the Cape of Good Hope tho Icerya Pur- 
chasii has uppeured iu tbe Southern Stales of Cali- 
fornia, and at Santa Clara, where it firet ap- 
peared, tho treeH are iu a dreadful state. They are 
so loaded with the insects as to appear a wbito 
mass, visible at a long distance, and all over the 
States the Icerya is spreadiug so alarmingly that it 
is only a question of a very short time when tho 
trees will be all dead unless the natural enemy of 
the inject can bo introduced. 
It is due to Mr. Frazer S. Crawford of this 
colony that the discovery was made ol i his parasite, 
which proved to be a minute two-winged lly, which 
ih'posits its eggs within the body ol the Icerya. 
The eggs produce maggots which live upon the juices 
of their host, ultimately change mto ohrysnlidc i», and 
finally emerge as thee, which again attach Ire-h 
I coccids. Mr. Crawford was unable to successfully 
introduce tho intected Icerya to t'alilorniii, but after 
several trials ho got somo spicinieus of a much 
; larger cuccid (named Monophlrcbiis) to Calitoroia, 
, and from these a number of 'he parasitic Ihrs were 
I hatched. But it is possible that tho para-itcs of tho 
.MollOphl.'.'lHll, lire ,.| .1 tf«'IVIlt K|»T|,.« •>[ |„ r l,l|H 
even fcenu- 1 to those «t the lcerwi. b.i.iiise the', 
would not attack tho Icerya iu Caliloruia, thongi. 
