also a collection of last year's leaves. How 
can they be applied to flower beds to best 
advantage?—A Rkai>er. 
Scatter over the surface, and work in as 
the beds are hoed during the season. 
be easily destroyed or otherwise.—N. E. 
Loveland. 
The moth and chrysalis are, as you sup¬ 
pose, the well - known peach tree borer 
i r.ritosa, S \ v). The two worms 
found feeding upon votir apple tree were 
s<- dried when received that we could not 
determine what they were. Always pack 
the larva' of insects in vials of alcohol, or in 
cotton moistened with some kind of spirits. 
a very loud noise and heavy concussion, 
whereupon the insects will all leave. Try it 
l think all who do will flud it to their beno- 
FOURCROYA LONGER A 
This handsome Mexican plant is attract¬ 
ing considerable attention among the gar¬ 
deners and nurserymen of Europe, 
and should bo more generally 
known in this country. It is a 
magnificent species and said to at- /1\ 
tain a bight of fifty feet in its V\ 
native climate, although the plant ^ 
that bloomed in Kew Hardens, 
England, a few years since, was /i 
only about fifteen feet high. In V 
general appearance this plant re¬ 
sembles the A m oricau Aloe, 
(Agave,) or Century Plant, to 
which it is allied, and like it, dies 
after blooming. It has leaves sim¬ 
ilar to Win Yuccas, and the flowers 
are large, white and thickly set on 
the tall panicle, as shown in figure 
1. A branch with a few flowers <, 
enlarged is shown in figure If. 
The Fourcroyas are readily and 
rapidly propagated from small 
suckers that appear in consul- 
erable numbers around the base of 
the old plant, these being removed 
and potted whenever desired. If ^ 
the flower stems appeared any J* 
considerable time before the plant 
bloomed, it would be impractica- ’ — 
ble to keep such a monster in an 
ordinary conservatory; but fortu¬ 
nately they do not. The blooming ^ 
usually occurs in summer, and the 
plant can be removed to the open 
air where its gigantic stem can 
grow upward unobstructed. The 
young plant s can be purchased very 
cheaply in Europe, and we hope 
our enterprising florists will show 
the people of this country that 
they can grow this wonder of the 
vegetable kingdom us well us those 
of the same calling in other parts 
of the world. There is a good op¬ 
portunity for an exhibition of enterprise in 
this matter of introducing new, rare and 
meritorious plants. 
Perpetual Hloomers.—The Hearth and 
Home mentions as fine bloomers that are 
The Tickler Beetle.—Inclosed find a 
beetle which 1 caught to-day in a Pinux 
trmhm in the Cambridge Botanic Garden. 
The tree from which 1 took this specimen 
is dying from the attacks of some species of 
borers, but whether they are the larvje of 
this insect or some other of the many species 
which infest, the Pine, I am unable to de¬ 
termine. This one " being found on the 
promises,” it certainly looks suspicious,— 
P. Ik H.. Boxlon, Mass. 
The beetle is a fine female specimen of 
the Monohammux UMllator, or Tickler 
Beetle. You will find t his insect described 
in “ Harris* Insects Injurious to Vegeta¬ 
tion,'’ p. 105; but we know nothing Of its 
larvai or upon what species or family of 
trees it lives. It is barely possible, although 
not probable, that the larvie live in the 
Pine; but some one Of the entomologists of 
Boston should examine the tree you men¬ 
tion. Send us any beetle that may bo found 
oil it or in the immediate vicinity; also any 
larvai from the steins or branches of the 
tree. Any facts tending towards determin¬ 
ing the true history of this splendid insect 
will always be acceptable. 
Striped Blister Beetle. —The insects 
sent by A. JOHNSON, Yates, Orleans Co..N. 
Y., are not the Colorado potato beetle, but 
the well known striped blister beetle (Lytta 
vlUata). 1 f crushed on the skin of a per¬ 
son they are likely to cause a blister, hence 
their common name. They are more or less 
common in all parts of the United States, 
and sometimes abundant enough to damage 
potatoes. 
FOMOLOGICAL GOSSIP 
feathering Late Pears.—An English 
gardener says“ In reference to gathering 
pears, I always defer this for late sorts as 
late in the season as possible, that Is, if the 
weather is mild and they do not drop off. 
I am convinced the later they are gathered 
the later they ripen, in proof of which I 
may say that Winter Nelis has usually rip¬ 
ened with me in November; I gathered 
them last year on Nov. 5th, which is later 
than usual, and none of them have yet (De¬ 
cember) ripened, I have had quite a suc¬ 
cession from the same tree by gathering 
some two or three weeks earlier than oth¬ 
ers. We have generally a. large supply of 
Autumn pears, hence my desire to retard 
the ripening of later sorts.” 
Concussion as n Means of Destroying 
Insects.—Our readers will remember that 
we have given Col. Hardee’s (of Florida) 
claim that concussion will destroy insects. 
Hore we have a confirmation of the theory. 
Mrs. A. W., Bello Plain, Iowa, writes the 
Figure 3. 
nearly always in bloom, and therefore afford 
constant pleasure, the Cuphea, Geranium, 
Verbena, Petunia, Nurembergia, Vinca, etc. 
White Blackberries. We have in this 
section a berry similar to the blackberry in 
all respects except that it is white. Is it 
known in other localities?— Ward Boyd, 
Mayfield, Ky. 
Very common in various parts of the 
country, and are only sports (albinos) of tho 
common wild blackberry. They are usually 
not quite as hardy as the black varieties, 
although some of thorn are very good in 
quality and worthy of cultivation. 
FLORICULTURAL NOTES 
New Mignonette.—The Gardener’s 
Monthly says:—Parson’s white is not white, 
but still it is a well marked and valuable 
variety. They pay more attention to cul- 
tivatiug Mignonette in Europe than wo do 
—a single plant is taken and grown . This 
gives an opportunity to mark the different 
habits of the variety, as well as any pecu¬ 
liarity of flower, and there is often as much 
to interest one in tho form of the plant as 
in the color of its blossoms. There are now 
several new ones with distinct habits. 
There is the “ tall ” pyramidal which is of a 
lance ovate outline when fully grown. Tho 
“Pyramidal Bouquet” is broadly ovate, 
near the form of a fashionable bouquet. 
The new dwarf compact has the spikes of 
flowers with a blunt termination, instead 
of the narrow tapering form of most mig¬ 
nonettes. This gives the plant a massive 
habit. It appears rather a bunch of mig¬ 
nonette than one growing plant. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL BOOK WANTED 
A “Rural Friend,” who wants us to 
give the name and price of some Entomo¬ 
logical book which contains the names and 
description of all common Insects, is in¬ 
formed that no such book has over been 
printed, or is likely to be in this ortho 
next century. A hundred volumes, of a 
thousand octavo pages each, would scarcely 
suffice for the common insects of this coun¬ 
try, to say nothing of other portions of tho 
globe. Very few persons have the least 
idea of the vastnoss of tho insect world, or 
tho time arid labor required to learn tho 
habits of one member of either of the great 
orders into which insects arc divided. The 
constant labor of the few who devote their 
lives to tho study of entomology accom¬ 
plishes very little, considering what thero is 
to be learned; still we should he thankful 
that thero are even a few men who are 
willing to labor for tho enlightenment of 
the masses. 
Because thero aro no books which contain 
a description of all the insects, it should 
not prevent nor discourage you from pur¬ 
chasing and studying the few works giving 
information on this subject. Harris’ “ In¬ 
sects Injurious to Vegetation” is a good 
work, costing only H; Paukarb’s “Guide 
to the Study of Insects” is another excel¬ 
lent work, price $11. But if one desires to 
know what is being done by our American 
Entomologists, they should subscribe for 
the Transactions of the American Entomo¬ 
logical Society of Philadelphia. A com¬ 
plete sot of these volumes is a pretty good 
library in itself. 
Hoekott’s Sweet Apple.—The apple, it 
is claimed, is a native of North Carolina, 
and to be one of the best, if nob tho very 
best, sweet apple of its season. The flesh is 
described as crisp, for a sweet apple, a little 
coarse grained, llavor excellent, and fruit 
always fair and sound. Season all Septem¬ 
ber. At, Summit, Miss., it ripens from 
Aug. 30 to Sept. 10. It is large, somewhat 
flat, beautifully striped and splashed with 
red and yellow. 
Plant for Name.—Inclosed you will find 
the leaf, flower and flower-bud, (not yet 
expanded) of a lily that grows herewith us. 
It is hardy, growing about two feet high in 
good soil. The leaf sent is one growing 
near the top of the flower stem, conse¬ 
quently not more than one-third tho size of 
those growing nearer the ground. Please 
give the proper name.— Mrs. II. E. Evans. 
Funkia suhrordata or White Day Lily. 
It is a native of Japan and China. An ex¬ 
cellent but common old plant. 
Otsego Bass and White Fish.— Seth 
Green says:—“ I think tho Otsego bass be¬ 
longs to the white fish family, and is noth¬ 
ing else than tho white lish peculiar to Ot¬ 
sego lake. In shape and size and marks, 
they are tho same. The flesh is decidedly 
different, owing to the food they Jive on. 
I have examined the food under a micro¬ 
scope, and £ find they live on a small insect 
not more than an eighth of an inch long, 
which belongs to the craw-flsh family, and 
that is what gives the fish a bass flavor. It 
has not got the oily taste of tho white-fish, 
and I consider it decidedly a better fish to 
my taste. I have eaten it broiled and boil¬ 
ed, fried and baked, salted and fresh, and 
it is good any time. 
Ipomopsis in Oregon,—Will the Ipo- 
mopais be likely to endure our long rains in 
Oregon?— A Reader. 
We think not, as it is a native of warm 
climates; but will succeed where the Sum¬ 
mers are long and warm, as, for instance, in 
the vicinity of this city. 
Voracity of the Pickerel.—Tho rapid 
growth and extraordinary voracity of tho 
pickerel aro well shown by Dr. Sturtevant 
in tho report of Massachusetts Inland Fish¬ 
eries Commissioners. The doctor investi¬ 
gated their powers of eating in the follow¬ 
ing manner:—He put two young pickerel, 
five inches long, in a trough with a grout 
quantity of little minnows about one inch 
in length; and these two pickerel ate 138 
minnows the first day, 133 the second, and 
150 the third, and they increased one inch 
in 48 hours! They were mere machines for 
the assimilation of other organisms. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES, 
Insects for Names.—Inclosed in a box 
I send you aooooou, and an insect from one 
of the same kind, which I obtained from 
the roots of some worm-eaten peach trees; 
and, as the worm was absent. 1 have conclud¬ 
ed that the inclosed insect was once a peach 
treo borer. Will you please decide the 
question? Also, in the same box, I placed a 
couple of worms, which, with many others, 
were fast destroying a large apple tree by 
eating the foliage. My object in sending 
them was to ask if the moth which they 
produce is anything conspicuous enough to 
Where to Purchase Plants.—Mrs. G. 
B. P. should apply to some of our florists 
who advertise in the Rural New-Yorker 
for the plant she desires. We cannot un¬ 
dertake to tell subscribers where every 
plant figured or described in our columns 
can be purchased, and the price. 
Figure 1. 
Prairie Farmer how she clears her garden, 
as follows:—“ My way is to bore a hole in a 
stump or log in the garden or orchard in¬ 
fested, and put in powder sufficient to make 
Bones and Leaves for Flower Beds 
■I have some bones dissolved with ashes 
