8 
lar while this is feeding on the cabbages or 
other closely allied plants in the garden. 
The minute parasite grubs resulting, bore 
into and feed upon the fatty substance of 
the unfortunate caterpillar, but do not kill 
it, or prevent it from crawling away and 
successfully passing into its chrysalis state. 
But after this change the parasite contin¬ 
ues to eat until the entire substance within 
the chrysalis skin is destroyed, the skin its- 
self protecting them until the following 
Spring, when, having changed to flies, 
they break through the shell of their 
victim, and escape.— Cor. Entomologist. 
Wliat Shall the Harvest Be? 
The season of active farm labor is at 
hand. Instead of the daily care of flocks 
and herds, these will be turned out upon 
the hillside, and the farmer’s attention 
will be directed to planting and sowing for 
a future harvest. Confidence in future ef¬ 
fort has its foundation very much in the 
experience of the past, being strengthened 
by its successes and weakened by its fail¬ 
ures; consequently, it is with many misgiv¬ 
ings that the farmer, with each recurring 
Spring, goes forth to scatter his seed. 
Remembering the smallness of this crop 
or the complete failure of some other in 
the past, he hesitates in his choice for the 
present year, inquiring with a good deal 
of solicitude: “What shall the harvest be?” 
He knows that he cannot have a control¬ 
ling influence over great agents of nature 
upon which he is so peculiarly dependent. 
The late frost of Spring or the early frost 
of Autumn may blast his hopes; then the 
plentiful showers may drown the ten¬ 
der plant, or the sunshine may wilt it and 
cause it to wither and die, or the 
drought may come just as it needs abund¬ 
ant moisture. The sudden gust of wind 
may break the brittle stalk, or the tempest 
may beat it to the ground; but, notwith¬ 
standing all this, the intelligent and 
thoughtful farmer may insure a remunera¬ 
tive harvest. 
Not all depends upon a just amount of 
sunshine and air, rain and dew. The far¬ 
mer is nature’s assistant, and by studying 
nature and observing the habits of the 
plant throughout the different stages of its 
growth, he may help make it strong to 
withstand the wind and the tempest, by 
supplying such plant food as the soil lacks. 
He may rid the earth of superfluous mois¬ 
ture by proper drainage and give it power 
to retain moisture against the time of 
drought by deep and thorough cultivation, 
all of which shall warm up the soil, caus¬ 
ing the roots of the plants to strike deep 
and thus be protected from the rays of the 
scorching sun. 
The selection of seed is a matter to which 
every farmer should give particular atten¬ 
tion. Forgetting or overlooking the well 
established fact that “like produces like,” 
he sows light oats and pinched wheat, and 
indiscriminately takes the large and small, 
knotty and dead-eyed potatoes from his bin 
to plant, and asks and claims of Provi¬ 
dence an abundant harvest. Thus through 
all his efforts many a farmer continually ig¬ 
nores some well established truth, and year 
after year cheats himself and hangs out 
to the gaze of the world the unmistakable 
sign of failure. 
Too little attention is also given by many 
farmers, perhaps the majority, to the 
adaptability of crops to soil and soil to 
crops. How often as we look over the 
farms do we see the plant striving to make 
its growth upon soil entirely unfitted for 
its nature! Perchance a grass crop growing 
upon a warm hillside, while the corn is 
planted and expected to mature a perfect 
plant of its kind upon the cold wet level at 
its base. 
Preparation of soil is another point of 
of importance. The ground is too often 
just rooted instead of plowed, or only once 
plowed when it should receive a cross-plow¬ 
ing. Then it is just scratched over with 
the harrow where the outlay of a thorough 
pulverization would pay at least fourfold. 
Again the almost universal practice is to 
cultivate too many acres. A farmer may feel 
proud of his muscle as he measures his farm 
operations by the acre, but if he should put 
the same amount of labor upon one half as 
much ground he might derive a greater sat- 
