i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
799 
berry plants as to get two profitable crops from the same 
plants without artificial protection, Inside of 12 months. I 
have seen enough green fruit on plants in December to 
make a fair crop, if the weather had been suitable for its 
development. JAMES nimon. 
Grayson County, Texas. 
Characteristics of Some Varieties. 
In two or three different years since I have lived here— 
nearly 16 years—my strawberry plants, especially the Cap¬ 
tain Jack, have at the close of the harvest of the regular 
first crop, which generally sets here in March, bloomed 
and perfected an excellent second crop. One year I re¬ 
member particularly when the first crop was about an 
average, j ast as It was picked off very favorable—cloudy, 
showery, warm—weather set in and continued for two or 
three weeks, and I obtained a more profitable crop than 
the first. 
There are few varieties that do this under the most fav¬ 
orable conditions. I name some of those that are most 
certain to do so : Captain Jack, Miner, Wilson and Par¬ 
ker Earle. Crescent does so to a less extent. In hill cult¬ 
ure and by cultivating very shallow ju9t as the first crop 
goes off, the result is more certain, but if the weather is 
windy, clear and dry no second crop is produced, nor is 
any effect of that kind obtained in densely matted rows. 
Several strawberry growers here had similar experiences 
with myself. T. v. munson. 
Grayson Co , Texas. 
THE HESSIAN FLY. 
There are several different insects that work on wheat. 
The little brown or black snout beetle—the weevil—works 
on the kernels in the bin. This is a very old enemy that 
has doubtless vexed the owners of wheat for centuries, 
long before the other enemies existed, or at least before 
they attracted attention. Hence even to-day farmers often 
call anything that attacks wheat by the name of weevil. 
Other small beetles that have not the snout or proboscis 
work in the bln, and the millions speak 
of their work as that of the weevil. 
Plant lice attack the stems, leaves and 
growing heads and forming kernels in 
June, and the cry of “weevil” is sounded 
through the press. The wheat midge 
lays its eggs on the growing kernels in 
early summer, and the footless maggots 
absorb the juice or sap from the forming 
grain, causing it to shrink, and the cry 
of “weevil” is again sounded through 
the land. To this pest is often attributed 
even the ravages of the Hessian fly and 
wheat bulb worm, both of which attack 
the stems just above the joints, the fall 
broods doing so just above the crowns 
within the leaf sheaths, and the spring 
brood of the Hessian fly just above the 
joints, while that of the bulb worm 
makes its attack above the upper joint. 
The Hessian fly, however, has done so 
much mischief in the country that most 
farmers have learned that it is not the 
weevil, and are pretty well informed 
about its habits; yet several have asked 
me this autumn what they could do to 
protect their wheat against the “ weevil,” 
which was attacking it in the field. 
The Hessian fly is an insect which 
strikingly resembles a small mosquito 
just as it has taken its fill of blood, as 
the eggs in the female give a reddish 
hue to her abdomen. These files are 
often seen thick in the field in autumn— 
during September—and again in May. Prof. Forbes, of 
Illinois, speaks of a third brood of flies in March. This 
does not occur in Michigan, and very likely would not in 
Illinois except after very mild winters such as have pre¬ 
vailed of late. The flies lay their orange eggs on the upper 
or inner surface of the leaves in rows of from one to three 
each, In the creases of the leaf. Soon the eggs hatch and 
the minute footless maggot works down between the 
sheath of the leaf and straw, and absorbs the juice, thus 
weakening the stem, and ruining the prospect of a crop. I 
have seen eight of these little suckers just above the roots 
of a single plant stem. In the fall they exhaust the stem 
on which they rest, but if the fall is warm, and the season 
prolonged, the plant will sprout out and possibly over¬ 
come the injury entirely. The same may be true of efarly- 
sown wheat. In the next June, the maggots are above 
the first three joints, and cause the stem to weaken and 
fall over, and take so much from its strength and vigor 
that no grain matures. In this way these little pests have 
snatched millions of dollars from our farmers in a single 
season. We see that the insects do little or no harm in 
the fall, but will very likely do a great deal if numerous, 
In the early summer. 
The present season the Hessian fly has put in an appear¬ 
ance in large numbers in several parts of our country. I 
hear of them in Pennsylvania, Ohio, southern Michigan, 
Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. As is well known, they 
are irregularly periodic. For several years they are so 
scarce that only the persistent entomologist can find any 
specimens at all. Then they come in myriads so that the 
entire wheat crop suffers, and many a field is wholly 
despoiled. This is doubtless owing to favorable or unfavor¬ 
able seasons, or else to the presence or absence of their 
enemies. There are several parasites that prey on them. 
If these are abundant, the flies are exterminated; if very 
scarce, then the flies thrive and the wheat suffers. 
Practical Suggestions. 
It is well understood that wheat sown late is not likely 
to suffer attack. In Michigan we have generally thought 
that wheat sown after September 20 was safe from in¬ 
jury. The other day I examined many wheat fields. I 
found not an Insect in wheat sown as late as September 
19. In all fields sown early I found an abundance of the 
pests. Many were in the pupa stage—the so-called flax¬ 
seed state—wnile not a few were still larvae, though about 
mature. The well known writer, Mr. A. C. Glidden, tells 
me that eggs were laid in southern Michigan as late as 
October. He suggests that the fly, like the queen bee, 
lives along and lays crops of eggs. I hardly think this 
view correct, but, rather, that the very warm fall has de¬ 
veloped some of the early insects from the eggs laid early 
in September, and so we have an extra brood In March in 
Illinois after an exceptionally warm winter. If we knew 
whether we were to have a warm fall, so that wheat 
would attain a good growth, even if sown late, it would 
be well, in case we had reason to fear an attack of this in¬ 
sect, to sow late and so escape injury and still secure a 
good stand. The late sown fields examined by me the 
other day look well. The plants cover the ground. True, 
in such a fall even early-sown wheat would suffer but 
little from this fall brood, as the plants would sprout and 
recover from the injury. Yet the insects are in the ground, 
and the danger from the spring brood would be great. 
Late sowing and an absence of insects would, on the other 
hand, make the spring and summer safe. Could we be 
sure, then, of a late fall like the present one, I should al¬ 
ways sowlate if I feared the Hessian fly. I sowed this fall 
on September 19. There are no insects in my wheat, and the 
crop looks well. True, the flies might breed in grass. An 
intelligent farmer told me yesterday that he had found 
not long since many pupariums In Quack Grass, yet I 
should not expect to suffer so much in summer, If there 
were no fall insects in the wheat. 
The other policy would be to sow about the time all ex 
perience shows to be the best—about September 10th. 
Sow the most vigorous varieties, push the crop by the best 
tillage and care of the land ; then if no Insects come, we 
are surely ahead, and if they do come the vigor of the crop 
will be almost certain to render the autumn brood im¬ 
potent for harm, while we may reasonably hope that the 
crop will be strong enough to resist, in part at least, the 
summer brood, even if it comes in full force. Very 
likely, taking the years together, this will give the best 
results; though I am glad that this year I followed the 
other course. 
I have noticed that central and northern Michigan suf¬ 
fers much less from the Hessian fly than do the southern 
counties and the States south. The same holds true of the 
terrible chinch bug, which has never done serious harm in 
our State. Can the climate consequent upon our penin¬ 
sular condition explain this ? [prof ] A. j. COOK. 
Michigan Agricultural College. 
SWEET POTATOES IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
One of the most funny things in the South is the 
nomenclature of the sweet potato. There are local names 
without number for the same variety; but the funniest of 
all Is the Barbadoes, or, as the Raleigh hucksters call it, 
“ Bayduses.” Sweet potatoes, as sold In Raleigh, include 
seldom less than three sorts jumbled up together, unculled, 
from the size of a half-grown mouse to that of a dressed 
chicken; but all are “ Bayduses.” For two years I have 
tried to find out just what the “ Baydus” Potato is. Once 
I got a clear lot that I was assured weie “pure vihite 
Bayduses.” They were the Tolman Spanish. Another 
dealer assured me that his were “ pure yellow Bayduses.” 
They were a mixture of Norton Yams and Southern Queen 
or Hay man, as the Norfolk folks call them. Generally the 
majority of a lot of “ Bayduses ” are Southern Queen, so I 
have finally come to the conclusion that the “ Baydus ” Is 
a myth and probably a corruption of the specific name of 
the plant, batatas. 
Some growers have what they simply call “ yams.” 
without any prefix, and they seem very much amused 
when I tell them I can find no difference in appearance or 
taste between their yams and the Southern Queen. This 
name, Southern Queen, was doubtless a renaming of the 
yam, by a Northern seedsman, and the Norfolk name, 
Hayman, is probably the oldest name, and entitled to pre¬ 
cedence. It is a great pity that the confused nomenclature 
of the sweet potato cannot be unraveled and a uniform 
series of names adopted somehow. 
The Peabody, a very large-growing and productive early 
sort, with dry, yellow meat and light purplish red skin, is 
often sold as Early Red. It Is a valuable sort for early 
use, if the market North gets acquainted with it. But 
when fully grown it is entirely too large and uncouth for 
the Northern market and too dry and mealy for the South¬ 
ern taste. The Nansemond is grown to some extent by 
Newbern truck growers under the name of Yellow Bark. 
The Virginia Red Nose is the finest of all yellow potatoes, 
and ought to be more largely grown by North Carolina 
growers for the Northern market It is almost unknown 
in North Carolina now. The dark red skinned variety, 
with white flesh, known variously as Black Spanish, Nig¬ 
ger Choker and Nigger Killer, is also a good and produc¬ 
tive sort and would suit the Northern taste if once known 
there. The Norton Yam and Pumpkin Yam—similar sorts 
—will never be popular North, but for the home market 
will meet a ready sale, as “ Yaller Bayduses.” The most 
productive sorts are Peabody and Hayman, but all varieties 
give large crops here and ought to be a profitable staple if 
sorts suited to the Northern and home markets are grown. 
Wake Co., N. C. _ w. F. masset. 
Live Stock Matters. 
THE BEST BREEDING SEASON NOT NATURE’S. 
Nature though a gentle mother is whimsical In her ways 
and coldly indifferent to the monetary aims of man. Those 
who used to quiet the discussion about the advantages of 
having early lambs and fall calves and colts,with the asser¬ 
tion that it was not nature’s way, now realize that it is more 
profitable to depend less o i nature’s methods. The increas¬ 
ing prevalence of the practice of breeding the cows and 
mares so that they will drop their young 
in the fall is strong indorsement of the 
claims that were put forth by the ad¬ 
vocates of this line of action. Altogether 
aside from the higher value of the milk 
ano butter during the winter season, the 
better calves that can be reared should 
be sufficient Inducement to follow the 
practice. To produce a paragon calf for 
the prize ling experienced breeders like 
to have it dropped as soon after the first 
of January as possible, not only to secure 
every day within the limits of the class 
in which It is to be shown, but also to 
enable them to have more control over 
the conditions surrounding the animal. 
As ensilage supplies a cheap, succulent 
food for winter feeding, the argument 
advanced that it costs more to produce 
a pound of milk or butter in the winter 
is considerably overbalanced by the other 
claims in favor of the change. The num¬ 
ber of accidents that occur to spring 
colts because their dams have to work 
should induce many to discontinue spring 
breeding. The trouble due to overheated 
milk and the accidents that disable the 
colts while following their dams at work 
are undeniable matters in favor of fall 
breeding. In case of old mares unfit for 
work spring breeding will be the best. 
The lambs that come two or three 
weeks before the grass Is ready for 
them will make the most rapid progress 
and give the least trouble at the busiest time. The weak 
ones can be made strong in the sheds if they get the shep¬ 
herd’s attention, particularly in seeing that they have their 
mothers’ care before they are put on pasture. If the lambs 
come early, they can be docked and castrated before they 
are turned out, and, moreover, the ewes can be shorn early 
in the season. To successfully rear fall colts and calves it 
is absolutely necessary that their quarters should be warm 
and comfortable, but for lambs dryness is more necessary 
than any great degree of warmth. 
Those who cannot provide the requirements for colts and 
calves will find the old way of breeding the best. People 
should breed the mare any time after the middle of Octo¬ 
ber and the colt will come in good season. They should 
wait until the latter part of December or fore part of Janu¬ 
ary with the cows, and the calves will come in September 
or October. They should attend to as many of the ewes as 
possible the latter part of September and the fore part of 
October and most of the lambs will come in March. It is 
isasy to make these changes, it being necessary only to let 
the heat pass. The most successful stockmen give their 
stock better care than nature would, and for that reason 
they wish to have the young animals completely under 
their management._ “ CANUCK.” 
WHAT GRAINS ARE “CARBONACEOUS?” 
A friend in Pennsylvania writes: “ I understand that 
1 nitrogenous ’ food means muscle-forming food, and ' car¬ 
bonaceous ’ means fat-forming food. What grains and 
feeds ordinarily used by farmers are nitrogenous and 
what carbonaceous ?” 
This information is given in the reports of the Pennsyl¬ 
vania Station and also in bulletins from other stations. 
Here we merely condense what has been often said before. 
Let us take the following substances, which farmers most 
frequently use: Corn, oats, wheat bran, linseed meal, 
cotton seed meal, straw, clover hay, Timothy hay, meadow 
hay and corn fodder. The figures show the average of 
many analyses, and represent the pounds per 100. The 
No. i. No. 2 . 
SPRAYED AND UNSPRAYED. Fig. 286. 
No. i. Hill of Potatoes Left as it Grew. No. 2 . Hill of Potatoes Sprayed every Two Weeks. 
