AU§ 3, 
r 
NEW-YORKER. 
(Entomological. 
POTATO BEETLES IN MICHIGAN. 
I see in the Rural New-Yokkkr an oc¬ 
casional mention of the “potato beetle," 
and various modes for his easy extermina¬ 
tion, such as Paris green, lime, plaster, 
sulphate of iron (which I have not tried), 
fowls eatlllg them, Ac., Ac. Now, wo live 
in a buggy country just at this time, and 
we have found that “ eternal vigilance" 
is the price of potatoes. Wo have tried all, 
or nearly all, of the remedies of the day, 
such as Paris green, kerosene, oamphene, 
nitro-glycerinc, and everything else that 
ends with c, even to lire and brimstone, and 
we can’t get rid of this intolerable nuisance. 
Nuisance! You don’t know what 1 mean 
when I say “nuisance." Take the seven¬ 
teen-year-locusts ( (Mathi.) and multiply 
them by all the plagues ol Egypt, and how 
vague would be? the idea to call the product 
a nuisance. Yet you have it in this Colo¬ 
rado potato bug. When they reach the 
Empire State, if you tlnd that I have not 
told you the truth, then please let me know. 
I have heard that they have already crossed 
the line and entered the Dominion. If that 
be true, Vtctobfa's peaceful subjects will 
sigh in vain lor the palmy days of Fenianisin. 
“They tell us" that the potato bug will 
loave the country in a year or two more, as 
ho is traveling East. He may be traveling 
East, but you will find that when he comes 
ho lias come to stay permanently, lie starts 
up in the Spring, lays aside his “faded 
coat ” of yellow, and goes to work destroy¬ 
ing everything in the shape of a potato vine, 
then starts on his journey, and when Win¬ 
ter overtakes him drops into the ground 
and is ready for his next year’s vandalism. 
I tried the chicken experiment by cooping 
an old hen with twenty-four chickens in the 
middlo of half an acre of Early Rose. At 
first the chickens seemed to like the sport 
of picking oil' the young bugs; but they soon 
got sick of them, and resolved to die 
scratching for worms rat her than swallow 
another one of t he loathsome creatures. I 
released the old hen, and the way she de¬ 
serted her family and went for my garden, 
led me to believe that her experience among 
the bugs had cither rendered her partially 
insane or totally depraved. Happy the 
man whose chickens will eat potato bugs.— 
J. B. T., Collins , Mich., July, 187:;. 
- *-*-* - 
SEVENTEEN-YEAR CICADA. 
1 inclose two t wigs, cut respectively from 
quince and pear, showing the work of the 
seventeen-year locust. AH of my young 
fruit trees are more of less damaged in this 
way—many of t hem bearing fruit for the 
first time. Now. 1 wish to know whether 
f shall out oil till such branches as are in¬ 
jured in this w ay now, or will it answer as 
well to cut them alter the leaf has fallen? 
Will the egg. that are deposited in the wood 
hatch this season: if so, how do the worms 
descend to ibegrouud ? Many ol the branch¬ 
es are cut off entirely, or so near that they 
will fall during the first strong wind.—,1. 
Mullen, Lexington, ICy. 
The seventeen-year locusts, or ClemhiH , 
always do more or loss damage to young 
fruit trees if any are in the vicinity ; but it 
is some consolation to know that the ap¬ 
pearance of this insect is not very frequent. 
If the twigs containing eggs were all cut off 
and burned, many thousands of those pests 
would be destroyed; but there are very few 
persons who will take upon themselves this 
very light, but really beneficial, task. The 
eggs hatch in five or six weeks after being 
deposited in flic branch, and the larva; drop 
to the ground, this being the most natural 
and rapid method of making the descent, 
where they start on another seventeen 
years’ cruise under ground. We believe 
that there is also, in some localities, a thir¬ 
teen as well us a seventeen year brood of 
Cicadas, besides two broods of either spe¬ 
cies may' sometimes overlap, thereby giving 
what would seem to be a 7, 8, or 9 year 
brood, which would not bo so in fact. 
•» ♦ ♦ 
APPLE TREE BORERS. 
Barrt, in the late edition of his Fruit 
Garden,says: 
“ The apple tree borer is a very trouble¬ 
some inseol in some sections of the country. 
Tn Western New York we have never met 
with it, but in two or three instances, in 
very old, neglected orchards, that had 
stood for twenty y ears in grass. The beetle 
is striped, brown and white, and is about 
three-fourths of an inch long. It deposits 
its eggs iu June, in the bark of the trees, 
noar the ground. Here the larva is hatched, 
becoming a whitish grub, which saws its 
j way into the tree, perforating it iu all di¬ 
rections, sometimes completely girdling it. 
“ The moBt effectual method to destroy 
them is to insert the end of a wire into 
their burrow and kill them. The same 
means are taken to guard against them as 
against the peach tree grub, viz., placing a 
mound of ashes around the base of the 
trunk in the spring, and allowing it. tore- 
i main until after the season in which the 
beetles deposit, their eggs. It prevents 
them from reaching the soft bark at the 
surface of the ground, the place usually 
I selected." 
-- 
ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 
_ 
The Ceropia Moth, — Inclosed find a 
largo moth which is new to us. We would 
like to know its name and something of its 
liubits. This specimen, when first caught, 
measured six inches across its wings.— 
Daniel Bierce, Alma City, Minn. 
The moth is the A Uncus Cccrupia, Ltnn, 
and is very common in the Atlantic States. 
The female moth lays her eggs in June and 
July, and t hey hatch in a few days. The 
worms at first are black, but change color 
at each moult ; at last become green, with 
red and yellow tubercles. The full grown 
| larva is about four inches long, and any¬ 
thing but an inviting object to timid nerves. 
It. feeds upon the leaves of various shrubs, 
l>ut is particularly fond of the apple leaf; 
and sometimes they are so numerous in 
nurseries as to do considerable damage to 
the young trees. When t he worm has at¬ 
tained maturity, it spins quite a large co¬ 
coon, fastened lengthwise to some conve¬ 
nient twig, where it remains through the 
Winter, there being but otic brood each 
year. In gardens, the currant bush is usu¬ 
ally selected by t he worm upon which to 
spin its cocoon. Wo seldom fail to find 
more or less when pruning our currants 
in Autumn or Winter. We preserved quite 
a number of the cocoons last Fall, placing 
them in our library, where they have pro¬ 
duced some fine moths this Spring. 
Colorado Potato Beetle. — Herewith 
F send you a box containing a sprig of a po¬ 
tato vim* wit h three bugs on it. Are they 
the genuine Colorado potato bug? Havo 
heard of tlicir appearance in only one place 
in this locality. They will out potato vines 
right livclv. A u v information iu regard to 
them through Rural New-Yorker will be 
thankfully received.— A. W. Perkin, Little 
Valieu, iv. r. 
Yes; the larva sent in the box are those 
of the ten-liner, or Colorado potato beetle, 
(Doryphora tcn-llncdia). This pest ap¬ 
pears to bo more destructive in its larva 
state than when in the perfect or beetle 
form; but it keeps pretty busy in both. 
We regret to learn of its approach, but ex¬ 
pect it in the suburbs of New York City by 
another season. 
Cure for Currant Worm.—The currant 
worms were stripping the leaves from my 
bushes in a very lively manner, not long 
ago, when I took fresh lime aud sifted over 
the bushes, fairly whitening them. 1 have 
not seen any worms since, and the bushes 
do not seem any worse for the application, 
j put on ashes last year, but think lime the 
most effectual. The worms were rather 
small, brown ones like what we call a 
measuring worm, and perhaps were not the 
dreaded currant, worm, but they were de¬ 
structive. ■ ■ II. C. 1). 
Orientijit and Useful. 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL NOTES. 
A Heat Measurer.—W. P. It. is correct 
and his friend is wrong. There is a German 
invention by which the heat of the hottest 
furnace is said to be measured. It is based 
on the principle that the resistance of pure 
metals to the electric current increases with 
the temperature in a very simple ratio. A 
platinum wire of known resistance is ooiled 
around a cylinder of fine clay and covered 
with a tube of the same material. The tube 
is [connected with a Daniell's battery of 
two cells, and with a resistance measurer, 
aud placed iu the furnace whoso tempera¬ 
ture is to be ascertained. Then can be read 
off the indications of temperature on t he 
graduated resistance measure. We know of 
no similar device in this country. 
Useful and Scientific Inquiries. — 
Gasterpod asks someone to tell how shells 
are fastened to frames and boxes, what 
kind of wax or glue is used and how made. 
. . . . J. W. F. asks the best mode to cure 
and tan lamb skins with wool on ... . Y. 
asks if there is a “mineral rod ’’ that is of 
use in discovering coal mines. 
(Bconomtr. 
ASHES, LEACHED AND UNLEACHED. 
The Boston Journal of Chemistry gives the 
following, which will answer several ques¬ 
tions asked by correspondents of the Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker:—I nquiries are fre¬ 
quently made regarding the comparative 
value of leached and unlcached ashes; and 
in order to answer them, let us consider the 
nature, or chemical constituents of the two 
heaps as we find them at the soap-boiler's. 
In one bin are the dry. fresh wood ashes; in 
another, the wet, lixiviated mass, as thrown 
from t he leaoh tubs. 1 f the former are like 
the ashes produced in uur own dwelling, by 
burning in the open fireplace, oak, pine, 
hickory, birch, and maple woods, a bushel 
will weigh about fifty pounds, six and three- 
fourth pounds of which arc soluble in warm 
water. Of the solublo constituents, there 
are a little more than four and one-half 
pounds of potash and soda, the remainder 
being the sulphuric, muriatic, and carbonic 
acids with which the alkalies are combined. 
Forty-three pounds are insoluble in water, 
aud consist of 
Cnrbonuto <>t lime.82 lbs. 
Phosphate of lime. 3 lbs. 
• 'Hrbonate of miiHoexui. 4 lbs. 
Silicate of lime.8 lb». 
Oxides of iron sad nmneanese.1 lb. 
“ It is the work of the soap-boiler to re¬ 
move from ashes what is soluble in water, 
which is accomplished in the leach tub, and 
this is all t he change they undergo in his es¬ 
tablishment. The ashes go iu dry, holding 
the soluble and insoluble substances; they 
Come out wet, deprived of six and three- 
fourth pounds of potash and soda. It should 
be stated, however, that about one pound 
of quick-lime is added to each bushel of 
ashes in the leach, to render the lyo caustic. 
This adds one pound more of lime to the 
insoluble residuum, or the leached ashes, 
making it weigh, if it was free from water, 
forty-four pounds. Iu leaching, the ashes 
do not change much in bulk, but they are 
largely increased in weight from the con¬ 
tained water. 
“ Now, what iB the commercial value of 
the ashes before and after they pass 
through the soap-maker's bands? In the 
dry state the 
Cents. 
Konr unit one-half poundH of potash and soda 
arc worth I! cents a pound.27 
Other soluble constituents.3 
Thlrly-lwu pounds carbonate <.f lime. .7 
Three pounds phosphate of lime.<i 
Throe pounds silt cute,,..... 0 
Iron and ninneaneso . 0 
33 
“This estimate, which is a fair one, gives 
a value per bushel of thirty-nine cents; that 
is, the substances found iu u bushel of good 
sound wood ashes are worth, in the market, 
that sum, at the present time. By leaching 
the ashes, thirty cents of the commercial 
value is removed and converted into soap; 
this leaves nine ceuts as the value of the 
const ituents of a bushel of leached ashes. 
The silicate of lime, and the metals, practi¬ 
cally, have no market value and are not con¬ 
sidered. 
“ What is the agricultural value of the 
two forms of fertilizers? The ashes holding 
all their normal constituents, are worth 
more applied to soils than for other uses 
when separated, dollars and cents being 
eonutderpd. A bushel, judiciously employ¬ 
ed, will return, in most seasons, sixty or 
seventy cents’ worth of products the first 
year. The potash and soda, combined as 
they are in ashes, in the form of carbonates, 
sulphates, and silicates, are in precisely the 
right condition to be readily assimilated, 
and also to aid in rendering assimilable, 
many important constituents of the soil. 
"The leached ashes also are worth more 
than nine cents a bushel. Relatively they 
are worth more for soil employment than 
the tuileached, regard being had to the com¬ 
mercial value of the substances when sep¬ 
arated. A good honest bushel of moist, 
leached ashes will give returns the first year 
of the value of fifteen or twenty cents; and 
owing to the peculiar decomposing influence 
upon the insoluble constituents of the sili¬ 
cates, etc., remaining in the mass, their in¬ 
fluence extends outside of themselves, and 
continues for a long time. A pound of phos¬ 
phate of lime found iu ashes is worth more 
than a pound of bone dust, as it is iu a con¬ 
dition to be readily taken up by plants. 
The carbonate of lime is worth more than 
chalk or the same agent in other forms, in¬ 
asmuch as it has once passed through plant 
structures. 
The estimates here presented are only 
rough ones, but they are sufficiently exact 
to serve as a guide in learning the value of 
leached and unleached wood ashes. We 
havo experimented considerably with ashes 
iu both forms, upon soils of various kinds, 
and what we have here stated is the result 
of our own practical experience. 
. -♦♦♦- 
1CIDER MAKING. 
The season is close at hand when cider 
making will commence. We find on file a 
deferred communication from a gentleman 
of experience, which contains suggestions 
of practical value. It is as follows: 
G. R. D. objects to grating mills, for the 
reason that they cut. the seeds, which give 
an unpleasant flavor to the cider. The 
structure of an apple is mostly made up of 
an aggregation of very minute cells, which 
contain the juice. To break these cells, to 
facilitate tiie separation of the juice, we 
have in common use three mechanical 
means — crushing, grinding and grating. 
The grating mill, from its simplicity of con¬ 
struction, has come into general use, though 
most cider makers prefer the operation of 
crushing mills. In cutting t hrough pomace, 
after the heaviest pressure of an ordinary 
press has been fully applied, if a piece of 
apple uncrushed by the mill is cut through, 
it will still be sound, and hold its juices re¬ 
gardless of the. pressure, which has only 
been effective on the crushed aud more 
yielding substance surrounding it. By the 
grating process, are there not many small 
parts that pass the mill wit h their cells un¬ 
broken? If so, do these unbroken cells 
wholly yield up their juice under the press ? 
If the grater can operate so perfectly as to 
break all the cells, the substance of the ap¬ 
ple must necessarily be so cut up t hat, under 
pressure, many particles of it will run out 
with the juice, in defiance of the most care¬ 
ful straining. 
Mr. Cox, a cider maker of New Jersey, 
who wrote in 1810, says Toughness, dry¬ 
ness, a fibrous flesh, aud astringency are all 
good qualities in a cider apple." Of the 
Herve’s V irginia crab he says:—“Iu the 
crib no st ruw is necessary, the pomace being 
sufficiently librous aud tough to prevent its 
passage through the slats with the severest 
pressure; the juice is white, and clear as 
spirit from a still, without auy mixture of 
pulp." From the above, it appears that 
toughness aud a fibrous flesh are only valu¬ 
able in resisting the pulping process, which 
pertains iu a great degreo to the grating 
principle of redticiug apples, ami also to the 
grinding principle, as often seen iu t he case 
of soft, apples iu a crushing mill that does 
not feed freely. 
It is obvious that the cellular structure 
cannot be complotelj' brokeu without some 
degreo of pulping, even by the crushiug 
process, as under gradual pressure the apple 
being flattened, its parts must move some¬ 
what on each other in being extended to 
larger superficial dimensions; but the 
crushing principle is attended with the 
least pulping possible, theoretically, aud in 
practice has the sanction of the best cider 
makers. Cox says:—“If the juice of an 
apple be extracted without bruising the 
fruit, it will be fouud thin aud defective iu 
richness, compared to the juice of the same 
apple extracted after it has been some time 
exposed in a bruised state to the influence 
of the air and light; it then becomes deeply 
tinged, less fluid and very rich ; in the for¬ 
mer state it apparently contained but little 
sugar; in the latter, a great quantity, 
much of which has probably been generated 
since the fruit became bruised; though it 
may be difficult to explain satisfactorily, 
the moans by which this effect was pro¬ 
duced. The component parts ol sugar are 
known to be vital air, inflammable air, and 
charcoal; the two latter substances are evi¬ 
dently component parts of the apple; and 
it is probable that during the process of 
grinding they may absorb and combine with 
a portion of the vital air of the atmos* 
phere.” 
Place an apple between two iron plates 
aud apply pressure sufficient to reduce it to 
the thickness of the seeds and its cellular 
substance will be extended laterally over 
and around the oval seeds, in yielding to 
the compression until sufficiently compact 
to sustain the pressure of the plates with¬ 
out breaking or even flattening the seeds, 
which have a more tirui aud unyielding 
structure. This example shows the least 
pulping attainable in a crushing mill, and 
exhibits tin- completely broken condition 
of the cellular substance compressed to 
nearly or quite the density of the seeds— 
the juice is at once liberated from every 
broken cell, and every particle of it, with 
the perfectly lacerated cellular structure, 
is instantly free to imbibe oxygen from the 
air; and if the quantity of sugar is thus in¬ 
creased, the operation of reducing apples 
for t he press is of much importance in eider 
making. James Weed. 
Muscatine, Iowa. 
