nary box hive, a foot square and a foot high. 
Of coarse, in malting your platform and box¬ 
ing, while you follow the plan I have de¬ 
tailed, you also make them to fit the hive 
you use, which will alter lengtlis and breaths 
a little but not the general shape of what I 
have described. The aide view would be 
so similar to Fig- 7 that I need not give it. 
even here where the enemy is so well am¬ 
bushed and hidden, the proper tactics,based 
on thorough knowledge, will frequently en¬ 
able us to penetrate the defenses and conquer 
the foe. 
Before leaving this subject of Families, let 
me Impress upon your minds another impor¬ 
tant fact, namely, that the Family is not pe¬ 
culiar to any one country, and that while 
species vary, the Family has the same habits 
and characteristics all over the world. Tims 
in Europe we find the snoul-beetles as inju¬ 
rious, and as difficult to manage—if not more 
so—than they are in this country. One spe¬ 
cies, (TUiyncJutet conicus, Hbst ) deposits eggs 
in the twigs of Pear, Plum, Cherryjaiid Apri¬ 
cot., and girdles the twig to make it fall; an¬ 
other, Hhynckiles bacchns , Sciken,) infests 
the fruit, and still another, (A utho nonius pyri } 
Sciicen,) ihe flower bud of the Pear. One, 
(Rhynchiies betuleU, F.,) rolls up grape leaves 
and partly cuts their stems, so that they per¬ 
ish, while another, (Anthonomus poinonnn , 
Sen.,) infests the blossom bud of the Apple, 
and renders it unfertile. Still another, in¬ 
habits the blossom hud of the Cherry. Ba- 
laninus nucum is found in the common Ha¬ 
zel-nut, and B. cerasorum in Cherry pits; 
Apion apricans devours the seed of Clover; 
A tiorhynchus sulcatus, Sen., infests the crown 
of Strawberries, and two different species, 
(Baris ohbrisans, Scjiken, and Oeutorhymus 
napi , Sciken,) infests the stems of cabbages 
and turnips. 
But after all, a single species—the “little 
Turk,” for instance—sometimes causes more 
loss of fruit in this country than all the above 
enumerated species do to the European cul¬ 
tivator, and though much of this compara¬ 
tive incapacity for harm, on the part of their 
insects, may be in a measure due to the bet¬ 
ter knowledge of his foes, which the traus- 
Atlantic cultivator possesses, to the more 
careful culture which he pursues, and the 
usually limited extent of his orchard, com¬ 
pared witli ours; yet it greatly depends on 
other causes, which the time allowed will 
not permit me to dwell upon. Bo I will at 
once proceed to say a few words about those 
of our own Snoul-beetles, which more par¬ 
ticularly interest you. 
The common Plum Curculio, ( GonotracM- 
lus nenuphar , Heubst ) It. is single-brooded, 
and hibernates as a Beetle. At your last an¬ 
nual meeting at Ottawa, 1 read an essay on 
this iusect/giving the established facts in its 
history, the artificial remedies to be employed 
in fighting it. Borne account of the natural 
remedies, aud concluded by referring to such 
points in its history as were then unsettled, 
or upon which there were different opinions 
ntomolegical 
am wconantjt 
SAVING AND MANAGING STEAW, 
WINTERING BEES, 
SNOUT-BEETLES 
Injurious To Fruits and Vegetables, 
The increasing value of straw to the farm¬ 
er for feeding, bedding, and for the manure 
heap, has induced many good farmers to 
build a straw barn at the rear of the grain 
barn to send the straw to when it is being 
threshed. I have more than secured that 
object by another plan, which I have prac¬ 
tised the last two years very successfully, by 
which I cut the straw os it is threshed, and 
store it in the same barn again, it not occu¬ 
pying more than half the space after cutting 
that it did in the mow, and doing all with 
fewer hands thau it required the old way. 
I first bought a good power cutting ma¬ 
chine, with fifteen-inch knife and throat, 
placed it. on a scaffold over the barn floor, 
where the straw elevator from the threshing 
machine would discharge into it.; then, with 
a band, I attached it to my own horse pow¬ 
er, so as to run it, when threshing, indepen¬ 
dent of the threshing machine. I made a 
twenty-foot, endless apron to carry cut feed 
to the farther side of the hay; then, by 
leaving a small space there, and takiug the 
grain from that part of the hay to thresh 
first, I had ample room to store the cut straw 
where the grain came from. 
With four horses and one man to direct 
the straw into the cutting machine, I can 
easily cut as fast as a ten-horse machine will 
thresh; and theent straw from 500 to 1,000 
bushels of grain will rutt down and store 
itself without employing the second hand 
for this purpose. 
This cut. straw is more readily and eco¬ 
nomically fed out, is belter for bedding, and 
is enough better in the manure heap to pay 
for all the expense of cutting. I also cut all 
my hay and stalks so that all that goes to 
the manure heap (which is in the basement) 
is already flue and in as good condition to 
be cultivated in as a top-dressing as I used 
to have it after three or four months of pitch¬ 
ing it over and decomposing it. I think it 
also goes farther and does more good, using 
it in this manner, from the short experience 
I have had. H. Iyeb. 
Batavia, N. Y. 
Allow me to say to H. B. R. that when 
one is as close an observer as he appears to 
be, he needs no answers to his inquiries in 
the Rural New-Yorker of December 15th, 
1870. Aft to the Italians, his experience is 
much as mine, and of course he knows the 
ordinary rules, as every one states them, for 
purity of Italians. 
BY OHAS. V. RILEY. 
[Read before the Ill. State Horticultural Society.] 
[Continued from page 10, last No.J 
Now it is wisely ordained that every 
family, as a general rule, lias not only a dis¬ 
tinctive family appearance, but also distinct 
family names. For example, nobody ever 
saw an Ichneumon Fly construct a nest and 
provision it. with insects, as does a Digger- 
Wasp; and nobody ever saw a Digger-Wasp 
deposit its eggs in the body of a living in¬ 
sect at large in the woods as an Ichneumon 
Fly does. But each family maintains its 
peculiar family habits, aud cannot be in¬ 
duced to deviate from them. 
So universally is this the case, that if you 
bring me an insect which I never saw in my 
life, I will tell you half its history at a 
glance. It is this “Unity of Habits;" this 
beautiful provision of nature—definite fami¬ 
ly likeness accompanied by definite family 
habits—which so simplifies the task of the 
practical mau; for, instead of having to study 
the diversified habits of half a million spe¬ 
cies, he has but to acquaint himself with the 
appearance and characteristics of one hun¬ 
dred families; and if the rudiments of En¬ 
tomology had been taught you, gentlemen, 
at school, so that you bail become familiar 
with these hundred family types, you would 
now be much better able to cope with your 
insect enemies. When I thiuk that it would 
take a child no longer to learn these one 
hundred family types than it does to learn 
the one hundred different types which com¬ 
pose the four alphabets—the Roman Capital 
audsmnll alphabet and the writing Capital 
and small alphabet—I fully expect, and sin¬ 
cerely hope, that in the public schools of 
this country wo shall soon have text hooks 
introduced which will cover the ground as 
well, and occupy the same place as do those 
useful works of Leunts, aud Troschel, and 
Ruthk, in the public schools of Germany. 
With thoRe few remarks, which are in¬ 
tended to show that the practical nian may 
easily obtain a general knowledge of his iu¬ 
sect friends aud enemies, notwithstanding 
the wide field of their operations and the 
immense number of species which exist, we 
will now dwell for a while on one of these 
families, which deeply interest you im fruit 
growers, namely: 
The Cnrciiltoimlfe or Snout-Beei os. 
This is one of the very largest and .'lost 
conspicuous Families in the order of Beetles 
(Coleoptera,) comprising, as It does, over 
10,000 distinct aud described species. It is 
at once distinguished from all the other 
families of beetles by the front of the head 
being produced into a more or less elongated 
snout or rostrum, at the extremity of which 
the mouth is situated. This snout is some¬ 
times very long and as fine as a hair {(genus 
Balannus ,) and sometimes as broad as the 
head (genus Brenthus;) but it always forms 
part and parcel of the bead and does not 
articulate on it. as does the snout, or proboscis 
of the true Bugs ( Hemiptera ,) or the tongue 
of Moths and Butterflies. The other chief 
characteristics of the Family are an ap¬ 
parently four jointed tarsus or foot (though 
in reality there are more generally five joints,) 
an ovoid form narrowing in front, Lhe sides 
pressed by the convex elytra or wing-covers, 
the antennae or feelers attached to the snout, 
and either elbowed or straight, and. composed 
of nine, ten, eleven or twelve joints—the 
first of which is always long and the termi¬ 
nal three generally united in a club or knob; 
and finally stout legs w ith swollen Hughs, 
sometimes bearing spines. 
The larvae of these snout-beetles are whit¬ 
ish or yellowish an 1 fleshj r grubs, always 
without logs or having only in the place of 
linen fleshy tubercles, which in a measure 
perform the functions of legs; the body Is 
oblong, with the back generally arched but 
sometimes straight. With these characteris¬ 
tics in your mind you cannot fail to recognize 
a snout-beetle when you see one. Now 1 there 
is hardly one of the one hundred families that 
I have referred to from which so many 
injurious species can be enumerated, for 
with the exception of an European species 
(Anlhribus Darius) whose larva was found by 
Ratzeburu to destroy bark-lice, they arc all 
vegetarians, the larvae inhabiting either the 
roots, stems, leaves or fruits of plants; and 
the beetles feeding on the same. So when¬ 
ever you find an insect with the characters 
just given, you may rest, morally certain that 
it is injurious, and should be destroyed with¬ 
out mercy. This family is not only one of 
the most, injurious, but, on account of the 
secretive habits of the larvffi, the insects com¬ 
prising it are the most difficult to control, 
When a worm is openly and above board 
denuding our trees we at least readily become 
aware of the fact, and can, if we choose, ap¬ 
ply the remedy; hut when it surreplitiously» 
and always under cover, gnaws away at the 
heart of our grains and fruits, we become in 
a measure helpless to defend ourselves, But 
Figure; 5. 
Observe this in putting your bees in win¬ 
ter quarters. If November 1st to 16th passes 
so cold that bees fly but little, the 16th or 
18th of November is a good time to pack 
them in this boxing. If it is so warm that 
they fly a good deal till December 1st or 
16th, then that time is the best. Let them 
have a few coolish days without protection, 
and he shut up a week or so before you 
change them from their summer stands to 
this winter packing. 
The shape I have given is quite varied ; 
use also trees, or other objects to mark the 
platforms, as you will need for twenty-four 
hives three of them, and so on. A bee going 
out of its hive in winter, marks clearly its 
Figure 1. 
A few years ago, I recommended bee 
houses and wintering in cellars. Now, 1 
advise the following:—Prepare, of any sound 
matched flooring, a platform nailed to 2x4 
or 8x3 joists. When ready, set it upon 
blocks or stones, and it will appear as 
shown in figure 1. 
On this you are to pul the bee hives, eight 
in number, and arranged as 1 shall state 
further on ; also, a north end board, two 
side boards, and a south end board and a 
movable cover, or roof. The arrangement 
of your hives, should be ns in Fig. 2. When 
a is Ihe north end board, made square, but 
with cleats, as in the next figure; and b, b, 
are two hives with their entrances facing 
the south ; c, c , c, are three hives witli their 
entrances to the east; d, d , d, are three hives 
with their entrances to the west. Tlie ob¬ 
ject of this arrangement is to vary as far as 
possible the entrance, Hint the bees be less 
cofused when they fly out in winter. Ex¬ 
perience shows that most of them find out 
(heir own hives by this arrangement. 
Figure 0. 
hive, yet seems to act as if it had not time to 
do so leisurely. Hence, whether on the 
same stand they oocupied all summer or in 
the packing, there will be some confusion. 
The “sliives” of flax will make ft good 
packing material. Ton-bark stains the front 
of the hives. Sawdust, dried thoroughly, is 
the best. Leave the bottom boards of your 
hives on, and pul a little sawdust under 
them. Some prefer to raise up tlieir hives 
from the bottom board by an inch thick 
strip or frame between the bottom of the 
hive and the bottom board ; this is to bo ap¬ 
proved, as it maka a pit to let dead bees, 
dust and wet fall into in winter Of course 
it is not to be used in summer. All you have 
to do is to keep the entrances clear by the 
plan I have given, and in a strong hive this 
is rarely required. It is slovenly to make 
hives so expammly as to let mice in or much 
cool air. You and I can’t he at that ex¬ 
pense, reader! Nice keeping is the cheapest 
and best. But if, after all, you prefer a bee 
house, tan-bark is the best packing for the 
walls, as it rots slowly. Put it in as dry as 
ECONOMICAL NOTES, 
Figure 2. 
But you need a little detail of carpentry, 
which is aMvtjySfdry, and jieems more diffi¬ 
cult. than it really is; so please wade Hi rough 
it with me. Fig. 8 shows the inside of the 
north end pieces of the boxing about the 
hives, tll» outside is perfectly plain ; and a, 
a, are two cleats that hold the boards to¬ 
gether, and with the square Avail cleat at 
the bottom, and the longer cleat close by the 
first cleat, the three cleats making an inch 
space, marked dark, Avhich dork places al¬ 
low the side pieces to rest In and be held to 
the north piece. 
Figure 4 shows first the outside of the 
south end piece, aud that it has two cleats, 
but that Hie boards do not go down to the 
bottom of them. The construction of this 
south piece is farther seen in the end view, 
at Ihe right hand of the larger view. 
Figure 5 is a vieiv of the Avest side boxing 
piece. It has two cleats at, the ends, a, a. 
The one at the left hand is a little in from 
the end, as that end fits the dark place in 
the left end of Fig. 3. Two cleats, shaped 
FIG-1 -(a) larva; (b)puna; (c) beet)e-aU magnified: 
(A) beetle, natural sue, showing how it punctures 
rruit. 
expressed. It would be needless to repeat 
anything that Avas there said, for any new 
members who may not have heard the read¬ 
ing of that essay, will find it in the Transac¬ 
tions; so we will confine ourselves to some 
of the mooted points, I am glad to be able 
to inform you that I have forever settled the 
principal question, namely, as to its being 
single or double brooded. You Avil' recol¬ 
lect. that authors have, from the beginning, 
held different views on this subject, and this 
fact should not surprise us, Avhen we bear in 
mind that they reasoned simply from conjec¬ 
ture; nor will it surprise ns when Ave under¬ 
stand the facts iu the case. The facts that 
fresh aud soft Curculios are found in this 
latitude as early as the beginning of July, 
and that they stiM come out of the ground iu 
August, or as late as September, and even 
October, in more northerly latitudes,are well 
calculated to mislead; while it was difficult 
to imagine an insect living ten months before 
ovipositing, without dwindling away through 
the action of its enemies. But in the beetle 
state, the Curculio lias few, if any enemies, 
and in my former writings on this subject, I 
have shown that the other facts do not in 
the least prove the insect to be double brood¬ 
ed. Among those whose opinions com¬ 
manded respect, from their profound ento¬ 
mological knowledge and general accuracy, 
was Mr. Walsh, who, during his last years, 
strenuously contended that this insect av as 
double brooded. For several years I have 
entertained a different opinion, believing that 
it Avas single brooded, ns a rule, and only ex¬ 
ceptionally double brooded; and the facts so 
fully bear me out in this opinion, that were 
my late associate here with us to-day', I 
should bring forth the testimony with a feel¬ 
ing of triumph, for he was not often iu the 
wrong! It is worthy of remark, however, 
that Mr. Walsh’s first impression, as given 
by him iu the year 1867*, avus that this in¬ 
sect is single brooded; his first opinion thus 
coinciding witli what I have uoav proved to 
be the facts in the case. Iu the First Mis¬ 
souri Entomological Report, I have reviewed 
the experiments which led him to change his 
opinion, and shoivn that they did not war¬ 
rant his final conclusion.—[To be continued. 
•Practical Entomologist, Vol. II., No. 7. 
Figure 7. 
can be. A bee house is useful if it lias a 
large av in clow to Hie floor, for all operations 
that require to let Hie bees out in a room; 
they then fly to the window and get in 
bunches at its bottom, near the floor. And 
when you are through with the changes to 
be made, they go easily into the hive. 
Bee houses are necessarily small, aud get 
frozen through, and, therefore, I never knew 
one used many years to Aviuter bees iu. All 
this freezing and thawing is obviated by the 
plan proposed in this article. What I have 
said may seem dilficuH, but as the lumber is 
very small and a good carpenter ought, to 
make a platform and boxing and cover in 
tAVO hour's time, it is not very costly, es¬ 
pecially for year after year use. The saw¬ 
dust will also be saved and used year after 
year. It is a very simple thing to do. 
As to the authorship of this plan, I doubt 
not but that it is in part old. All good ihings 
are, a patent law says, “anticipated," or 
more or less done by some one. Mr. Tucker 
of this town boxes them every year rather 
roughly. I have detailed a fuller and better 
carpentry, as well as introduced some new 
things, in what I have said. 
Try it, bee mau! and see if it does not 
please you. When you can’t sell a hive 
under fifteen dollars, because it gives yoft 
eight to twelve dollars worth of box honey 
each year, it is worth while to get the best 
Avay to do everything. 
Make a tin reeling machine; reel out your 
honey; put it in neat glass packages; make 
holes on the sides of your old-fashioned box 
hives, and get boxes everywhere—that is the 
secret of non-swarming; and make winter 
packing sheds as I have told you. 
“ Book bee keeping” has triumphed over 
all your old notions. Away with your tin 
pan, sulphur, bee balm, salt, and all such 
trash and nonsense. Lift up your head a 
free, independent modern bee man, out of 
the clouds of the dark ages. Be a live, not a 
dead drone in bee keeping. 
Ithaca, N. Y S. J. Parker, M. D. 
Figure 3. 
as in the small figure of Fig. 4, are on the 
middle parts of this view. They serve the 
same purpose as in the large figure in Fig. 4. 
You need not be told that a corresponding 
cast, piece is to be made. 
Now arrange hooks or other contrivances, 
and put this boxing together about your hives, 
arranged as shown by Fig. 2, and you have it 
ready to pack the bees. The best packing 
is dry sawdust, or cut straw; cut it not over 
an inch long. Pack all about the hives, and 
at, least six inches thick, over the top of the 
hives. 
Now make a roofing. The form is shown 
by Fig. 6, which is made of triangular 
boards, with hoards nailed on the top of 
them. 
Figure 4. 
When done, the whole will appear as in 
Fig. 7, which shows the two hives, the south 
end having three small entrances, too small 
for a mouse or rat to get in at; aud an inch 
round hole just over the three entrances, 
which hole is covered with wire cloth ; these 
are all the holes for ventilation necessary. 
The dotted tines show the form of an ordi- 
