i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
485 
Business. 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
The R. N.-Y.’s Victory Over The Rose-chafer. 
On Jane 15, daring the hottest part of the day, when the 
mercnry stood at 95 in the shade, the writer noticed that 
the rose-bugs on grape vines and rose bashes sought shel¬ 
ter. Comparatively few were to be found upon the flow¬ 
ers and those were sheltered from the sun. Acting upon 
this, a number of the beetles (25 perhaps) were caught and 
placed in a white paper box. The cover was placed loosely 
upon it so as to admit air, and the box was exposed to the 
sun. An hour or so afterward the beetles were dead— 
every one. A thermometer placed in the box showed the 
temperature to be 110 degrees. Our next step was to 
gather beetles from their shady quarters and drop them 
upon the soil which was exposed to the direct rays of the 
sun. To our surprise they were apparently dead in 30 sec¬ 
onds ! A tin thermometer placed on the soil showed a tem¬ 
perature of 129 degrees. Some of these beetles were then 
carefully placed in an ice box to see if they would recover. 
But they were quite dead. 
Twenty or more beetles were then placed in the white 
pasteboard box and a tablespoonful of water of the tem¬ 
perature of 129 ® was poured into the box and immediately 
poured out. The beetles were Instantly killed. Water at 
the temperature of 122® was then tried. Most of them 
were dead in half a minute. The rest died in 10 minutes. 
Water at 119 ® was then tried. The beetles were not seri¬ 
ously harmed and soon recovered. 
Thus far, it would appear, water at a temperature of over 
122 ® Is a sure and speedy death to the rose-chafer. The 
next step was to ascertain if this method of destruction 
could be put to an easy, practicable use. Water was 
heated to 170 ® and poured into a pail. A small hand force- 
pump with eight feet of hose and a half-inch iron tube of 
five feet (13 feet in all) terminating with a cyclone nozzle, 
was then used to force the water upon the rose chafers of 
magnolia flowers (Magnolia macrophylla), in one of which 
there were not less than 150. The first spray upon the 
beetles was shown by the thermometer to be 120®. The 
rose-bugs receiving the direct spray were dead in about 
one minute. The others recovered. The temperature of 
the water was then raised so that the mercury rose to 140, 
when the thermometer was placed within two inches of 
the nozzle. This was sprayed into a partly-open magnolia 
flower containing 50 or more beetles. All were almost in¬ 
stantly killed. Neither foliage nor flowers were injured. It 
appears, therefore, that this terrible pest, which can neither 
be killed nor repelled by any of the insecticides which may 
be used in a practical way, cannot endure a heat of 125 ®, and 
tl at It may, therefore, be exterminated by the simple, cheap 
remedy of water of that temperature sprayed upon them. 
LATER. 
Temperature of the air, 85®. Water in the pail, 170®. 
Forced through 13 feet of hose, the temperature six Inches 
from nozzle is 128 to 130®. 
Temperature of the air, 60®. Temperature of water in 
the pail, 188 ®. At six inches the spray was 122 ® ; at one 
foot, 110®. 
It should be stated that the cyclone nozzle is not suited 
for spraying hot water, in that it divides the water, as soon 
as it leaves the nozzle, into an unnecessarily fine spray—a 
vapor, in fact—that gives up its heat so soon that the rose- 
bugs must receive the spray not over 12 inches from the 
nozzle, or the heat will not be high enough to kill them. 
It is plain that a coarser, more concentrated, or less vapory 
spray would be far more effective at a greater distance. 
For grape vines or other low-growing plants a shorter hose 
would obviously be more effective. 
It was found that water of 130® temperature would not 
kill potato beetles or their larvie, or cherry aphidro. A 
temperature of 150® was found to kill both the beetle and 
grub. It was not tried upon the cherry aphis. 
ONE WAY TO SELL NURSERY STOCK. 
Discussion at the Nurserymen’s Convention. 
At the Nurserymen’s Convention last week, Mr. Grant, 
editor of the American Florist, said : 
“ If a florist were induced to plant on his place samples 
of ornamentals, when his customers saw them at their 
best, wouldn’t they be apt to place their orders with him 
for delivery at the proper season, if he could tell them he 
could supply specimens like those on his own grounds ? 
And would it not be a great advantage in the sale for the 
florist to make his prices right and then send a man who 
knew which end of the tree to put in the ground and plant 
it properly ? 
“ Improper planting has been the cause of the nursery¬ 
man receiving much undeserved abuse, as has also fre¬ 
quent long exposure of the stock in inexperienced and care¬ 
less hands, after it has been unpacked and before it has 
been planted. The florist is generally found In sections 
which the agent has pretty well drummed over, and 
where he has generally left a very unfavorable impression. 
The people in these places do not care to buy any more 
cats in a bag. They want to buy, but they will not do it 
unless they can deal with some one they know to be reli¬ 
able, and whom they can find again should the stock be 
not as represented. And of whom would they rather buy 
than of the man from whom they purchase their other 
ornamental plants, and in whose judgment on matters 
horticultural they have confidence ? 
“ It is a well-known fact that trees and shrubs that do 
well in one section do not do so well in another. Your 
florist dealer being right on the ground all the time, could 
soon determine which were best for his particular locality, 
and could direct his sales accordingly, thus giving an ad¬ 
ditional satisfaction to buyers.” 
In the discussion of the above, Mr. Albaugh had no faith 
in the ability of florists, busy with their every-day work in 
their own line, of being able to compete with the man who 
travels directly for nursery firms and endeavors to make 
sales day by day to the people of the whole county, many 
of whom the florist never comes in contact with. It is not 
every person who ought to plant trees who is willing to 
go to the florist and get enough horticultural knowledge 
into his head ; it is hard to get him to that part when he 
is willing to invest in trees that would be necessary to 
protect and adorn or embellish or render more valuable, 
his home. 
“Energetic, honest, upright and intelligent men, who 
for a fair compensation are willing to devote their whole 
time to the business, which can be made just as legitimate 
as any other, are wanted. When the nurseryman grows 
his trees, his labor is not half accomplished, and it is a 
serious question with all of us how we shall dispose of our 
goods. I have tried five or six plans and have abandoned 
them ODe after another, except the last, in which I am 
responsible for all that my men do, and give them cer- 
tiflcates that make me legally responsible for all their acts.” 
Mr. Grant explained that he did not offer this as a sub¬ 
stitute in any way for the agency business, but as an ac¬ 
cessory to it. “ It was brought forcibly to my mind by the 
inquiries of a number of people who wanted to buy orna¬ 
mental nursery stock and asked me where to go to get it, 
saying they had been visited by agents and had been stuck 
by them, and wanted no more of them.” 
Mr. Harris was of the opinion that a genuine florist, 
wrapped up in his business, would not be worth a red cent 
to sell fruit trees. “ But,” said he, “ put your fruit trees 
with men who have a good deal of ‘get up,’ and raise ob¬ 
ject-lessons, for I would a great deal rather in buying 
fruit trees, see the tree than the picture that the agent 
carries around. I do not know that a nurseryman who 
grows his own stock has sold many trees that were not 
good ; it is those fellows that are not nurserymen, and do 
not know whether pumpkins grow on trees or not, that 
sometimes swindle you, not genuine, honest nurserymen.” 
Mr. Hale thought the points were well taken that there 
are planters or would be planters of nursery stock who will 
not buy unless it is forced on them or brought to their atten¬ 
tion. There are those who have been defrauded, or have 
perhaps partially defrauded themselves by expecting a tree 
would be about twice as good as it could be made, and yet 
they will not buy anything unless they can see what they 
buy. “ I think that some nurserymen may have the impres¬ 
sion that florists are somewhat slow, and are simply hust¬ 
ling for their florist business, but from knowledge gained 
from my public work lately it seems to me that florists are 
keeping pretty near the head of the procession and the 
nurserymen have to hurry to get ahead of them. The 
business of our florists has grown enormously in the last 
20 years. They have remained right in touch with the 
people, and I believe they could sell a great deal of nur¬ 
sery stock.” 
Mr. Hill was of the opinion that the florist who had not 
business enough to do in his own legitimate line at the 
time when trees should be sold had better retire from the 
florist business. The two trades come right in together, 
and during the time of the sale of trees the florist has 
all he can do, if he is a success. 
BUSINESS ON A ROUMANIAN FARM. 
A R. N.-Y. Subscriber In Roumanla. 
The readers of The R. N.-Y. may be curious to know 
how an American could have strayed so far from his 
native land. I was brought up on a farm till I was 
about 17 years of age and then turned my attention to 
mechanical pursuits. After I had learned to be a good 
mechanic for steam engines, I turned my mind to contract¬ 
ing in the oil regions, and followed that pursuit for many 
years, boring deep oil wells. Later I bored many deep 
wells for water near Chicago. About 12 years ago when 
the oil excitement began in Europe, I was called to operate 
and make deep oil wells in Italy, by a French company. I 
remained nearly three years in Italy and from there went 
to Germany, where I operated for some time; then I went 
to Galicia whence I was called to Rou mania to test the large 
estate of a Greek banker for oil. After boring several 
wells on his estate, and also getting petroleum, he would 
not let me leave, but made a contract with me to remain 
to manage his estate. 
The winter here sets in about the first of December and 
the snow falls generally to the depth of two feet and the 
weather Is quite cold till the 15th of March, when the 
spring commences. People go around here In sleighs as 
we used to do in America. In this country the average 
farm consists of from 18,000 to 20,000 acres of tillable land. 
In the estate which my employer owns, there are about 
30,000 acres, of which about 27,000 acres are of plow land. 
Last year we had about 96,000 bushels of wheat and 
about 100,000 bushels of corn, besides a great quantity 
of rape seed, as well as barley and peas. After every¬ 
thing had been sold and all the expenses paid, a clean 
profit of $45,000 was left for one year. The accounts kept 
on these large farms are very strict and accurate. On 
each farm are kept a bookkeeper and perhaps two or three 
clerks, as the work may require, and no banking-house 
accounts are kept more accurately than these farm books. 
It is seldom that the owners of these farms live on them. 
They live mostly In cities, living on their estates for only 
some three or four months in summer for their health’s 
sake, as they say; consequently each farmer has an ad¬ 
ministrator to look over and manage his farm and ac¬ 
counts. This manager in general receives a salary of $2,000 
per year and his board and traveling expenses when out 
on business. He has perhaps from six to eight other per 
sons under him to help to manage the work. The farms 
are principally worked by oxen, scarcely any horses being 
employed on them. The oxen and all the machinery em¬ 
ployed are owned by the owner of the farm, and every 
year the farm is charged with six per cent interest on the 
money invested in the machinery, besides a 10 per cent 
sinking fund on the value of it all, so that at the end of 
10 years the price of the whole is returned to the owner, 
as 10 years is considered the life of a machine. When this 
cannot be done in the case of any machine, it is considered 
of no use and nobody will invest any money in it. All 
the oxen and horses employed on the farm are also credited 
with $2 for every day they work, but the cost of all the 
feed they eat every day of the farm produce is subtracted 
from the $2, and what remains to the credit of the oxen 
goes into the sinking fund to pay for them when they die 
or are no longer able to work. 
Nothing is done on the farm that costs one cent, that 
is not written in the different departments of the work, so 
that at the end of the year, when all the products of the 
farm have been sold, each implement and animal is cred¬ 
ited with the sum it has earned, and debited with all it 
has cost to maintain it In complete working order and 
then the two balance sheets are compared, and at a glance 
one can see if the balance Is in its favor or against it. 
Bear in mind that wheat, oats and barley have each their 
own day account books. The accounts with each kind of 
grain must be kept in different books, so that at the end 
of the year one can see from which kind of grain the farm 
has had the most profit and which has caused losses. 
Then at the close the balance, the profit or loss of 
each kind, is entered in the large ledger, so that at any 
time one can go and see the profits and losses for the 
different kinds of grains for the different years. 
It is very Interesting to go sometimes and open those 
large ledgers, which have been kept for perhaps more than 
20 years. There one sees what each year has given, and 
also what kind of grains have left the most profit. 
Many people who have some money rent one or two 
of those large farms, and generally gain small fortunes out 
of them, though sometimes they lose for two or three 
years; but then comes one good year and they get all their 
money back and much more at one sweep. Farming in 
Roumania is considered one of the surest and most hon¬ 
orable kinds of business. Anybody who has a farm has 
excellent credit. 
I have said that these large farms are principally worked 
by oxen, but many farmers work a great deal also with 
machinery. For example, on this estate we have two 
steam plows, with four steam engines. Each plow and 
two engines cost $25,000. There are also four steam culti¬ 
vators and many steam harrows. The capacity of one of 
the steam plows is about 30 acres daily. They are all Eng¬ 
lish machinery, from the celebrated John Fowler, of Leeds. 
Each plow turns eight furrows every time it is drawn 
from one side of the field to the other. There are two large 
engines, one at each side of the field, and the plow is drawn 
by steel ropes from one side to the other. On the same 
estate there are eight steam thrashers, which have each a 
capacity of over 2,500 bushels per day. Two men are 
needed to feed the grain to them; all of the latter is 
thrashed in the field. Each thrasher requires 100 men 
to work it, but one man will not do the same amount of 
work as one of our American men would do. The rule is 
that two workmen in Roumania will do about the same 
amount of labor as one American; consequently we pay 
very low wages; when we pay 50 cents per day for a man 
we think he is very dear, and he must board himself. 
The general wages paid to farm labor, that is, field labor, 
amount to only from 25 to 40 cents per day, and the man 
boards himself. 
Although the farms are so large and so much grain 
is raised, It is nearly all cut down with the sickle, which 
we, in America, used more than 40 years ago. It is a rare 
sight to see a reaping machine in Roumania. Such ma¬ 
chines were Introduced here for the first time last year ; 
but they do not take well at all. Americans may think 
this curious, but the reason is that the population is so 
numerous that, if all the work were done with machinery, 
the poor people would die from hunger. It is no rare sight 
to see 500 reapers in one field, all cutting by the acre; if a 
good ro»per earns from 50 to 75 cents per day he is satisfied. 
Tiagu Ocna, Roumania. neil Sinclair. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Lowden Fence Machine.— Circular from L. C. Low- 
den, Indianapolis, Ind. This machine is used in making a 
wire and picket fence such as are now so popular in various 
parts of the country. The machine is said to weave easily 
and rapidly. Mr. Lowden also sells pickets and wire. 
Those wanting a good post auger will find one here. 
Paying- a Church Debt.— The Scientific American 
gives the following novel scheme for killing a debt: 
“A novel plan for extinguishing a church debt has been 
hit upon in Melbourne, Australia. The church committee 
or vestry—as the case may be—divide the total debt among 
themselves, and each man insures his life for the amount 
that falls to his share. The policies are transferred to the 
church, and the annual payments on them are made out 
of the collections. Then, of course, as the members of the 
committee “drop off,” the sums insured on their lives drop 
In, and, later, when the last committeeman is dead, the 
last installment of the church debt will be paid. The plan 
has the merit—if merit it be—of throwing the whole of the 
responsibility for the continuance of the indebtedness upon 
Providence.” 
M ANURE.—Nightsoil, loose in truck, at 7s. fid. 
per ton. equal to any of the same class, sold at 
Hi and £3 per ton.—CANDY, Harlestlen, Middlesex. 
It is likely that nightsoil at this price is a cheap and 
profitable fertilizer. This is the first time we have seen it 
put on the market as a regular article of commerce. 
Here is another advertisement that ought to interest 
some of our readers, who would travel far to see a sparrow 
“rollover, stupefied.” 
A re you troubled with sparrows ? if 
so, I win rid you of them ; I don’t say perhaps, 
nut I will Send Is. fid. for a trial box of Medicated 
Drains, and the recipe (non-poisonous). Sparrows 
eat them greedily and roll over stupefied. Try one 
box j you will never regret It. 
