©ORE'S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
<£ntflindogical. 
COLLECTING INSECTS. 
How to Collect, Preserve, and Transport 
Insects. 
[Continued from pa<je 2610 
Where to Find BeelleH and Bugs.—In 
summer, beetles and bugs are very abund¬ 
ant upon weeds and plants, and this is the 
season to use the sweep or drag net. Hun¬ 
dreds of small but interesting species lurk 
under the leaves or plants, or feed upon 
their flowers, and tbe net is the moEt rapid 
and sure meant of bringing them from their 
hiding-place. Larger species may be found 
sunning themselves upon the bark of trecB, 
logs, or upon the farm feuoe, while the lit¬ 
tle tiger beetles ( Olctndelat ) frequent sandy 
roads and barren fields. The ground beetles 
(Carabidae) are usually found under flat 
stones, on hill sides, and especially near 
brooks and rivers, while others are more 
abundant under old logs, or between the 
loose bark and wood; in fact there is no 
place, from the bald rock on the mountain, 
to the lowest depths of the most gloomy 
cavern, that Is not the abode of some in¬ 
sect. Our riverB and stagnant ponds also 
furnish numerous species, from whence they 
may be taken with nets or by hand. As a 
rale, the more secluded the abode, the more 
rare the Insect; for those living and feeding 
in exposed situations are the most likely to 
be well known. The same is true in regard 
to size; for all young and Inexperienced 
collectors are sure to take all the large in¬ 
sects, and overlook the small ones; but the 
minute species are equally as valuable as 
the larger. .Some of the most destructive 
insects to vegetation arc among the small¬ 
est ; therefore, collectors should not neglect 
to take the small as well as large. 
Bntterflies. — Butterflies, or what is 
usually termed Diurnal (day-flying) Lcp- 
idopetera , are readily distinguished from 
moths by their knobbod antennae, although 
in some species this characteristic is not 
very conspicuous. Their bodies are small 
in proportion to the size of their wings, 
which ere usually lield erect when in repose. 
It requires far more care to collect butter¬ 
flies and preserve them In a perfect condi¬ 
tion than beetles or bugs, as their bodies 
are covered with very minute acaleB which 
are torn off by the slightest pressure. In 
capturing them the net should always be 
used, and the moment one passes within 
throw the bottom of the bag over the heap 
by a dexterous twist of the handle, and 
thereby secure the butterfly in a position 
where it cannot disfigure itself in its strug¬ 
gles to escape; then grasp it by the under¬ 
side of the thorax, with the thumb and fore 
linger, pressing so firmly as to kill or be¬ 
numb, until a drop of ether or chloroform 
can bo applied with a camels' hair pencil. 
A small vial of chloroform can be carried in 
the vest pocket, to be used for this purpose 
■whenever required. A slight crushing of 
the thorax, however, will usually be suf¬ 
ficient to kill any butterfly, and we prefer 
this method to wetting the body even with 
the most volatile liquid. If the butterflies 
are to be put immediately into a cabinet, 
they may be pinned as caught; but when 
collected to be sent away or preserved for 
some time before mounting, they should be 
carefully taken out of the net and placed in 
papers, as shown In figure 5- 
Any smooth writing paper will answer I 
the purpose, and before going out to collect, 
a quantity Bhould be out up into pieces a 
little longer tbau broad, and varying in size 
from two to four or five inches, and then 
folded as snown in Fig. 5, forming, when 
finished, a triangular shaped bag, into which 
the butterfly is dropped bfead downward. 
The antennaa (cl), or feelers, should be fold¬ 
ed back between the wings, or at least close 
to tbe front edge, in order to secure them 
against being broken after they have be¬ 
come dry and brittle. If a record is kept 
of captures, the date, locality, or number of 
speoimens, may be written on the outside 
of tbe envelope, always using a soft lead 
pencil for this purpose. These little paper 
bags containing specimens of butterflies may 
be laid away in tight boxes, or sent to any 
part of the world by mail or through other 
channels ©f transit. It is better to have the 
envelopes a little too large than too small, 
because it Is quite important that the wings 
should remain flat, and their edges not fold¬ 
ed nor broken. 
Moths.—Collecting moths is mainly night 
work, although many species can bo cap¬ 
tured during the day time or early in the 
morning and evening. The larger kinds 
should always be taken with a net, and the 
same care exercised in handling as with but¬ 
terflies. Having large and heavy bodies 
they are not readily killed, and a slight 
pinching of the thorax, or even thrusting 
a pin through them will not answer. 
Chloroform or ether, if applied to the sur¬ 
face will only stupefy for a few moments, 
and a more Bummarv method is required 
for dispatching our large Sphinges or Hawk 
children who chase the butterflies, play | through neglect of planting a few cuttings, 
kite with the bumble bee, or harness the The cost of such things is really too trifling 
lazy beetle to a stick, may do something to- to be taken into account; it therefore can- 
wards aiding science and placing scientific not be considered as an excuse, 'fthile a 
men under obligations to them for favors, dozen cuttings of the largest and best Cur- 
It is far better to teach children how to be 
useful assistants to learned men in various 
parts of the world, thau to remain in iguo- 
moths (Fig. 6); but smaller kinds as shown 
in Fig. 7 are more delicate, and killed almost 
Instantaneously by placing in a box or under 
an inverted glass, containing a drop of any 
of the various substances we have named. 
To kill the larger species while in the net, 
we have found no better way that to punc¬ 
ture the body or thorax with a sharpened 
quill or sliver of wood, and then dip it into 
moistened Cyanide of Potassium, and again 
thrust the poboned implement into the 
wound. It requires very little of this 
poison to produce almost instant death. 
Chloroform, ether or benzine, may be used 
instead, or the moth may be pinned in a 
tight box and lulled with the fumes of sul¬ 
phur, tobacco, creosote or other noxious and 
poisonous substances. When the moths are 
killed their wings and antennas should be 
folded in tbe same maimer as described for 
butterflies, and then placed in the paper 
bags. Very small moths, such aH arc caught 
about the lamp at night, may be laid care¬ 
fully between layers of soft paper, their 
wings remaining in a natural position. The 
cocoons and chrysalids of insects may also 
be collected and allowed to finish their 
transformation in boxes, where the perfect 
insect or imago can readily be captured. 
Figure 6. 
>wn ranee of their names or abode. The farther 
lost away from the centers of civilization a 
der family may reside, the more interesting 
any will their surroundings be to the naturalist, 
led. and the more valuable the specimens col- 
uet, lected. 
Figure 5. 
Insects of Other Orders. — Flies, 
Wasps, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Bees, Drag¬ 
on-flies and Ants, may all be taken and 
killed in the dry collecting bottLes already 
described, and, if to be sent a long distance, 
packed in small vials with very little flue 
sawdust, and the whole moistened with a 
few drops of ether. Every collector should 
carry a few 6maJl pill or common wooden 
match boxes in his pocket, for the purpose 
of keeping speoimens of insects belonging 
to different orders, separate, as well as to 
avoid the necessity of putting too many of 
one kind of the tender species together. 
Neither should those who are collecting 
liitrg of a Ijhralist 
rant known can be purchased for fifty cents, 
and sent post-paid to any part of the United 
States and Territories, no one need be with¬ 
out this wholesome fruit. Scores of other 
small fruit plants can be purchased equally 
as cheap; aud still, while traveling through 
the country, we seldom find good fruits 
upon the farmer's table, and his children 
grow up iu ignorance of the fact that such 
things exist. 
Preparing Flower-Beds .—April 13th. 
—Flower-beds should be dug up early iu the 
season, even if uot used until late. I have 
found that if the soil was turned up to the 
sun and rains, and enriching materials add¬ 
ed several weeks before seeds were sown, or 
plants set out, that it gave better results 
than if these operations were delayed until 
the time of planting. If manure is to be 
applied, it should be done in time to have 
it become thoroughly incorporated with the 
soil before planting. I have been spading 
up and manuring some beds to day which 
are to be occupied with bedding-plants a 
month hence. Those who never look ahead 
are very likely to stumble, whether it be iu 
travelling a stony road or making a garden. 
I know some people who never go beyond 
making grand resolves of what they arc go¬ 
ing to do next week, or next month—peri¬ 
ods of time that never arrive. Planting 
cannot be done In this way; but it requires 
action, and that, too, which means neither 
more nor less thau work. 
FIGURE 7. 
specimens to be sent to a distant part of the 
worlG or our own country, be fearful of ob¬ 
taining too mauy of one species, because 
entomologists not only derive much pleas¬ 
ure from distributing rare insects among 
their friends, but it is highly important 
that every cabinet, both public aud private, 
should be as oomplete aud contain as many 
species as possible. The heads of families 
should not overlook the fact that even their 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
[ROM THE DIARY OF A GEHTLEMAK NEAR NEW YORK CITY. 
Planting * 1 Pea n.—April 8.—One. of the 
first things to be done in the vegetable gar¬ 
den in Spring, is to sow a few rows of 
peas. New and highly extolled varieties 
are so abundant that one is almost at a loss 
to know what to choose. For early I have 
sown McLean's Advancer, and, at the same 
time put iu a few of that oid, but never to 
be excelled, Champion of England, which 
comcE in a few days later. Of course there 
are earlior sorts such as Dan O'Rourke and 
Tom Thumb, but these are for the market 
gardeners and not for those who grow peas 
for their own table. Few persons, in sow¬ 
ing peas, cover them deep enough to pro¬ 
duce the best results. The soil should be 
worked deep and then plant the seed about 
four inches deep. By covering deep I find 
that the plants are not so liable to be af¬ 
fected by drouth, and the yield is largely 
increased. For a succession sow a few’ 
every week as long as the weather will per¬ 
mit. 
Early and Late Potatoes .—April 9.— 
Having tried nearly all the new and old va¬ 
rieties of potatoes In cultivation in this 
country, I have brought my list down to 
the “rule of three," viz: Early Rose for 
early and the Peerless and Peach Blow for 
lata. There may be better sorts but not 
for my soil and locality. Tbe Early Rose 
has always been satisfactory both in yield 
and quality, and by keeping them in a cool 
cellar, they answer just as well for late as 
early, and I do not think I would care 
much even if no other sort could be ob¬ 
tained. Of course, soil and climate have a 
powerful influence over the production, as 
well as quality and variety, and what is 
good iu one locality may be very poor in an¬ 
other. A cool, moist soil, but not a wet 
one, is best suited to the potato, and to se¬ 
cure this in localities subject to drouths, 
mulching is quite important. By covering 
the surface of the ground with any coarse 
mulch, a large yield of good-sized tubers 
is almost certain anywhere in the Middle 
States, while wit hout it, a crop is uncertain, 
especially iu light soils. Whether the 
mulch will cost more than the increase in 
crop is worth, depends upon circumstances. 
Plant ing Cuttings .—April 10.—All ripe 
wood cuttings of such plants as Currants, 
Gooseberries, Grapes and Shrubbery, should 
be planted as early in spring as possible 
after the ground is in a suitable condition. 
A week's delay will often result iu a total 
failure; and as roots are produced iu a lower 
temperature than leaves, it is well to give 
them a chance to become formed before 
called upon to support tbe new growth of 
stem and branches. It is really surprising 
to see how few persona supply themselves 
with the most common of the small fruits 
as well as ornamental shrubs, while they are 
so readily and rapidly multiplied. In the 
Western States not more thau one-half of 
the people are supplied even with such 
a common fruit as the Currant, and all 
(6a nlcu. 
TO GROW WATERMELONS. 
Choose a sandy piece of ground, and 
after having plowed it, maik it out 9 by 9 
feel; then with a hoe dig holes at the cross¬ 
ings of the marks about as large'in circum¬ 
ference as a common corn basket and seven 
or eight inches deep; into these holes throw 
a good sized forkful of coarse manure and 
directly on this a large shovel of fine ma¬ 
nure; then make the hills by drawing the 
soil from the four corners directly on the 
manure, being careful that the bill, when 
finished, shall be four inches higher than 
the general surface; have the hills slant to 
the southeast. This protects them some¬ 
what from northerly winds. 
It takes watermelon seed a long time to 
germinate, especially when planted in early 
spring; and many times, if the weather 
proves cold and wet after planting, very 
few' of tlie seed9 will germinate at all. 
Therefore it is a good plan to plant the seed 
on one side of the hill, and in about ten 
days go over and plant again. If the first 
Beed planted fails to come, the last will be 
almost sure to grow; yet we have known 
cases where they had to be replanted three 
times. 
Cultivate thoroughly and plow once or 
twice during the growing season, being care¬ 
ful not to let tbe cultivator or plow run 
deep enough, when passing the hills, to in¬ 
terfere with the roots. If the roots are 
disturbed, it will seriously affect the crop. 
In planting, eight or ten seeds are usually 
put in each hill at each planting. After the 
plants get w'ell started, all but one or two 
of the strongest should be removed. The 
most successful melon grower that we are 
acquainted with allows but one plant to re¬ 
main in each hill. * * 
THE TROPHY TOMATO. 
I notice a few statements concerning the 
above-named tomato, as the experience of 
some few correspondents. I will give mine. 
I purchased a package of the Trophy seeds 
from J. J. H. Gregory, early in the spring. 
I planted about one-half of the seeds in one 
corner of my hot-bed, beside seeds of the 
Grant tomato. They all came up very nice, 
and any one could tell the difference in the 
plants by the color, and the thickupss of the 
stems was much thicker than that of the 
Grant. When the proper time came for 
transplanting, I planted the Grants and 
Tropbv at the same time and iu the same 
kind of soil; gave the same attention to 
both; staked them up aud trimmed them 
the same. The Trophy took the lead of any 
tomato that I ever raised; ripened early 
and regularly all over. Tliey were praised 
bv all that saw them. According to my 
views the Trophy is the tomato to cultivate, 
as it grows so large, smooth and solid. 
East Fairfield, O. J. J. T. 
- - -- 
Chinese Yams.—Mrs. E. L. S.—It will 
not pay you, either in profit or pleasure, to 
attempt the culture of Chinese yams. 
