MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
<3AN. 3 
giarg of a 2jtoraM 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Centleman near-Nevy 
York City. 
WINTER YIEW OF HOME. 
Dec. 13.—Natural as it appears to be for 
every one to think of fruits, flowers, and of 
planting generally in spring, more than at 
any other season, still, where there is a real, 
genuine love for such things, it will continue 
throughout the year. The few plants often 
seen in the cottage window, or even in the 
low tenement, houses of our cities, show a 
perpetual love for the beautiful in nature, 
and a refinement which cannot be suppressed 
or even hid by the most abject poverty. If 
wc go u little higher up in the social scale, 
wo will find an exposition of this love of the 
beautiful iu the surroundings of homes ; the 
trees, plants, walks and other signs of out¬ 
side ornamentation are not the results of a 
spasmodic desire born of a season and to 
perish in the next. But this love of nature, 
as displayed in home surroundings, is far 
from being general among country people, 
and the squalid appearance of the homes of 
many wealthy farmers Is not only a disgrace 
to themselves but to the community of 
which they frequently form a conspicuous 
part. 
At no season does this show itself more 
than in the winter, when the leaves of 
deeiduoue trees have dropped, leaving bare 
stems and branches through which the wind 
and snow gyrate with perfect freedom. 
What is needed to change the dreary aspect 
of Northern country homes more than any¬ 
thing else, is a fro© use of evergreen trees 
and shrubs. The. rich green of their leaves, 
half hidden in snow, not only appears to give 
warmth to one’s home, but actually does add 
much in (his direction. A grove, hedge or 
group of evergreens checks the velocity of 
storms, sheltering our buildings and animals 
and changing the entire aspect, from that of 
a cold, gloomy abandonment, to one of 
cheerful, home-like comfort. I do not be¬ 
lieve any one who has ever traveled or lived 
in the country during the winter will for a 
moment disagree with mo in this ; but there 
may be a question of cost that would come 
up for discussion. This should not, however, 
be any impediment to the realization of tin- 
pleasures sought iu this direction, because 
really beautiful and suitable evergreens can 
be obtained in any quantities and at a mere 
nominal price. If a man cannot afford to 
purchase a hundred evergreen trees at 50 i 
cents each, he can take smaller ones at $5 
per hundred, (or even leas.) and then plant 
and wait for them to grow. There is not a 
farm in the United States, at least not in the 
thickly-settled portion of them, which would 
not be enhanced in value £5 for every 50 
cents expended in ornamental trees up t.u a 
reasonable sum. In addition to this advance 
in price, a man and bis family will live long¬ 
er, be more happy and contented, aud I be¬ 
lieve be more industrious, whore the home 
surroundings have some show of beauty 
about them, than in those of an opposite 
character. Just look at your door yards, 
barn .yards, and surroundings generally at 
this time, and ask yourself if they cannot be 
improved without any considerable expen¬ 
diture of capital. 
PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT FOR STRANGERS. 
Dec- 14.—The discussions-which have been 
going on cf late in the secular press in regard 
ness is, thereby causing others to commit a 
sin by not attending to divine worship, 
Now, if 1 was asked for advice on this 
great question of Sunday entertainment, T 
would say to all Christians—Stop quarreling 
and bickering over your little differences of 
opinion about certain disputed passages 
ground. In the last thirty years I have had 
considerable experience in pomological pur¬ 
suits, and have suffered greatly from their 
ravages, on the apple in part icular, and have 
never l>een able to satisfy myself that the 
insect, after leaving fruit, located outside 
the ground. I have not only wrapped old 
of the Bible, and thereby save the expense [ cloths around my trees, 
j of building a dozen churches where there are 
| not church-going people enough to fill a half- 
{ dozen, and spend the money in founding li- 
i brarics, reading rooms and museums for the 
• entertainment of strangers who may visit 
you or those who may not desire to spend 
[ thoi r evenings or Sundays at church. 1 be¬ 
lieve u greater Christian and moral work 
could be accomplished in tliiB way than in 
any other. At present, there, is really no 
half-way house in our country villages be¬ 
tween the prayer meeting and the bar-room ; 
and the results are seen in the bitter hostility 
existing between the frequenters of the two 
place:-. Some of our leading divines have 
sent out a flag of truce, a iking for a parley 
with their opponents ; and it is a wise move, 
because there is good in all; but it takes dif¬ 
ferent means to bring it out. If everybody 
won’t go to church on Sunday, let us give 
them a chance to go to the next best place in 
the same line ; or, in other words, make the 
great moral chain of bo many links that all 
shall find a place where they can take hold I 
and be led onward and upward. If we at- 1 
tend to the growth, the fruit will be good 
and gathered in good time ; but transplant¬ 
ing old trees to new grounds has always been \ 
a dangerous business. 
crotches, but have also made diligent search 
on all the. surroundings, but have failed in 
finding the first cocoon that purported to be 
from the codling moth. The only remedy 
that appears most sensible in checking this 
great pest to the apple is, as Mr. Fuller 
puts it: to destroy the insect before it leaves 
the fruit. For the two past years I have 
shaken and picked off all the apples in my 
fruit yard, and if this doe3 not rid them of 
the pest the trees will not remain in the 
yard another year, for I find the same insect 
is busy with my pears. I am well aware that 
past reports by some of our best entomolo¬ 
gists have confirmed Mr. Fuller’s state¬ 
ment of the manner of locating their cocoons, 
and doubt not my view of it will call out 
further criticism which may result bene¬ 
ficially. H. if. u 
Rochester, N. Y., Dee. 23, '73. 
to the opening of public libraries and read¬ 
ing rooms on Sunday, must remind every 
man who has traveled through the country 
much, of the utter apparent desolation of 
country towns and villages on this day of 
the week. Of course, we shall be told that 
the churches are always open ; true, but our 
statistics show that there are a great many 
millions of our people who do nob frequent 
any church ; besides, one sect often lias 
strong prejudices against another, and it is 
nob every town that, supports a score of dif¬ 
ferent ohurehes, all dispensing different doc¬ 
trines ; consequently, a stranger iu town 
may not choose to occupy a seat even for a 
brief hour out of the 24, iu any that happens 
to be convenient But a reading room or a 
museum of the natural curiosities of the sur¬ 
rounding country, properly conducted, could 
not and would not fail to at tract men of all I 
creeds and tastes except of the lowest and 
vilest. If a man is ever excused for visiting 
or spending his time in the dens of vice, it is I 
. BATTLE WITH WIRE WORMS. 
Edward Luckhurst writes the Cottage 
Gardener Very early in the present year 
afield was placed under my care as a kind of 
auxiliary kitchen garden for the cultivation 
of Potatoes and other culinary roots. The 
soil, which for many years had been stirred 
no deeper than about 4 inches by means of a 
light one-horse plow, was found to be in a 
very poor, almost inert condition. A liberal 
dressing of rich farm-yard manure was cart¬ 
ed on to it; it was well stirred and thrown 
up roughly to a depth of fully 9 inches with 
spades, and in due course about an acre of it 
was planted with potatoes. Now, neither in 
digging nor during t he planting were many 
wire worms perceptible, yet, upon examina¬ 
tion a short time afterwards, there was hard¬ 
ly a tuber wit hout several wireworms attack¬ 
ing it — some just commencing operations, 
others whiell had burrowed so deeply as 
only to leave a short portion of their wiry 
bodies visible, while all with unerring instinct 
were gathering to the richest least they had 
probably met with during their existence. 
Such an unpleasant occurrence might be 
regarded either as a serious dilemma or as a 
capital opportunity of clearing the soil of 
such a pest, and so saving not only the pres¬ 
ent but future crops from its ravages. While 
taking the latter view, the former one, which 
seemed to point to possible failure, was only 
felt as a spur to exertion, and a couple of 
men were immediately set to take up the 
potatoes one by one with trowels, destroying 
every wirewonn that could bo found, and 
replacing the potatoes in the soil as they 
went along the rows. It was a long and 
tedious job, but it was undoubtedly a thor¬ 
ough one, for it was computed that upwards 
of ten thousand of the enemy were destroyed; 
and so the battle waa gained, the crop prov¬ 
ing an excellent one, sound and free from 
any blemish. 
“ The experience which has thus been 
gained will prove invaluable in future prac¬ 
tice ; and whenever land is found to be 
infested with wireworms, I feel assured thdt, 
potatoes placed a few inches beneath the 
surface and about 2 feet apart for a week or 
two, will prove an unfailing bait bo lure them 
to destruction.” 
Here is a suggestion for those whose corn 
is infested with wire-worms. Plant potatqes 
throughout the field.' Perhaps the worms 
will prefer the potatoes to the corn. 
-, «.«- 
CODLING MOTH. 
In the F.ural New-Yorker, Dec. 20th, 
Mr. Andrew S. Fuller, your associate edi¬ 
tor, gives a very interesting column or two 
on the habits and ravages of insects which 
infest our orchards ; also, the different ways 
of destroying them. As to one point in the I 
DESTRUCTION OF MEALY BUG. 
Hermann Mcnz, Meadville, Pa., writes the 
Gardeners’ Monthly :—“We have tried moat 
all recommended methods to destroy the 
woolly insect or mealy bug, and found them 
more or less unsatisfactory. At last we 
found a method of destroying this insect— 
most hated by all florists, winch we practice 
in our greenhouses with the greatest satis¬ 
faction and saving of labor. In watering 
our plants, which is done by a force pump 
connected with a nozzle or rose, as needed, 
finding ft plant affected by the insect, we set 
it on the floor, take off the nozzel or rose, 
cover the end of the hose with the thumb, 
and divert a fine stream of water with all 
the force of the pump on the affected parts 
of the plant, and in less than a minute the 
insects will be all washed off the plants, it 
will even wash them out of the bark as in 
Medinella magniflea, &c.” 
To Kill Borers in Peach Trees. —With : 
a pocket knife or small stick, dig a small | 
trench around the tree some time in October 
or November : place salt around in the trench 
—from a small handful to a pint, in propor¬ 
tion tO size of trees, which effectually do- I 
stroys all insects and their larva that it comes 
in contact with. The same operation may 
be repeated in spring by being a little cau¬ 
tious not to put too much around small trees. 
—j. W. D. 
when shut up, as a stranger, in a country vil- i^its of the codling moth, of which Mr 
lage over Sunda*-- If he goes to church, it Fuller speaks, I must entirely differ, to wit: 
is only to be stared at by those who would That after the worm emerges from the 
like to know who he was and what his bus!- I fruit it. locates the cocoons outside of the 
FISH CULTURE IN INDIANA. 
I wish to construct a fish pond and have 
no water without raising it from a well 
where I can get plenty. I think of getting a 
wind engine to do this for me. For a pond 
I intend to make an excavation ten by thirty 
feet and three and a-half feet deep ; wall 
with brick and cement both bottom and 
wall. Now I wish to know whether there is 
a chance for me to succeed in raising flsh in 
tliis way ? What kind are best adapted to 
J such a poud, and bow and where can I ob¬ 
tain flsh to stock it ? Also what work would 
you advise, me to get. on fish culture. If you 
will answer or have answered the above 
questions through your paper you will great¬ 
ly oblige. M. S. Young, M. D. 
‘ Geetingsvllle, Ind. 
We advise our correspondent to send §1.75 
to the Rural New-Yorker office. New York 
City, for American Fish Culture by Norris. 
Without being a practical pisciculturist we 
doubt the practicability of his proposed 
plan. However we shall be glad to hear 
from our readers on the subject. 
-♦♦♦- 
NOTES AND QUERIES' 
White. Fish in Michigan .—The Michigan 
Farmer, Dec. 2, says:—“During the past 
week we visited Mr. N. W. Clark's fish-hatch¬ 
ing establishment at Clarkston, and saw 
some of the white fish which have been es¬ 
tablished in Deer Lake. It is evident to us 
thal Mr. Clark has solved the problem of 
stocking our inland ponds and lakes with 
white fish. 
Cultivation of Lobuten .—The gradual dis¬ 
appearance of the lobster from the coast of i 
Norway has induced a Mr. Hansen to experi- ' 
inent on its artificial reproduction. He placed 
in t ie water a large box, furnished with a 
rim instead of a lid, so that the lobster 
might be exposed to the sun and air and at 
the same time would not. be abie to get out. 
[ja 3 olv three full-grown females were placed 
in the box. Iu a few days the surface of the 
water was swarming with young lobsters. 
gufikiulrir. 
THE ADVANCE IN WOOL. 
_ 
• 
The activity in the wool market may be 
regarded as a result of textile industry. The 
woolen mflls which were obliged to contract 
or entirely suspend operations during the 
panic, are now increasing their production, 
most of them now running full time, with a 
reasonable prospect that all of them will do 
so at the commencement of the New Year. 
This necessarily increases the competition 
for the raw material, which has already 
caused a recovery from the decline sustained 
during the panic. The lowest sales of X find 
XX Ohio fleeces in this city, and in Boston 
and Philadelphia during the panic were 
44 to 45c, per pound cash, but yesterday, the 
same wools were quoted in this city at 53 to 
55c, per peund on what appears to be gener¬ 
ally regarded as a rising market. The last 
advices from Boston and Philadelphia indi¬ 
cate a corresponding activity and advance 
in rates which have now almost reached the 
average of quotations before the panic. This 
rapid recovery indicates an increased de¬ 
mand for the staple on a not over-stocked 
market. The fact is, during the panic some 
manufacturers, from a belief that wool had 
reached its lowest, prudently took advautage 
of the low prices to stock their mills. Of 
course, only a limited number of consumers 
were in a position to take advantage of the 
market in this way, but It was done to a suf¬ 
ficient degree t,© prevent a still more serious 
break in the prices than actually occurred. 
Then again manufacturers were unusually 
active previous to the panic, and many of 
them had enough orders on hand to carry 
them through it with little or no contraction 
of production, thus causing a continued con¬ 
sumption, the effects of which are only now 
apparent to the trade. Then, of course, the 
panic not only put an end to imports for 
time being, but caused the re-exportation of 
many consignments by dealers who were 
unwilling to realize the current prices. 
From this position of the market it will 
be understood how the increased demands 
of consumers operated to force up the prices 
of the raw material in a very short time. 
Whether this advance in price will be sus¬ 
tained and continued depends on causes 
which yet remain to be developed. If the 
present revival of business proves, as is gen¬ 
erally expected, the prelude to a more gen¬ 
eral and enduring prosperity, ihcn there 
must bo a demand for woolens which can 
hardly fail to lead to an enhancement of the 
raw material. But the effects of a serious 
advance in the staple upon increasing the 
cost of production must be taken into con¬ 
sideration. At present, quotations for wool¬ 
en goods manufacturers have only a very 
narrow margin for any advance in the cost 
of the raw material, and the comparatively 
trifling reduction of wages will scarcely 
cover the increased price of the staple. The 
stocks of wool at the sea ports and in the 
interior arc generally, and probably correct¬ 
ly, regarded as comparatively limited, so 
that in the event of increased demands by 
consumers it will be necessary to look for 
foreign supplies, which, according to the 
latest mail and cable advices, can hardly be 
obtained without an advance on present 
quotations .—The Economist. 
- 
FISH POMACE FOR SHEEP. 
The Maine Farmer says : —A correspondent 
' makes inquiry in regard to the practicability 
! and economy of feeding fish offal Jo sheep. 
The only information upon the matter to 
whioh we have access is that contained in a 
brief statement presented to the board of 
Agriculture in 1868, by M. L. Wilder, Esq., 
of Pembroke, who was at that time a repre¬ 
sentative of Washington County at the Board. 
This statement was founded on a ten years’ 
experience in feeding fish pomace to sheep, 
and Mr. Wilder said, that for a continuous 
period of three years lie had wintered his 
flock of one hundred sheep on threshed straw, 
with one-lialf pound per day of dried fish 
pomace, and they came out in the spring in 
much better condition than when fed on 
good English hay and corn. He further said 
that he regarded dry pomace worth as much 
as corn, pound for pouud as a feed for sheep; 
and that when he had sufficient quantity of 
it to give them one half pound per day regu¬ 
larly through the winter he found the weight 
of the fleece increased one quarter and the 
carcass iu like proportion. The offal is that 
forming the residue from herrings, after 
they have been cooked and the oil pressed 
out. For this pomace when dried he says 
sheep are more eager than for grain, and no 
evil results have followed its feeding. 
