vtURE 
SSlSSSsBSc 
ICULTUR£ 
I may observe that a hundred years ago it was a 
current opinion among men of science, that certain 
insects and other creatures pertaining to the lower 
orders of the animal kingdom were generated spon¬ 
taneously. But, more recently, when these instances 
of supposed spontaneous generation came to be 
closely investigated, one after another of them were 
found not to be such. So that at this day the scien¬ 
tific world wholly discards the theory that there is 
or can be any such thing as spontaneous generation. 
All living things descend from parents; ami it is by 
a pairing of the sexes that young are produced and 
that each species is continued iu existence—some 
classes of animals bringing forth their young alive, 
others laying eggs from which their young hatch. 
fusocts are of ttiis latter kind. They aro nil pro¬ 
duced from eggs. But in the generation of the plant 
lice', wo meet with one of the most remarkable 
anomalies which we anywhere find in the works of 
nature. These insects bring forth their young alive, 
at one time, and they lay eggs at another time. All 
the plant lice which wo see upon our fruit trees 
during the spring and summer are females, and 
these do not produce eggs, but living young, which 
nature in a lew days, and (wonderful to tell!) they 
are fertile, without any intercourse of the sexes. It 
is only when cold weather and frosty nights arrive, 
that males are produced. The insects then pair, and 
the females thereupon lay eggs. Those eggs remain 
through (he winter, to be hatched by the warmth of 
the following spring. The young from ihesu eggs 
grow up and commence bearing living young.no 
males and no eggs being produced, except as the 
closing act of their operations iu autumn. 
Such are the general facts with regard to the gen¬ 
eration of the insects of this aphis group. And I 
had supposed it would be the same with this grain 
aphis. Some of you may bare been present and 
heard the remarks which I made on this subject at 
our Fair at Watertown a year ago. 1 staled that 
the eggs of this insect would probably be found late 
in autumn, scattered about upon the leaves of the 
fall sowed wheat and rye—which eggs would hatch 
with the warmth of the lbllowing spring, to start 
the insect upon the grain again this year. But when 
frosty nights arrived last autumn, and when the 
aphis on the apple trees was found paired, and the 
females were busy depositing their eggs, to my sur¬ 
prise, nothing of this kind occurred with this aphis 
upon the grain. The mature lice continued to pro¬ 
duce young ones, until they and their young became 
congealed upon the leaves of the young grain by 
the advancing cold of the season. And in this state 
they were buried beneath the snows of winter, and 
with the warmth of the ensuing spring they were 
thawed, and returned to life aguiu. 
To bo better assured upon the subject, I placed 
some of these insects ou grain growing in liower- 
pots and kept during the winter iu a warm room. 
In this situation they continued alive and continued 
to bear young through the whole winter season. 
Thus I have watched this grain aphis this year 
round. 30 closely, that I am perfectly assured no 
eggs were laid and no males were produced. 
Occasionally an individual was noticed, varying 
somewhat from the others, and which I have there- 
fore suspected might be a male; but, on imprison¬ 
ing such specimens in vials over night, I have 
invariably found young lice with them next morning. 
When, and under what circumstances males occur, 
if they ever do occur, is yet remaining to be discov¬ 
ered. At present it seems as though these insects 
might go on forever, producing young, without any 
intercourse of the sexes. 
Finally, with regard to the fecundity of these 
insects, I would state that those which have no 
wings, and which remain on the stalks of grain on 
which they are born, are much more prolific than 
those which have wings and wander abroad. By 
enclosing them separately in vials, I found the 
Winged lcinalcs quite uniformly gave birth to two 
young lice in a single night, whilst the wingless ones 
produced lour in the same time. We frequently see 
young lice produced in the day time, but fewer 
appear to be born then than during the night. The 
winged ones are also much slower in coming to 
maturity, I placed several young lice the morning 
after they were born upon some grain growing in 
a lluwer-pot, and on the third morning afterwards 
I found four little ones around each of them, show¬ 
ing that the wingless ones come to maturity iu 
three days. It will thus be seen with what pro¬ 
digious rapidity Ihese creatures multiply. They 
almost double their numbers daily. A single one 
producing four young daily, and these becoming 
equally prolific when they are three days old, her 
descendants in twenty days if all live, will number 
upwards of two millions?. This will serve toexpluiu 
to us how it is that this insect becomes so exces¬ 
sively numerous upon the grain at harvest time, as 
we have seen it. 
As they multiply so rapidly, it is evident no 
vegetation which they infest would escape destruc¬ 
tion Jrom these plant lice, it nature, had not herself 
provided most efficient means for checking and 
subduing them. Wc accordingly find that these 
insects are preyed upon and consumed by other 
insects, to a greater extent than are any other kinds 
of injurious insects wherewith we are molested. 
There are whole groups aud tribes of predaceous 
insects which subsist exclusively upon the plant lice 
of different kinds. 
come so suddenly and excessively multiplied over 
such a vast extent of territory as has happened 
in our country with this grain aphis the past and 
present years. 
I suppose almost every person in this audience 
has seen these insects, crowded together upon the 
heads of wheat, of oats, barley, or rye, and has 
observed that they were a kind ol plant-louse, 
similar to what we frequently see upon the leaves 
of cabbages in our gardens, and on the apple, the 
cherry, and other trees. As it resembles these com¬ 
mon and well-known insects so closely in its form, 
its motions, and habits, it will nut be necessary fur 
me to give any particular description of it. 
With regard to the mode in which it injures the 
grain, I would observe that it has a slender, sharp- 
pointed bill or trunk, which it holds under its breast 
when this implement is not in use. With this it 
punctures the leaves and stalks of the grain and 
sucks their juices. It therefore has no occasion to 
leave the particular plant on which it is born, as it 
always has an ample store of nourishment directly 
under its feet, lienee, it has no use for wings to 
carry it, like other insects, from place to place in 
search of food. 11 needs wings for only one purpose, 
namely, to enable it to emigrate to fields of grain 
which are unoccupied, in order to start colonies in 
them. Only a small portion of these insects, there¬ 
fore, acquire wings; and these fly away from the 
winter grain to plant their race upon the spring- 
sowed wheat and oats. 
The latter part of June, when the grain has ad¬ 
vanced so that the heads or ears begin to put forth, 
two most remarkable changes occur in this insect, 
whereby it appears to become another creature, a 
different species, in the middle of summer from 
that which is seen in the spring and autumn. 
One of these changes is in its ha'jits. Before the 
heads appear, it lives singly, scattered about, upon 
the leaves and stalks of the grain, and the young 
lice, as fast as they are born, leave their parents 
and wander away. Cut no sooner aro the heads 
protruded from their sheaths preparatory to bloom¬ 
ing and growing the kernels of the grain, than this 
aphis wholly forsakes all the other parts of the 
plant and becomes congregated upon the heads— 
evidently because the juices which the plant elab¬ 
orates for the growth of its flowers and seeds are 
much more nutritious, more dainty and palatable 
to these insects, than are the juices which circulate 
iu the leaves and stalks. They here fix themselves 
upon the base of the chaffs which envelope the 
kernels, and inserting their beaks, they suck out 
the juices which should go, first, to grow the flowers, 
and after that to till and perfect the kernels. And 
now, the young lice which are born, instead of 
scattering themselves and traveling away, settle 
down closely around their parent, crowding as 
compactly together as they can stow themselves. 
Thus it comes to pass, that when these insects are 
numerous, as we have recently had them, in many 
of our grain fields, scarcely an ear can be found 
which has not a cluster of these lice around the 
base of almost every kernel, all with their thy bills 
inserted therein, pumpiDg out the juices which 
should go to swell and perfect the seed. Thus, 
this grain aphis Irom being a solitary insect, wan¬ 
dering about singly upon the leaves and stalks, be¬ 
comes a gregarious insect, clustered together iu 
flocks, and remaining fixed and stationary upon 
the lower or butt ends of the kernels* 
At the same time another change, equally re¬ 
markable, takes place in the color of these insects. 
So long as they nourish themselves on the coarse 
juices ol the stalks and leaves, their bodies are all of 
a grass-green color. But when they come to feed on 
the more delicate juices of the flowers, they begin 
to bear you ng of an orange color. One of the grass- 
green insects having stationed herself at, the base of 
a kernel, the next day, iu the group of little ones 
around Lor. a yellow one will occur, all the others 
being green like their parent. A day or two later, 
as the nourishment she derived from the leaves be¬ 
comes more dissipated from her body and replaced 
by that now obtained from the kernels, half the 
young she produces will be of this yellow color. 
And still later, all the young are yellow, no green 
ones being any longer born. And the older ones 
alter a time dying and disappearing, all those 
insects some weeks before harvest lime, become 
changed to a yelluw color, their hue inclining more 
to red in some aud to yellow in others. 
It is truly curious that this green iusect, thus, on 
coming to iced on the juices which grow the flowers, 
begin to produce young ot a gay yellow color simi¬ 
lar to that of the flowers. 
By depriving the kernels of a portion of the milky 
juice which should go to swell and mature them, 
this insect causes the ripened grain to be more or 
less shrunken and light of weight. 
Bye, however, grows so rapidly and ripens so 
early, that it outstrips this aphis in its increase, and 
thus sustains no material injury from it. Winter 
wheat, ripening more slowly, experiences more 
injury. But the crops which ripen latest, and when 
this aphis has become multiplied to the greatest 
extent, namely, spring wheat and oats, become the 
most througed and sustain the greatest injury. 
Let us next inquire how it is that ibis insect is 
able to become so suddenly and so excessively mul¬ 
tiplied as we have had it, in the Eastern part of our 
State last year, and here iu its Western part this year. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
THR LHATMXG AMERICAN WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contribntors, 
CHAS. D. BRAG DON, Western Corresponding Editor, 
Tm? Rural Nkw-Yorker is designed to bo unsurpassed in 
Value, Purity, Usefulness and Variety of Contents, and unique 
and beautiful in Appearance. Its Conductor devotes his per¬ 
sonal attention to the supervision of its various riepartninnta, 
and earnestly labors to render the Rural an eminently Reliable 
Guide on all the important Practical, Scientific and other 
Subjects intimately connected with the business of those whose 
interest* it r.ealouHly advocates. As a F tMtLY .foetus u, it is 
eminently fnstrnctive 3nd Entertain!ug — being so conducted 
that it can be safely taken to the Hearts snd Homes of people 
of intelligence, taste and discrimination. It embraces move 
Agricultural, Horticultural. Scientific, Educational. I.iterary 
and News Matter, interspersed with appropriate and beautiful 
Engravings, than any other journal,—rendering it the most 
complete AGRICULTURAL, Litkraky anp Family Newspaper 
in America. 
Among the new and useful inventions exhibited 
at the recent State Fair, the Self-Acting Cattle or 
Stock Pump, herewith illustrated, was quite promi¬ 
nent, and received considerable attention from 
farmers and others. Its simplicity and ease of 
operation, and apparent durability, commend it as 
the long-sought desideratum, for watering stock 
from wells. The inventor and patentee — Mr. 
I’etkr Fraeii, of West Springfield. Pa. — had two 
full-sized pumps and a working model on exhibi¬ 
tion. and during the Fair several applications were 
made for the lull-sized pump from farmers. One 
of the applicants, Mr. Daniel E. Bog bus, of Wheat- 
laud, has already a pump in operation on his farm, 
and is highly pleased with its practical operation. 
Mr. B. will bo pleased to show it to any who call. 
In liis circular Mr. Fraer thus describes and 
speaks of the advantages of his invention:—*• This is 
a pump of simple construction and not, liable to get 
out of repair. The accompanying engraving repre¬ 
sents a sectional view. It is operated by the animal 
passing upon a platform placed even with the sur¬ 
face of the ground; one depression raises from eight 
to ten gallons of water. The hydraulic power is 
placed in the bottom of the well or cistern and 
makes no noise or jar, except the settling of the 
platform and the flowing of the water while the 
'ASNSXt 
For Terms anil other particulars, see last page. 
DISCUSSIONS AT THE STATE FAIR, 
FIRST EVENINCr: 
Insects —The Grain Aphis, Wheat Midge, &c. 
Dr. Asa Fitch, Entomogist to Ihe State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, opened the Discussion by reading the 
following Essay on the Grain Aphis: 
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen :—I am requested to 
preface ihe discussion, this evening, lay presenting 
to the audience some account of the Grain Aphis — 
an insect now to us in America, and .which, during 
the past and the present year, has been more prom¬ 
inent in the public regard tlian any other insect. 
In the grain fields of Europe this grain aphis has 
existed from time immemorial. It was scientifically 
named and described eighty-nno years ago, by the 
distinguished German entomologis’, Farrioujs, who 
met with it in fields of oats, and therefore named it 
the Aphis Avence, or the oat aphis, he being unaware 
that it occurred equally common upon other kinds 
of grain also. 
But our European accounts of it are quite meager 
and imperfect. About all that we gather from them 
is, that it is au insect which shows itself upon the 
grain about the time of harvest, and that in some 
instances it has been known to be so multiplied, in 
particular places, as to literally swarm upon and 
cover the beads of the grain in many of the fields. 
These lew general facts, is all the information 
which the world has hitherto had of this iusect. 
"What becomes of it during the remainder of the 
year, where, and in what condition it lurks after har¬ 
vest time, and until harvest time again approaches, 
had never been investigated. .It was remaining for 
us in this country to trace out its abiding place 
and its habits during the autumn, winter and 
spring, anrl thus complete its history the year 
round, as we have been able to do within the past 
eighteen months—under the instructions of this 
Society, and under the auspices of the State of New 
York. 
In this country, this grain aphis had never been 
observed, and it was not known that we bad such 
an insect here, until last year, wheu it suddenly 
appeared in excessive numbers over all the New 
England States, and the State of New York, ex¬ 
cept hero in its western section, and also in the 
adjoining districts of Canada and of Pennsylvania 
Throughout all this vast extent of country every 
grain field was invaded by it; many of these fields 
were thronged and a portion of them were literally 
covered and smothered by this insect. 
This year it has moved westward, making its ap¬ 
pearance in the same manner all over Western New 
York, Canada West, Northern Ohio, and ut least a 
portion of Michigan, as I judge, from the numerous 
letters which have been sent me with grain-heads 
containing this insect, and from the notices of it in 
the public prints—whilst at the East, where it was 
so numerous last year, it has measurably disap¬ 
peared this year, so that, except iti a few localities, 
it would not have been noticed hud not every body 
been so eagerly searching for it. 
But though this insect has only been noticed in 
this country the past and the present years, we do 
not suppose it has newly arrived upon this Continent. 
It has no doubt been present in our grain fields 
heretofore; but in such limited numbers, and so 
scattered about upon the growing grain, that it 
failed to be observed. It is seventeen years ago 
that I began to examiue the wheat midge, and in 
looking at that and other insects upon the wheat, 
I recollect I have occasionally seen this aphis. 
But as only two or three individuals oi this kind 
were to be found at a time, I supposed it to be of 
no importance, and thus gave no attention to it, 
until it began to appear in such abundance the 
past year. 
Although it is a common habit of plant lice to 
become extremely numerous, at times, upon the 
particular kinds of vegetation which they respect¬ 
ively infest, we meet with no recorded instance in 
which one of these insects has been known to be¬ 
animal is drinking. The pump is calculated to do 
away with ail artificial means of pumping for stock, 
either iu barn yards or fields, aud any quantity of 
stock can supply themselves by this means. As 
large animals always pump more water than they 
need, small ones (not. heavy enough to operate the 
pump — such as weigh under 400 pounds.) can 
supply themselves from the surplus water. These 
pumps have been tested by many farmers, aud at 
Agricultural Fairs in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, 
and are considered the most efficient way of water¬ 
ing stock yet known.” For further particulars, see 
advertisement of the patentee in this paper. 
A. — The insect extracts the juices from the plant, 
which aid in developing and maturing the kernel. 
This diminishes the size of the grain—sometimes vir¬ 
tually destroying it,, for the substance is almost gone. 
Mr. Geddes, of Onondaga, does not agree with 
Dr. Fitch concerning his theory* with reference to 
the existence of the midge, lie doubts if the midge 
exists in as great numbers one year as another, or 
it they are present at all; for prior to the past six 
years he had failed to get a crop of wheat for some 
years on their account; while the past six years he 
had grown it successfully. ITis success, he thinks, 
is not due to dry Junes, but, to the fact that the 
midge had disappeared, lie doubts, too, if bis suc¬ 
cess is due to superior culture; for he used to sum¬ 
mer fallow all his land; now he turns it over and 
seeds after barley, and oats, &c., <fce. 
T. C. Peters — So far as white wheat is con¬ 
cerned, the theory of the effect of the season upon 
the ravages of the midge upon it, is correct. But 
the Mediterranean is the only variety that can be 
grown now safely. He tbiuks the white wheat has 
very much degenerated. 
Other gentlemen present coincided with him in 
this matter and united in asserting that the best 
mode of redeeming white wheat was to change the 
seed. It was further agreed that the Mediterranean 
had greatly improved by cultivation — that it was 
“ bleaching out.'’ 
Mr. Bishop, of Wyoming, asked if early or late 
sowing had not had to do with checking the ravages 
of the Aphis? 
Dr. Fitch replied, yes. Its ravages are greatest 
on the late sown wheat. Late sowing is not advised, 
it the object is to avoid its ravages. The same 
remark applies conversely to the midge. It does 
not so seriously affect the late, as the early sown 
wheat. 
Pres't Cornell — Have you observed the Aphis 
in the ground around the roots of the barley ? 
Dr. F. had eo discovered it. 
Mr. Geodes— Why is it that the midge should 
have appeared one year, and noldoubled the second 
and trippled the third, Aro &c. He thought the 
inidgo was disappearing. 
Dr. Fitch said there were two successive years 
when the midge disappeared, and then the third 
year appeared again, and was very destructive. He 
does not think it was because Ihe midge passed 
away from the country, but. because the season was 
not favorable to its development — or at least not 
favorable to its operations on wheat—it passed to 
some other grain. - 
At this point there was a rambling conversational 
discussion upon the relative value of different vari¬ 
eties of wheat. Much of this the reporter was unable 
to hear. But be heard enough to establish the fact 
that there were many present who believed the 
Mediterranean the safest aud best wheat to sow; that 
it was improving in character, while the white wheat 
of the Genesee Valley was deteriorating. A few 
claimed that better Hour could be made from the 
Mediterranean than from any other wheat. 
[ For Essay aud Discussion on Draining, see fifth 
page of this number—page 337.] 
A tribe ot very small Ichneumon flies, named 
Apbidius, are parasitic destroyers of these insects— 
puncturing and thrusting an egg into the body of 
the aphis, from which hatches a minute worm which 
feeds within the aphis till it kills it. I have found 
two species of these parasites destroying the grain 
aphis. 
Another most efficient destroyer is the Lady Bug 
or Coecinella, of which there are numerous species, 
all of which are continually searching plant lice 
to feed upon, these beiug the Bole nourishment of 
the lady bug, both in its larva: and its perfect state. 
In addition to these are the SyDpbus flies, the 
golden-eyed flies, and the lace-wing flies, all mortal 
enemies to the different kinds of Aphis. 
By such means is it that these plant lice upon the 
grain as on other vegetation, are usually but a trans¬ 
itory evil—these their toes and destroyers, always 
gathering around them wherever they become 
numerous, aud multiplying until they overbalance 
and subdue them. 
Some one asked for a description of the Lady Bug. 
Dr. Fitch described it as follows:—It is about the 
size and shape of half of a small pea, of a yellowish 
red color, with round black spots upon it. 
Question, —Is it poisonous to animals? 
Dr. Fitch knew a single instance when swine 
had been pastured iu a field where the lady bug was 
numerous. All of the herd were taken sick and 
some of them died. The swine were removed from 
(hat field to another, and such as were so removed 
recovered. Dr. F, said that it was possible that the 
swine were poisoned by eating large quantities of 
the lady bug; for if it, is taken in the fingers and 
crushed, an acrid juice is emitted, which is doubtless 
poisonous, inasmuch as it is the insect’s only means 
of defense. He had thought it possible that this 
particular herd of swine might have been poisoned 
by it. 
Question. — Is there any prospect of the Aphis be¬ 
coming . permanent pest, in the couutry ? 
Answer.—I think not. Its enemies are too numer¬ 
ous for that. Not more than a single year at a time, 
will they be likely to ravage in a single locality. 
As before said, they seem to be migrating Westward. 
Q —Is the midge a permanent pest; is it, plenty 
here at all seasons? 
A—There is no doubt that the midge is plenty in 
all parts of the country. The character of the sea¬ 
son governs Us ravages, if the latter part of June 
is wet. look out lor the midge; if dry, there is no 
danger. In dry weather it cannot subsist on the 
uplands; it returns to the lowlands. 
T. G. Peters —We are fast reaching the maxi¬ 
mum of former years, in the amount of wheat sown 
iu Western New York, aud it is au important matter 
to us to know how to avoid the ravages of the midge. 
Do you recommend thorough culture? 
Dr. Fitch —Strong growing wheat will produce 
despite the midge. Yes, 1 do recommend thorough 
culture as one of the preventives of the ravages of 
the midge; also of the Hessian liy and other insects. 
Q .—What is the effect of the work of the Aphis 
upon the grain — upon the kernel? 
TWO DOLLARS A. YEAR.] 
“PROGRESS AND INIPROVEMTUNJT.” 
[SINTG-TE NO. FOUR CF7STT8. 
VOL xm. NO. 42.1 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1862. 
1 WHOLE NO. 666. 
IRVING Chant Co N Y 
