mony, but two would do neither. The bark 
of the stems and branches kept green, but 
not a single bud made any sign of starting 
right up to the middle of July, notwithstand¬ 
ing their being kept well watered throughout 
the whole season. Being a deep thinker, he 
thought over the subject, and came to the 
conclusion that the bark must be so contract¬ 
ed that sufficient moisture coidd not ascend 
to start the growth. Matters could not well 
be worse; so he thought he would try the 
Ohitomoloqinil 
amount of water and impurities of various 
kinds which it contains. 
Ordinary molasses or sirup may contain 
other impurities, but no ocarina, because 
they cannot live in a liquid ; and if sugar 
containing them is thrown into water they 
will come to the surface in order to breathe. 
The very thought of taking these disgusting 
creatures into one’s stomach by thousands, 
as every person must who uses brown or any 
of the varieties of raw sugar, is certainly bad 
enough ; but when we are shown 
by our greatest microsoopists that 
this mite produces what is termed 
“grocer's itch,” wefeol like ceasing 
our investigations in that direc¬ 
tion. Eruptions seen upon the ten- 
der fl es h of childr en arc , without 
doubt, in many instances caused by 
the burrowing of this acorns sae- 
chari under the skin. It is certain¬ 
ly closely allied to the itch mite, 
Acanis or Sacopfes scabiei of Linn. 
Also to the cheese mite, Tyrogly- 
phus siro, Linn. To the same 
genus belongs the flour mite, 
T-fnrtnm, DkGkkr. Then there are 
other species that infest horses, 
sheep, dogs, cattle, and even the 
wild birds are not wholly exempt 
from the attacks of a species of 
mite. 
But we have nothing to fear ex¬ 
cept from the lirst two named, and 
the remedies or preventives must 
be obvious to any one. We have no 
• facts at hand to show that the sugar 
mite has been found in maple sugar, 
hut should not expect to find in- 
Jigg s— s t ferior grades entirely exempt, es- 
peciully if brought in contact with 
niw cane sugar. 
- *— - 
sS-f \ ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 
BUDDING SOSES ON THE MANETTI 
ACARINA OR MITES 
We wish to know more about the Acarus 
tribe, especially the one infesting sugar. 
How came they there ? Do they infest ma¬ 
ple sugar?—H. 
The great family of Acaridtt or true mites 
are not produced spontaneously, as many 
I find the following practice to answer 
admirably. Where the bud has failed on a 
manetti, I cut the stock down quite close to 
the ground, or, better still, an inch lower 
than the ground, if it is a good, strong stock. 
Three or four stout shoots are sent 
up. In Juno 1 bud every shoot; in 
about three weeks or a month the 
tics are loosened, and no further 
care is taken of them until the 
year following, when in the month 
of March 1 head all the shoots down 
to just one eye above the bud. This 
eye is left to draw sap. If any of 
the buds do not start, I stop back 
the sap-bud after it has grown from 
four to six inches. If the bud is still 
obstinate, I cut the sap-bud clean 
out, then the rose-bud starts into 
growth at once. 
By June or July I have from three 
to four roses growing upon one 
manetti stool. When tile roses have 
made growth about a foot long, I 
form a mound of soil about the 
stool, covering the junctions of the 
buds about an inch ; this operation 
causes the manetti shoots to emit 
roots. Early in September I pull 
down the mound of earth, and ex¬ 
amine for roots ; at the same time 
with a strong knife I partly detach 
the manetti shoots from the old 
stem ; 1 then raise up the mound of 
earth again, and roots are almost 
certain to be formed during the 
autumn.J 
In February I take up the whole ytH 
stool, and split off every shoot which V lj 
is now a manetti rose, and plant ( J 
them in the usual way, covering the V1 
junction an inch or rather more. 
There are two advantages gained 
by adopting fliis system. The first - 
and most especial one for the ama¬ 
teur is, that there is a greater 
certainty of his buds taking, be¬ 
cause he buds on wood of the same 
season’s growth ; the second ad¬ 
vantage is, he gels three or four 
manetti roses f mui one stool. Borne 
of the shoots at planting time will 
probably not have emitted roots, 
but l find in practice when planted 
out , and the rose cut down to about six inches, 
that roots are soon formed. It must be borne 
in mind that manet ti stocks intended for this 
sort of work must not be prepared like cur¬ 
rant. and gooseberry cuttings, which have all 1 
eyes cut out except three or four at the top. 
—Heavy Taylor. 
WjMfcS Ashes fur Wire 1 Forms.—Some 
one who appears to speak from ex- 
) pericnce, says “ If you will drop 
a small handful of ashes on each 
hill of corn, the wire worm will not 
touch it; it will not hurt the corn, 
but is good for it; it will take more 
time and labor to plant, but it will 
pay, 1 have known tills tried 
where the ground was full of them, 
and it never fails, the ashes being 
strong ami when moist creates a lye 
that the wire worm cannot bear.” 
Look Out fur Insects .—Our read¬ 
ers who have road carefully our 
Entomological columns a re requested t o keep 
their eyes open the present season, study the 
habits of insects, and send us (as per direc¬ 
tions previously given) specimens they may 
find and inquiries and notes relative thereto. 
Every boy and girl—every farmer and labor¬ 
er—should be an entomological student. If 
they become such, they will find farm life 
attractive. 
VIOLET VICTORIA REGINA. 
persons suppose, but are propagated and dis¬ 
seminated very nearly in the same manner 
as other minute and closely allied crea¬ 
tures. Those which infest raw sugar, as 
sold by our groeerymen, have abundant op¬ 
portunities to pass from one lot of sugar to 
another, and that they do is quite apparent 
from the fact that a sample of brown Mus¬ 
covado sugar, not containing these mites in 
great abundance, is quite a rarity. Any¬ 
where from twenty-five to one hundred 
thousand can be found in almost any sample 
of raw sugar. 
The peculiar species of mite infesting raw 
sugar is known as Acarus sacdiart, and as 
seen under the microscope, is certainly a dis¬ 
gusting creature. In the accompanying il¬ 
lustration this mite is shown magnified 200 
times. Now, when we know that these 
effects of a good oiling upon one of them. 
Acting upon this resolution, he gave the 
whole of the branches and of the main stein 
a thorough, good dressing of ordinary colza 
oil, two successive mornings, (such oil as is used 
for burning in moderator lamps). The effect 
was marvellous, for in a very few days the 
buds pushed, and grew with the greatest 
rapidity aud made st ronger and finer growths 
than those which started in the Spring. When 
I was there, it had the largest and healthiest 
head of any of the newly planted trees ; but 
the one not oiled was quite dead. 
CENTAUREA CLIMENTI 
The Centaurea family is one of our best 
bedding plants; so when, this new variety 
was announced as being superior to V. Can¬ 
dida, 1 lost no time in importing seed of it. 
It was claimed to grow three feet high, and 
a white, budding plant that bight is greatly 
wanted. The young seedling gave promise 
of great growth and fine whiteness. 
1 planted strong plants in the center of 
General dot Geranium beds, expecting to 
see it rise in snowy whiteness to the liight of 
three feet ; but it. has disappointed me and 
spoiled my geranium beds. 
Now, August. 21, it is only seven inches 
high, and not so white as Candida or Zym- 
nocarjHi. I have to report the same concern¬ 
ing it as a pot plant. Indeed, I do not con¬ 
sider it worth growing, and advise intending 
purchasers to reserve their money for some- 
tking better. Alex. Waldie, 
Titusville, Fa. 
Wk have just come across the above, writ¬ 
ten last August, and give it for the informa¬ 
tion it contains ; sorry it has been overlooked 
so long. Shall be glad to hear further from 
Mr. Waldie, and promise not to treat him 
so again. 
FLORAL BREVITIES 
GRADING SHEEP 
Violet Victoria Benina— This is the name 
of a new English violet recently exhibited, 
which is said to be remarkable for the great 
size of its flowers and for its sweet 
perfume — the latter quality not 
always being possessed in a high 
degree by large-flowering varieties. 
This is pronounced by English 
judges “ a very queen among 
violets.” ^ 
Crocuses of Varied Color. —The _ _ 
following are named as worthy 
varieties:—Dandy, blue, with white 
tips and purple base ; King of the 
Blues, violet blue, very flue; Mont 
Blanc, pure white; La Majestueuse, 
petals broad, pale mauve, with a 
purple base, large and fine ; Com- 
tesse do Momv, large blush with 
a purple base and striped, and Louis 'V 
Philippe, bluish purple, very large / 
and fine,” ^ 
/ A 
Limm Aurutum and House \ 
Flies. — Mr. Pynaert has discov¬ 
ered, it is said, that L il iu m an rat ion 
is a grand specific against house flies 'x 
—that a single specimen of it in an 
apartment will keep it clear of these 
troublesome insects. 
IF e do not advise our friends to plant flower 
seeds instead of wheat; nor bulbs instead of 
potato tubers ; nor flowering shrubs in place 
of fruit-bearing trees ; nor ornamental plants 
and shrubs inulace of strawberries, currants, 
etc.; but we do advise planting flower-pro¬ 
ducing plants. 
the dealer, namely :—To recommend to the 
wool growci'S to classify or grade their 
flocks, expelling all inferior sheep, selecting 
and using suitable rams, and, by tulang this 
course, to bring the Hooks to a standard of 
uniformity—that is to say, that each dock 
may represent a certain' type or kind of 
wool, but even and uniform in itself. By 
adopting tin* way of treatment, the flocks 
would be brought, iu a Comparatively short 
time, to reach a standard that the clips could 
be handled and sold by the dealer in the 
original packing. The final results would be 
that the present necessary yearly labor and 
expenses connected with the grading of 
wool by the dealer will pass away ; a lasting 
improvement would be established by bring¬ 
ing the flocks to a higher uniform standard, 
and the dealers would, in time, handle and 
sell the bulk of domestic fleece wool in the 
original packing. 
Considering what a large capital is invest¬ 
ed in raising wool in the United States, and 
what progress has been made already, man¬ 
aging the flocks in the proposed manner 
would be one step more forward and of far- 
reaching consequences. Growers of wool 
would reap the benefit by improving their 
flocks m this way, and sheep husbandry 
would be made more surely a profitable 
business. Herman H. Otto. 
Susquehanna Co., Pa. 
OILING ROSE BUSHES 
H e do not give the following, by Mr. 
George Gordon in the English Gardeners’ 
Magazine, because we indorse it, but because 
we want our readers to see it and act at their 
discretion. If any of them test the matter, 
we shall be glad to have their experience and 
the results thereof: 
A gentleman whom I had the honor of 
being introduced to the other day at Hornsey 
Lane, aud who is an enthusiastic amateur, 
planted a quantity of standard roses Febru¬ 
ary, 1872. Well, some of these started away 
vigorously, otliei-s died without much eere- 
ACARUS SACCHARI. 
mites are almost always present in raw 
sugar as sold in our stores, and are never 
found in refined sugar, it is not difficult to 
decide'which is the most desirable. The dif¬ 
ference in price between raw sugar and the 
refined is fully counterbalanced by the 
