29-4 
AMERICAN AGKRIC CJIjTURIST, 
[August, 
Dairying in a Warm Climate.—“II. Q. A.,” 
Beaufort Co., S. C. Where the climate is warm, and there 
is no cool spring, the following method can be used for 
setting milk. Dig a well as deep as possible, and fit a 
pump in it, to allow the water to be frequently agitated 
and changed, and thus keep it fresh. Procure a few 
deep pails with covers, such as are used in the Cooley 
Creamery, and attach fastenings to hold down the covers 
when the pails are submerged. The can should be 
weighted to sink it in the water. (See American Agricul¬ 
turist, July, 1879, page 265.) Lower the cans with the 
milk into the well and to the bottom where the water 
will be the coolest. The cream maybe cooled and the 
butter hardened in the same manner. A porous felt used 
for boiler coverings would answer the purpose of a non¬ 
conductor, and when wetted, as a cooler, by evaporation. 
Concrete Buildings.— “ J. A. T.,” Britt, Iowa. 
Cellar walls and root houses may be made of concrete 
With advantage. Directions for this work were given in 
November, 1874, which number can be had for 15 cents. 
To Destroy Ants.— Since the note on page 310 
was written, we have seen two remedies suggested in 
the European journals. A correspondent of the “ Gar¬ 
deners’ Chronicle” suggests to those troubled with ants 
“ to get their druggist to dissolve some Arsenic in Hon¬ 
ey, and place the mixture on pieces of slate or glass, 
where the ants will eat it and die. Be sure that the Ar¬ 
senic is properly mixed with the honey [and be sure to 
keep children out of the way]” adds the Editor. As Ar¬ 
senic is very slightly soluble, we would suggest, to those 
who wish to try this, the use of the Arsenite of Potassa 
as preferable to Arsenic... .The same journal quotes the 
German “111. Garten Zeitung ” assaying that dilute Car¬ 
bolic Acid is perfectly efficacious. One part of Carbolic 
Acid is mixed with 100 parts of Water, thoroughly stirred 
repeatedly during 24 hours, and any scum that may rise 
to the surface carefully removed. This mixture is said 
to kill the ants and not injure vegetation, and maybe 
poured freely into their nests. 
Still More About Ants.—‘‘ H. L.,” Kankakee, 
Ill., writes in full his interesting experience with ants 
in his lawn, grapery, and elsewhere, from which we con¬ 
dense the following. lie had tried hot water, kerosene, 
and sugar poisoned with Paris Green, without much 
success. Last year he had about 30 chickens of choice 
breeds, which were allowed to run at large in the grapery, 
and on a portion of the lawn. By mid-summer, he found 
that the ant-hills in the vicinity of the coops had disap¬ 
peared. and observation showed, that the chicks would 
“gobble up” the ants whenever one appeared. He 
moved the coops to other parts of the grounds, where 
there were ant-hills, opened the hills, and both ants and 
their pupse were greedily devoured, the pupse being pre¬ 
ferred. The experiment was repeated this year; some 30 
or 40 chickens were hatched expressly as ant-killers, and 
at the time of writing— the end of June—“not an ant¬ 
hill can be found on my premises,” though the ants are 
still troublesome in the house, where the chicken remedy 
can not be applied.Several correspondents write that 
they have killed ants, by pouring kerosene into their 
holes. “ F. D.,” of Jacksonville, Fla., says that he thus 
got rid of a small black ant, with a poisonous bite, by 
the use of kerosene.“F. K.,” Watertown, Mass., 
writes that a few years ago, ants appeared on a bank in 
the front of his house, and completely ruined about 15 
feet of it. After trying every suggested remedy, without 
good results, he removed the sod from a portion of the 
bank infested by the ants, and thoroughly sprinkled the 
ground with benzine, applying it with a watering-pot. 
New sods- were laid, and he has had no trouble since. 
We thing that benzine will destroy vegetable, as well as 
animal life, but the liquid is exceedingly volatile, and 
probably there was time between its application and the 
laying of the new sod, for it to evaporate_J. A. Fet¬ 
ters, a well known small fruit nurseryman, Lancaster, O., 
writes that if salt is sown broadcast, lawns will not be 
infested by either ants or grubs. The application should 
be repeated after a rain. Mr. F. says that salt is especi¬ 
ally useful where bees are troubled by ants, and that he 
finds it beneficial to protect his strawberries from the 
white grub as well as ants. Mr. F. does not state the 
quantity, but says “sow broadcast as for wheat.” As 
from 5 to 20 bushels to the acre have been used upon 
wheat, this is not very definite_“J. L. McC.,” Wood 
Co., Ohio, sends his method of catching ants ; he says: 
“ Soak sponges in sweetened water, squeeze out, sprinkle 
with granulated sugar, and place them near the ants’ 
nests. When the insects fill up the sponges, which they 
will do very soon, kill the ants by dropping the sponges 
into bohing hot water; prepare the sponge traps as be¬ 
fore, and set again. I have tried this method and know 
that it is suredeath toants.”_“II. O.,” Waterloo, III., 
gives a sort of 4th of July method of disposing of ants. 
He says: “ Get a bunch of fire-crackers (or more if need¬ 
ed), take a spade and push it into a hill, then pry the 
spade sideways, to make a cavity wide enough for the 
bunch to drop into it, light the fuse to the crackers, and 
you will witness a scene both amusing and useful.” 
“ Is Kiglier Farming a Remedy for 
Lower Prices? ” is the title of a lecture before the 
“East Berwickshire Agricultural Association,” by J. B. 
Lawos, LL. D., F. R. S., etc., of Rothamsted. Succes¬ 
sive bad seasons and immense importations, together with 
the higher price paid for labor, have paralyzed the Eng¬ 
lish farmer, and led him to inquire: What next? Dr. 
Lawes presents no specific for these troubles, but inquires 
into the advice, so frequently given, of meeting lower 
prices by increased production. It is possible to greatly 
increase the production on a large part of the land, but 
to do this there must be an importation of manures and 
fertilizers from without—and it is this method which he 
understands by “high farming,” when the farm becomes 
a factory where imported manures are made into food, just 
as wool and cotton are manufactured into cloth. Except¬ 
ing the extra cost of the manures, the charges for growing 
a crop do not increase very greatly; and if the amount of 
produce bear a constant ratio to the fertilizers applied, 
then it would appear that high farming would be a remedy 
for lo\v prices. But. three times the quantity of manure 
does not bring three times the amount of produce. Be¬ 
yond a certain limit, the manure costs more than the in¬ 
crease of the crop. It is a common fallacy that, in feeding 
stock, the cost of the food will be covered by tire meat 
and other products sold, and the manure costs nothing. 
In a true account something must be charged to the ma¬ 
nure.—The bulk of the paper is given to tables and the 
discussion of his experiments at Rothamsted, proving 
the truth of the statements made above; that the increase 
of the crop does not keep pace with the increase in the 
amount of manure applied to the land; and also, that 
manure made on the farm costs money. “So far, how¬ 
ever, as increased production is to be attained by the ex¬ 
ercise of freedom, intelligence, and economy in manage¬ 
ment, so as to get the maximum amount and value of 
produce from the manure that is applied to the land, and 
the maximum amount and value of meat and manure for 
the outlay in store-stock and in food, increased produc¬ 
tion is a necessity of the times and would prove the best 
remedy for lower prices of farm produce.” 
{Basket Items continued on page 319.) 
Wheat Insects: The Hessian Ely—The 
Midge. 
The IT. S. Entomological Commission, have in hand an 
investigation, which is of vital importance to every 
wheat-grower in the whole country. The first step to¬ 
wards the abatement of an insect pest, is to learn its pres¬ 
ent extent and condition,—in fact all about it, that obser¬ 
vation can teach. This investigation, while made by the 
Commission, is in the special charge of Prof. A. S. Pack¬ 
ard, Jr., and those who know his thoroughness, will feel 
sure that it could not be in better hands. But for one 
man to visit the principal wheat regions of the country, 
and make observations in each, v'ould require years. 
Prof. Packard must have help, and the farmers, for 
whose benefit the work is undertaken, are those w'lio can 
best help him. Even those living where the Fly and the 
Midge are unknown, should not be indifferent to the 
work. Exemption this year, is no assurance of a like 
freedom next year, and the first appearance in a locality, 
of destructive insects, is an important part of their his¬ 
tory. The Commission has issued a circular, asking help 
from the farmers, and we show our appreciation of its 
importance, by giving space to it. In doing this, wc ask 
our readers to give it a careful perusal, for it is very in¬ 
structive to all wheat-growers, and then to lend their aid 
to the work in the manner there indicated. 
The circular says: “In brief, the habits of the Hessian 
Fly are as follows: In May or June two or three small, red¬ 
dish-white maggots may be found imbedded in the crown 
of the roots of the wheat, at or near the surface of the soil, 
causing the stalks and leaves to wither and die ; the mag¬ 
gots harden,turn brown, then resembling a flax-seed, and 
change into little black midges with smoky wings, half 
the size of a mosquito, which appear in spring and au¬ 
tumn, and lay from twenty to thirty eggs in a crease in 
the leaf of the young plant. Specimens of the fly may 
be obtained by sweeping the wheat when three or four 
inches high, with a gauze net. Please send me speci¬ 
mens of the fly, eggs, maggot and “flax-seed,” in vials 
of alcohol, with notes as to the date when found, and full 
information as to the insect enemies and parasites. 
The Wheat Midge is apt to be confounded with the 
Hessian Fly. It is a small, mosquito-like fly, orange yel¬ 
low , with clear wings, which hovers over fields of young 
wheat in June. It attacks the heads of the wheat, laying 
its eggs when the wheat is in blossom. On hatching, 
the maggots crowd around the young kernels of wheat, 
causing them to become shrivelled. The maggots in 
July and August descend into the ground, spinning a 
round cocoon smaller than a mustard seed, remaining an 
inch below the surface till the following June. 
Information regarding the following topics is respect¬ 
fully solicited ; to be forwarded at the close of the season: 
1. When, where, and how are the eggs deposited ? 
2. When does the maggot appear ? 
3. When is the “ flax-seed ” state of the Hessian Fly, or 
the seed-like cocoons of the Wheat Midge assumed ? 
4. At what date do the Midges appear in spring and 
autumn ? 
5. Look for minute parasites in the eggs and maggots. 
They may be bred by placing the eggs and maggots with 
the wheat in bottles covered with gauze, and the parasitic 
flies preserved in vials of alcohol. 
6. Statistics as to abundance and losses in your town. 
7. State the best preventive remedies, as deep plow¬ 
ing or burning in the fall, or the rotation of crops. 
Specimens of the wheat affected by these insects, and 
of the eggs, maggots, and flies, together with their para¬ 
sites, in alcohol, are requested. When mailed, the alco¬ 
hol can be poured out, and cotton soaked in alcohol will 
keep the specimens wet until received. Packed in a tin 
box they can be sent through the mail, to A. S. Packard, 
Jr., Providence, R. I .” 
Cotton-Worm.—Important Investigation. 
The ravages of the “ Cotton-worm ” (so-called), which, 
by seriously diminishing the cotton product, affect not 
only the cotton grower, but some of the most important 
industries of the country. In view of these facts. Con¬ 
gress made a special appropriation for a thorough inves¬ 
tigation of tlie habits of this insect, in order that its de¬ 
structive work may be checked. For reasons, stated in 
another column, Congress has transferred the appropria¬ 
tion from the Department of Agriculture to the Entomo¬ 
logical Commission. The Commission have placed this 
investigation under the special charge of Prof. C. V. 
Riley, under whom it was commenced while he held a 
position in the Dept, of Agriculture. Prof. R. has for 
some time been in the field, our last letter from him be¬ 
ing dated Marion, Ala., in which he incloses a new circu¬ 
lar issued by the Commission. As it is important that 
the request to cultivators for aid in the work should reach 
every grower of cotton, we give the questions to which 
replies are wished, with the remark that it is desirable 
that the answers to these be made whatever previous cir¬ 
cular may have been replied to. 
“1. During what year was cotton first grown in your 
State, county, or locality ? 
2. How many years elapsed after cotton first began to 
be grown, before the worm began to work upon it ? 
3. Is the worm most dreaded after a mild or after a 
severe winter? 
4. Do wet or dry summers favor its multiplication ? 
5. What is the earliest date at which you have known 
the worm to appear in spring ? 
6. In what locations does it most often first appear? 
7. What is your experience, and what are your views, 
as to the winter habits of the insect? 
8. What natural enemies of the worm among birds, 
quadrupeds, or insects, are you familiar with ? 
9. What has been the result of tlie efforts to allure and 
destroy the moths, and what methods have proved most 
satisfactory? Give your estimate of the relative value 
for this purpose of poisoned sugar, molasses and vinegar, 
or other poisonous substances, and fires. 
10. Are the moths most attracted to sweetened sub¬ 
stances when smeared upon trees,boards,etc.,or when con¬ 
tained in vessels in or near which lamps may be lighted ? 
11. Are any flowers known to be attractive to the 
moth ? If so, specify them and their season of blooming. 
12. What do you know, from your own observation, of 
the influence of jute grown near or with the cotton? 
13. Has anything been found more generally useful and 
applicable, or cheaper, than the use of the Paris Green 
mixture,or of Arsenic in some form, to destroy the worms ? 
14. Have you known of any injurious effects following 
the use of this poison, either to the plant, to man, or to- 
animals ? 
15. State what you consider the best and most effective 
method of destroying the worms in your section. 
16. State the cost per acre of protecting a crop by the 
best means employed. 
Corresjiondents will confer a favor by numbering the re¬ 
plies to correspond xvith the questions, and by writing on 
but one side of the paper. 
Prof. Riley will be glad to receive figures, either photo¬ 
graphs, or drawings, of machines or contrivances em¬ 
ployed for the wholesale use of the Paris Green mixture, 
either in the fluid state or as a powder; or any other 
kinds of machines or traps employed for tlie destruction 
of the insect. Models of such are still more desirable, 
and may be sent by express, unpaid, to the headquarters 
of the Commission. Correspondence is solicited when¬ 
ever any expense must attend the carrying out of these 
requests, in order that authority may be given to make 
