366 
MOORE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER 
JUNE 7 
giitrg of h Jlnralisi 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of o Gentleman near New 
York City. 
A LOUSY BEETLE. 
May 19.—J. G. McKern of Oullivan Co., 
N. Y., has sent me a small spring- beetle 
known to entomologist as Campylus denti- 
cornis, Kthry. Mr. McKeen writosme that 
ho found this little beetle in hi* hot-bed, and, 
noticing some minute creatures crawling 
over it, he sent both to me wishing an ex¬ 
planation of this (to him) strange association 
of two apparently different insects. Now, 
the beetle was certainly in a bod fir, being 
infested with a minute species of Acarua, or, 
in plain language, lice. 1 do not tiiink any 
one in this country has made the study of 
these minute creatures a specialty, conse¬ 
quently very little is known of their habits 
and few spocies have as yet received names. 
In Europe, where science receives more at¬ 
tention than with us, the minute forms of 
animal life are closely and thoroughly stud¬ 
ied. There are several species of Acarua 
found upon certain beetles in Europe, espe¬ 
cially on those which live in animal matter, 
such as the Nccrophorua and £ Jcolmpea ; the 
most familiar of these are the Qamnaua cole 
optratorum, Linn., a very minute, reddish 
louse ; Uropoda repot an*, Dk Okkr, i* an 
other very similar species also known to live 
on beetles. Lousy beetles are abundant in 
this country, and our great, lazy and abund¬ 
ant Horned pasRolua is seldom found in 
summer entirely free from these minute lice. 
The war between the different orders, triber 
and families is just as constant and natural 
down muong the minute creatures of thir 
world as up among the largest and most in 
tclligent. It is not always the largest and 
strongest that come off victorious in the bat¬ 
tle of life, as exemplified in our little spring 
beetle, for “ in union there in strength,” and 
there is where the lice had him,” 
AMONG THE FLOWERS. 
May 20. — The spring has been cold and 
backward, still the flowers push forward, 
and to-day the garden is gay with many 
colors. Among the herbaceous plants in 
bloom at this time there are none more 
beautiful or showy than that gem from China, 
the Dteenlra apectnbilia , which many florists 
and nurserymen will persist, in advert ising as 
Dielytra or Dtclytra. J have no objections 
to the ladies calling it Bleeding Heart, if they 
must have an English name for so beautiful 
a flower, but professional florists are sup 
posed to consult our best botanical author! 
ties for t-ho genuine name of plant*, and if 
they do, then why continue to spell this 
name incorrectly ? If I could have but one 
hardy, herbaceous plant, it would be this 
Dicentra spectabilia, for it is a real gem of 
the flivt water. Of course it is no novelty, 
and the plants arc as cheap as the most 
thoroughly poverty-stricken amateur could 
desire, still they are none the less valuable or 
desirable. 1 have a group of large clumps, 
the stems of which are some three or four 
feet long, upon the ends and lateral branches 
the long racemes of bright red, heart shaped 
flowers hang most gracefully and in great 
profusion The habit of Mils plant is grace 
itself, there being no stiff rigidity about it, 
for stem, leaf and flowers all harmonize and 
make its general appearance one of sym¬ 
metrical perfection. When planted in deep, 
rich soil, it continues in bloom several week* 
—in fact, if givon plenty of water and the 
old stems cut, away as soon as the flower* 
fade, it may be kept in bloom the entire sum¬ 
mer. Cuttings of the flowering stems strike 
root as readily as thosoof the Geranium, and 
if planted in any half shady border and 
watered occasionally, strong-blooming plants 
may be produced in abundance in one sea¬ 
son. The old clumps of roots may also be 
taken up occasionally and divided to almost 
any extent. 
But 1 started out, pencil and note-book in 
hand, for the purpose of writing down the 
names of some of the beautiful plants now in 
bloom in my garden, and here 1 have been 
admiring this group of Dlccntraa, forgetting 
that the sun was alrooit out of sight and the 
allotted space in my Diary nearly full. Here 
is a bed of Evergreen Candytuft, each clump 
uearly two l’eet broad, and so completely 
covered with its pure white flowers one is 
reminded of the snowbanks which covered 
the plants only a few weeks since. In some 
shady nooks among the larger growing 
shrubs I see the delicate and sweet-scented 
flowers of the Lily of the Valley peeping out 
from its dark green leaves. One bed is com¬ 
posed entirely of the old single-flowered »ort, 
which, by-the-way, is the beat of all, while 
another is of the (not. so abundant) double 
variety, while in the third there are a few 
plants of he so-called Red lily of the Valley, 
which i‘ by-the-way, more of a dull, dirty- 
pink than a red. But these are old things 
which everybody owning a garden is sup¬ 
posed to have in abundance. Well, T hope 
all are so fortunate as to gather from their 
own garden a bunch of “Valley— lilies whiter 
still than Leda’s love.” 
Before leaving this comfortable seat upon 
the grass, perhaps I may And something, not 
seen, even in every florist’s collection. 1 will 
venture to name Eplmedium Japnnlcum as 
qne which has been showing Its delicate pink 
star-shaped flowers for the past week (figured 
and described in the Rural New-Yorker 
Jan. ft, page 12, 1872). The outside of the 
flowers is bright red and the edges of the 
petals folding, giving the inside of the flowers 
the appearance of being edged with red, 
while in reality, they are pure white. It is a 
lovely little plant, succeeding admirably in 
half-si i ad y borders, 
IT I had the power of Jorhua I might com¬ 
mand the sun to stand still, while I write 
down the names of other little herbaceous 
plants blooming about me ; but as I have 
not, will only fill out this page with brief 
notes upon some of the flowering shrubs 
which are now scattering petals and per 
fumes 1,o the winds. Beginning flown among 
the dwarf-growing species, the first, that 
greet* me is a clump of Daphne cncotnm, an 
evergreen trailing shrub from the Alps of 
Austria. The flowers are produced in close, 
compact clusters, of a deep pink color, pos¬ 
sessing a fragrance almost indistinguishable 
from the old dove pink of our gardens ; next 
to this comes the hardy Chinese Azaleas. 
A-nhtuaa is a low-growing shrub, covered 
with a profusion at flame-colored flowers. 
A-amana, is of similar habit, the flowers of 
a bright, crimson color, while near those 1 
have, a large bed of our dear old Pinxter-flow* 
er (A eaten find (flora), of almost every shade 
of color, from deep purple to nearly a fine 
white. Those who have seen only the strug¬ 
gling, half smothered specimens of this plant 
growing in the woods, or in old pasture*, can 
scarcely form a correct idea of the magnifi¬ 
cence of thoroughly cultivated plant*. Even 
few of my neighbor* who have seen the wild 
pinxter flower all their lives, suspect that my 
splendid specimens of native Azaleas, were 
dug up from the woods and roadsides within 
a mile of where they are now growing. 
Japan quince, IPyrus Japnnien) scarlet, 
double-scarlet and pink, still show a profu¬ 
sion of flowers, while the Spiraeas, Flowering 
Almonds, fill in among the giant Lilacs, Haw 
thorns and Vihumums. But I must not dis 
miss the fragrant, Lilacs without mentioning 
particularly a variety of the Persian, some¬ 
times known as the “ White Persian," but in 
reality a beautiful pale lavender color. The 
panicles of flowers are full v twelve inches 
long by about, four in diameter, and so heavy 
that the blooming branches bend and sway 
about with their load. The Inst flowers to be 
seen as night, close* in Upon me, are those of 
the Kroi'hordia prandiftora , another Japan¬ 
ese novelty, with flowers of such a pure sil¬ 
very while, that even the darkest night does 
not hide them. 
MONTAHA POTATOES. 
May 24.—I am in receipt of some specimens 
of a new seedling potato, raised by Mr. D. W. 
CuRTtHR. This new variety is remarkably 
ha ndsome and of excellent quality but whet.h 
er It, will prove to be as good elsewhere, as in 
Montana must lie determined by experi¬ 
ment*. Messrs. Beeese, Compton, Camp 
BETA, and other originators of new varieties 
in the Eastern States, will have to look well 
to their laurels or some of our Western pion¬ 
eers will bo carrying them off. As Mr. C'UR 
tisr sent, me the specimen named above in 
care of the RURAL New-Yorker, I will give 
them good culture and report results through 
the same medium. 
--- 4 4 • 
FISH IN AQUARIA. 
Yorm correspondent, W. L. D., asks if fish 
can be kept alive any length of time in an 
aquarium. There is no difficulty about keep¬ 
ing some kinds, those inhabiting warm, still 
waters. All that is necessary is to provide 
sufficient growth of plant life to balance the 
animal life. The fish consume oxygen and 
throw off carbonic acid, while the plant* 
consume the latter and throw off the former. 
The glass will sometimes get covered with a, 
green growth which can be removed by a 
sponge on a stick, snails are good to keep 
down the growth of confervia. If W. L. D. 
would like any further Information and will 
write me, 1 will try and post him. I never 
use fish wafer. Fred. Mather. 
* Honeoye Falls, N. Y. 
TROUBLE WITH FOWLS AND DUCKS. 
Can yon, or any of your subscribers, tell 
me what, to do for my fowls f I have already 
lost a great, many, both chickens and turkeys 
with a disease called “chicken cholera” in 
the South. They droop, have thin, copious 
evacuations of a greenish and yellowish color 
and sometimes white, their combs turn pale, 
and sometimes very dark just before dying ; 
they have very great thirst, and sit with their 
heads down and eyes closed, most of the time. 
On opening the fowls that die, I find their 
livers four times a* large as they should be ; 
in some cases the blood is in thick clots 
around the liver. I have tried everything I 
could hear of ; have had nearly hl’ty die, had 
only one recover—a perfectly white 'ten that 
was put up in a house with others i imt bod 
the disease. I gave them sulphur and black 
pepper mixed with flour in a dough and 
boiled milk with carbolic acid in It; water 
with tincture of iron and rich pine splinters 
in it . T think I gave them some turpentine 
too, and a small pill of blue mass to each ; 
garlic cut iif) fine ; the white hen outlived all 
the others so long that I took her out of the 
house and put her in an oat patch thinking 
she would soon die as her comb had turned 
black; but to my surprise she recovered 
entirely. 
Others of the sick fowls I gave nothing at 
all to ; they invariably died whether they 
were doctored or not, with the one exception 
of the white hen. T have always been very 
successful In poultry raising until this year, 
never had them to die from diseases before, 
but fear I will lose my whole stock if I can 
hear of nothing that will prove an effectual 
cure. My chickens arc of the Light Brahma 
breed, and most of them were very fine, large 
and fat. T have heard that, high feeding 
caused the livers to become enlarged, but 
have known persons to lose all their fowls 
from the same disease, who say they did not 
feed high. 
T have but few fowls left and was so 
anxious to raise a great many this year; 
would send North for more Light Brahmas, 
if I was sure they would not take the disease 
and die. 
Gan any of your subscribers tell me if it is 
contagious! Or, if there is any certain reme¬ 
dy for it, after they arc taken sick with it ? 
I sciiit to Pennsylvania two years ago for my 
first pure bred Brahmas ; also a>pair of Rouen 
Ducks. The ducks have laid numbers of eggs, 
drop them anywhere in the yard ; never pre¬ 
tend to make a nest. I have set the eggs un¬ 
der hens ; had only one duck to hat ch last 
year out of fifty eggs; raised that one, and it 
ho* wings turned wrong sides out, or rather 
standing straight, out ; it is laying this spring. 
Only one of the many eggs set this spring has 
hatched, and unfortunately that one was 
accidentally hurt and died. Can any one of 
your many readers tell me why I have been 
so unsuccessful in duck raising » My imported 
pair are very large and fine. J. w, L. 
Abbeville, R. C. 
FOWLS DYING. 
I writs you in my perplexity. I have lost, 
this spring, nearly all my poultry—turkeys 
and fowls. I have the common old-time, 
dunghill fowl—believing them more snfc 
from epidemic* ; but in this I am convinced 
now I am mistaken. My fowls and turkeys 
have died, a* nearly as I can describe, with 
the. following symptoms -.—The comb be 
comes partially black and cold, and the head 
cold; they drop and die—some fat, Borne lean, 
some that, were well housed and sheltered 
during the whole year ; others that roosted 
on the trees and did not know a hen-house. 
T am now reduced to no laying hens and t* 
two chicken cocks, or cockerels ; to but one 
turken hen and one gobbler ; and I shall not 
be surprised to »e* them go too. 
The chickens anrl young turkeys die almost 
as soon as hatched. 1 have treated them in 
every way I can think of, but without sue 
cess. It is not cholera, there being no undue 
discharge from them. They have a good, dry 
yard, plenty of grass, with a rye patch, and 
oat* also to run into. During winter I had 
as many eggs as I could make use of from 
them and now not one. 
Fancying the disease in the throat I treated 
them for that, with no avail. I fancy it 
is a form of the epizootic. I have now a 
horse very sick with it, having escaped en¬ 
tirely, while nearly the whole neighborhood 
was suffering. 
Can you reoognise the disease and suggest 
a remedy for the fowls? I have heard of 
others in the neighborhood losing many fowls 
also ; but I know none who have lost go 
heavily. Please answer either by letter or 
in the Rural New-Yorker at, your pleasure, 
and oblige yours very respectfully.— B. A., 
Georgetown, S. C. 
Wa cannot advise our correspondent. Per 
haps some of our readers can. 
HOW TO PRODUCE LAYERS. 
In every lot of hens some will be better 
layers than others. Let, us suppose we start 
with six Houdans—a cock and five hens. 
Probably out of this five two may Iny thirty 
eggs per annum more than either of the 
Others ; their eggs should be noticed and only 
these sot. By following this for a few years 
a very great Increase in egg-production may 
be attained. My attention was drawn to this 
sub ject by a friend having a Brahma pullet, 
which laid nearly three hundred eggs in one 
twelve-month, though valueless a* a fanrv 
bird, and the quality descended to several of 
her progeny ; and I have since found other 
instances which prove conclusively that ;i 
vast Improvement, might easily he effected in 
nearly all our breeds were that careful selei 
tion of brood stocks made for this purpose 
which the fancier bestows on other object*. 
It, Is to be regretted more Is not, done in this 
way, and having more room than I had, I 
hope myself to make some experiments in 
this direction shortly. T will say now that I 
am perfectly certain the number of two hun¬ 
dred eggs per annum might be attained in a 
few years with perfect ease were the object 
systematically sought; and I trust these few 
remarks may arouse a general attention to it 
among those who keep poultry for eggs only, 
ami who can easily do all that is necessary 
without any knowledge whatever of fancy 
point*, or any attempt to breed exhibition 
birds.—L. Wright. 
-■-•»»■»- 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Room for TOO Fowla .—Please Inform your 
subscriber, of Oswego Co., N, Y., that (or 
100 fowls, according to my experience, ho 
should have a room 25 by 12J 3 feet, and » 
partition in it,, so he can keep them clean; 
and he ought to have about lh$ acres of land, 
divided in two lot*. If it is all otic lot, it. will 
soon get lilthy ; but if in several lots, the 
fowls can bo changed from one lot to the 
other.— m. N. k. 
“ Does Meal Make Fowla Quarrelsome T" 
8 o asks A. P. C., and adds :—“ 1 have seen 
it stated that raw meat makes fowls quarrel 
some ; hence that it should he cooked, though 
occasionally a little raw flesh may he given, 
I feed my fowls raw meat once or twice a 
week, ami have never discovered that they 
were more quarrelsome Ilian others that I 
know get Jio meat. Should like others’ ex 
perience. 
Fields for Epps and Meat. — V\ T . E. N., 
Iron ton, O., writes the Rural New-Yorker : 
" Will you please inform me which Is the 
best kind of chickens to keep for eggs and 
meat, as 1 can only keep one kind. 1 have 
Game fowls, but do not like them.” We 
should say either Brahmas or Cochin*. Let 
other breeders give experience. 
Plan for Tien Douse Wanted, 1 would 
like to have you give me, through the Rural 
New Yokkbr, a plan for a hen house to keep 
about one thousand liens, i am going to 
start a hennery, and 1 would like to have 
some advice. O. H. Roukch. 
Who will send us such a plan for publica¬ 
tion t 
The. Worms Which Cause Gaprs.—Whu 
is the origin of the worms that, cause gapes in 
chickens ? In the water at the burn well to¬ 
day I discovered worms exactly similar to 
those I have seen iu chickens. What is the 
cure for it ? And what will rid the well *' 
them?—II. P. W., Southport, Ft. 
Cayenne. Pepper, EnosJounson is bifonu 
ed, mixed with the food of laying fowls stim¬ 
ulates egg-production. We have m*\<' 
ginger nor mustard, but, we know that sim 
people do, with what they deem profit. 
A Good Tonic for Moulting fowls, tote 
given by putting a teaspoouful in a pint of 
water is Half a pound sulphate of iron and 
one ounce of sulphuric acid ; dissolve in n, 
gallons of water. 
The way to raise young turkeys is to keep 
them off the ground until they are about six 
weeks old ; feed them wheat bread, soakt' 
in buttermilk or sweet, milk.—M. N. K. 
To Prevent Feather Plucking, it is recom¬ 
mended to give fowls dry corn fodder. I hose 
who have done so say it is a sure preventive 
of this practice. 
Food for Poultry. -Which kind of food 
should be fed to poultry to make them *• 
well at all seasons and keep them in a f ,l *• 
condition ?—a. 
