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236 
OOBE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Jrarg of it |luratint. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Otary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
PREPARING FOR SPRING PLANTING. 
Oct. 1G.—“In autumn prepare for spring ” 
I believe is as good u motto for the farmer 
and gardener as that other one, which says, 
“ In time of peace prepare for war," is to a 
nation. Life at most is but a constant prep¬ 
aration of something to come. Breakfast, 
dinner, supper and sleep are the four promi¬ 
nent epochs in the life of us Americans, fill¬ 
ing the intervening hours with toil, repeating 
the same year after year. We can by extra 
exertions make a few changes, but they are 
exceedingly slight at best. Occasionally a 
person will cut a less number of meals, but 
put in more at a time; other* increase the 
number and take an opposite course. Then, 
again, cue needs more sleep than another, 
and they are blessed, certainly, if circum¬ 
stances permit them to get it; in fact, my 
philosophy would allow ail mankind to enjoy 
this world to their lull capacity, restricting 
indulgence only as it interfered with the 
happiness of others. Preparations in a dvance, 
however, are usually ueeessaiy even to en¬ 
able us "to enjoy blessings when they come 
without cost or effort on our part; but as 
few are bestowed in that manner, but most¬ 
ly through our own exertions, it becomes 
doubly important that we strive to be ready 
for their reception. 
Spring, to a man or woman who loves 
fruits, flowers and nature generally, is the 
one hopeful season of the year, anticipation 
running riot for awhile, affording a certain 
amount of happiness even if it does end in 
some disappointment and unhappiness. To 
have a longer season of fond or “great ex 
pectation,” 1 always begin in autumn to pre 
pare for spring. Of course, the act of hauling 
out manure and spreading it over the land to 
be planted with vegetables in spring, is not 
one in which much mental labor need be 
employed; still if one permits his. thoughts 
to travel forward a few months, those loads 
of reeking tilth are transformed, into lus¬ 
cious melons, golden pumpkins, mammoth 
squashes, fruits aud vegetables of various 
kinds, to say nothing of the beautiful ilowers 
of every hue giviug forth their delicious 
fragrance, all manufactured from this very 
material upon which the less sentimental 
mind often looks with apparent disgust. We 
may say from the sublime to the ridiculous 
is but a step, and that step a very short one; 
bot h are the liuks of the same chain and we 
cannot break them even should we try. 
It is looking upon nature in this light that 
makes the lives of some persons happy, 
although the bountiful gifts which they re¬ 
ceive are few and sparingly bestowed. If 
the lady readers of the Rural, New-Yorker 
expect to make a fine show in their flower 
gardens next summer, coax (don’t demand) 
your husbands, brothers, or whoever is in 
charge, to spread manure over the ground to 
be occupied, and luiVe it done this fall. It is 
far batter fco do it now than next, spring, for 
all the more soluble parts of the fertilizer 
will become intermingled with the soil by 
planting time next spring, aud a better 
growth of everything secured than if this 
operation is delayed until the bust moment. 
Have all the borders, filled with shrubbery 
and herbaceous plants, top-dressed this fall, 
and, if manure is very scarce, you may allow 
it to be raked off and drawn away to the 
fields next spring. 1 have done this many a 
time through necessity, and am prepared to 
do it to some extent again. 
The plot designated for a vegetable garden 
should be treated in the same manner, only 
have the manure plowed under either this 
fuller early in spring. There may be soils 
that need no such preparation, but they are 
few, even in the Western States, where it is 
claimed that the fertility of the soil is inex¬ 
haustible. If the soil is already rich enough, 
then a little plowing or spading will do no 
harm just before cold weather. Frost sweet¬ 
ens it—ns well as kills some noxious insect?. 
A HUMMING-BIRD MOTH. 
Oct. 17. — Dairy Run al Lins: I caught 
the inclosed moth on a bed of verbenas, after 
— “ several times and sup- 
ming bird lived in the ground through win¬ 
ter, as he had seen them coming out of their 
hole* early in spring. Of course, his eyes 
were at. fault,, mistaking one of our large 
Sphinx moths for a humming bird. The name 
of the one you scud is Fphinx t/uiuqucmacu- 
Ittfn, or five-spotted Sphinx. There arc five 
yellow spots on each side of the body, hence 
its specific name. The name of the genus. 
Sphinx, was given it from the supposed fanci¬ 
ful resemblance the caterpillars, when at 
i-est, have to the celebrated Sphinx of the 
Egyptians. Now, we dare say you have seen 
hundreds of the great green tomato or pot a¬ 
to worm; these become, through their 
transformations, moths like the one you sent. 
Thewormsfeed upon the leaves of the plants 
named until they arrive at maturity, then 
descend into the ground and become chrysa¬ 
lids. Every one who has worked in a gar¬ 
den must have plowed or dug them up hi 
early spring. They are about two inches 
long, of a brown color, cylindrical, tapering 
to the posterior end. From the head a long 
slender tongue-case is bent forward and 
under the breast, merely touching the end, 
somewhat like the handle of a pitcher. [Just 
as 1 am sending this to the printer one of 
these chrysalids is received from “ Galves- 
ton. ” ] In spring or early summer the chry¬ 
salis bursts open and the moth crawls forth, 
the velocity of its wings and the Jong tongue* 
resembling the beak, give? it an appearance 
not unlike the humming bird. The moths 
seldom appear in the day time, but may be 
seen just at dusk or during the evening. 
A LARGE ICHNEUMON FLY. 
J. C. N. sends me a large specimen of an 
Ichneumon, and asks what it is. The name 
but between her and the coveted prize there 
is perhaps two or three inches of solid green 
maple wood, through which her ovipositor 
must be thrust in order that the egg shall 
reach the body of the worm. We can now 
see the use to which this long, thread like 
t appendage to her body is to be put. The 
j three segments are closed tightly and look 
a? though they were but one, and then, by a 
slow and apparently tedious labor, she works 
this through the bark and into the wood 
until it reaches the grub within: then the 
egg is deposited therein. Hhe does not 
drill or bt re a hole for her ovipositor but 
merely works it through the calls, which 
compress it. so tightly that, it could not be 
withdrawn entire by the insect, and she 
would certainly perish in her ilivt attempt at. 
depositing an egg in such a nidus ; here 
comes in the beautiful mechanism of this 
instrument, composed, as I have said, of 
three segments. The whole nerve force of 
her body is now concentrated upon one of 
the concave, wedge-shaped sheaths which 
inclose the ovipositor, and is withdrawn. 
This, of course, relieves somewhat the pres¬ 
sure of the wood upon the other, which is 
also quickly withdrawn, the center tube fol¬ 
lowing in less time than it Likes me to tell 
how it. is done. 
The occasional finding of a dead pimpla 
with her ovipositor thrust into a tree, has 
led many to suppose that she always met her 
death in the act of ovipositing, being unable 
to withdraw her ovipositor from the wood 
Only a few days since 1 found a dead speci¬ 
men fast to a maple tree in one of the streets 
of New York; and occasionally this may be 
the fate of this useful Insect; but that she is 
in ordinary cases able to withdraw her ovi¬ 
positor I know' from personal observation, 
and that is done in the manner 1 have de¬ 
scribed above. 
Y 
ir 
NORTHERN OHIO AND INDIANA. 
TO DESTROY THE CABBAGE WORM. 
of this particular 
/i rat a, Fabh. [The 
lustration will 
good idea of its 
En.l This truly 
ing insect i? quite 
way, for it breeds 
s e v e r a 1 wood 
habit our forest 
men you send is a 
long, thread-like 
posterior is her 
placer. This is 
segments, the cen 
very slender t ube 
the egg passes 
to whatever 
t he two others are 
when placed to 
about the center 
forming a most 
of mechanism, as 
show. Now, this 
can only propa 
species is Pimpla 
accompanying il- 
give the reader a 
size and form.— 
formidable - look 
a useful one' in its 
in the larvae of 
borers which in- 
treoB. The speci- 
feinale, and the 
appendage to the 
ovipositor, or egg- 
composed of three 
tor one being a 
through which 
from the body in- 
worm it is thrust; 
concave, forming, 
getber, a sheath 
one, the three 
wonderful piece 
1 shall presently 
ichneumon f 1 y 
gate its species by 
dark. I had seen it |_ 
posed it a humming bird until I caught it. 
1 would be pleased to know what it is, and 
send it to you hoping it maj.be of some 
value.—c. J. a. 
You arc not tie first person who has mis¬ 
taken a humming-bird naoth for a true bird. 
Not many years ago we remember of read¬ 
ing the statement of a gentleman who de¬ 
clared that he had discovered that the hum- 
destroying some other, and the eggs must be 
deposited in the body of a grub or caterpil¬ 
lar in order that the maggot, which hatches 
therefrom shall find its proper food. If this 
fly deposited its egg upon those which feed 
upon the leaves of plants and crawl about in 
the open air, then no such king ovipositor 
would be necessary, but this is not its mis¬ 
sion, hence the structure is in strict accord¬ 
ance with the work to be performed. This 
particular species breeds (so far as known) in 
wood-boring larvae—those which inhabit 
trees and make their burrows in the solid 
green wood one or more inches from the sur¬ 
face, as in the case of the various species of 
Cl y l us which inhabit the sugar maple, hicko¬ 
ry t locust, aud many other kind of trees. I 
do not kuow how many of the wood-borers 
tliis ichneumon attacks, but I have found 
her depositing eggs in the larvce of Ctytus 
sped onus, which feeds in the sugar maple, 
and this is the way she does if. When search¬ 
ing for a nidus for her eggs, she walks along 
over the bark of the tree, until finding the 
exact spot beneath which there is a grub, 
Thinking, perhaps, the numerous readers 
of your journal would like to hear any sug¬ 
gestion relative to the destruction of the 
worm and louse upon the cabbage or turnip 
plant, 1 make the following suggestions as 
the result of experiments the past year 
Being u full developed tobacco liaer, and 
knowing the delet erious effects the vile weed 
lias on the human system, and the offensive 
perfume an old pipe in a man’s vest pocket 
has on all society, or his breath has to every¬ 
one who comes in contact with him, I began 
to study, as I had been defied in my gardens 
with these pests for the lost four years. After 
testing everything that I could hear was a 
remedy for the worm and louse, 1 adopted 
the following, which with me has proved “ a 
sure pop” remedy, with but little trouble or 
expense. 
My process is this I hod a tin tube made 
2 feet long, with a hole through it J4 of 
an inch ; then I add to this tube a piece fi 
inches long, with a %-inch hole iu this ; fill 
the large tube one quarter full of the strong¬ 
est smoking tobacco, made dry ; put in a iiv e 
coal, and then I am prepared for business. 
By blowing into the large tube, forcing the 
smoke through the %-tuhe amongst the 
leaves of the plant, the louse will give way 
to this treatment at once, and the smoke has 
a penetrating effect on tlic louse, so as to 
make it very offensive to a second attack of 
the pests. If any one does not wish to got 
their face quite so near the tobacco as to 
blow in the tube, a common hand-bellows 
can be inserted in the tube and smolce forced 
out very rapidly. 
The- way to do with this remedy is to go 
over the plants before, or as soon as j'ou see 
places eaten through the leaves, then 1 think 
it a sure thing. I give a sketch of the form 
of the instrument in question. y, b. m. 
Locust Grove Farm, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 
-- 
ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 
Corn Meat and the Curculio.—An Ohioan 
sprinkled corn meal on the ground under his 
plum trees which induced the chickens to 
scratch. This was done every morning, and 
the curcnlios were found and caught and the 
crop was good. 
Carpenter Bee .—Our Galveston contributor 
sends a Carpenter bee which bores into wood 
like our common Xylocopa Yirginica; but 
this Texas species is quite distinct, and we 
think is undescribed. 
Nearly all who write on the subject of 
emigration, recommend persons moving 
West, to go to Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Min¬ 
nesota, or Colorado. Now, these places are 
all far from market. Produce being quite 
low, corn is often used for fuel; schools and 
churches are sparce, the necessaries and lux¬ 
uries of life quitd high and not easy to be 
had, consequently much deprivation and 
suffering must be endured for several years 
before families become comfortable or in 
easy circumstances. During the past few 
years, I have conversed with quite a number 
of families, returning from the far West, to 
settle in Indiana, who nearly all gave the 
above reasons for so doing ; adding that 
money was scarce, interest quite high, so 
that many would in a few j'ears lose their 
farms, and become nearly destitute. 
And ns there is yet a large quantity of 
good lands in Northern Ohio, and Northern 
Indiana, which can be purchased for from 
five to twelve dollars per acre, on easy terms 
of payment, and being much nearer market, 
produce bringing a higher price, the farmer’s 
wants better supplied, with more convenien¬ 
ces at hand, therefore I would advise the 
emigrant to examine the lands in Northern 
Ohio and Northern Indiana before going 
further West. 
At an early day, before there were any 
railroads or canals in the northern part of 
these, two States, emigrants landing at New 
York City would go up the Hudson River to 
Albany, thence by canal to Buffalo, Arriv¬ 
ing at Buffalo, there being no railroads or 
canals across the northern parts of Ohio and 
Indiana, the wagon roads being bad and ex¬ 
pensive to travel, while freight and passage 
on the lakes were low, the price to Chicago 
or Milwaukee very little higher than to any 
of the intermediate points, and as they were 
bound for the West, they would almost al¬ 
ways ship for Chicago or Milwaukee, and 
from those places scatter further West;, there¬ 
by avoiding Northern Ohio and Northern 
Indiana, two of the best agricultural States, 
containing the richest soil in the Union. 
Indiana lies in the center of the great basin 
surrounded with the lakes on the north, the 
Gulf of Mexico on the south, the Alleghany 
Mountains on the east and the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains on the west. When this basin was 
submerged there must have been more de¬ 
struction of rocks and alluvial deposits over 
the State of Indiana than uny other State. 
The numerous beds of marl and decayed 
shell-fish found in many parts of Northern 
Indiana would seem to confirm this view of 
the subject. 
It would seem strange that lands so much 
nearer the Eastern markets could bo bought 
for less than lands of inferior quality further 
West ; but it is so, nevertheless, and can be 
clearly accounted for from the fact that 
emigrants passed around these States at an 
early day for want of channels of convej'- 
ance across them. I firmly believe, that if 
emigrants, and people looking for cheap and 
good lands in the West, should turn their at¬ 
tention to the northern part, of these two 
States, they would be bettor satisfied than 
by going west of the Mississippi, 
Tile State of Indiana (having a larger 
school fund than any other State) is rapidly 
increasing in population, wealth, mining, 
manufactures, and other interests. An 
abundance of good hard coal is found in the 
middle part of the State. Large quantities 
of excellent bog iron ore in the north, and 
manufacturing of nearly uli kinds is exten¬ 
sively carried on along the St. Joseph River 
aud other streams, turning out great quanti¬ 
ties of wagons, carriages, sewing machines, 
agricultural implements, furniture, doors, 
sash and blinds, woolen doth, paper, flour, 
castings, lumber, brick, lime, and various 
pther article;. As good timber is yet abund¬ 
ant, the manufactured articles can be had at 
reasonable prices. There are now quite a 
number of competing railroads in successful 
operation, and several more in process of 
construction, consequently the lands and 
products will in a few years be greatly en¬ 
hanced in value in the northern part of these 
two States. Isaac Esmay. 
South Bend, Ind., Oct. 1873. 
-4~*~*- 
Kansas. —In 1860 Kansas had a population 
of 107,000. It now has 500,000 souls. In 1801 
there was only *24,000,000 in taxable prop¬ 
erty. There was in 1871 $108,000,000. In 
1861 there were 200 school-houses. There 
were 2,427 in 1872. In I860 there was not a 
mile of railroad, but in 1873 there are 3,000 
miles of iron track. These railroad lines open 
up the new Kansas. Immigration has been 
immense. 
J 
k 
□ 
