(Entomological. 
THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. 
There is an old saw which reads : 
“No t hief e’er felt the halter draw 
With t?ood opinion of the law.” 
Just in this fix hundreds and thousands of 
our Eastern farmers find themselves this 
spring in regard to the Colorado Potato 
Beetle, which is rapidly filling the potato 
fields of the Eastern States. The description 
of this insect, its habits, enemies, and various 
methods of destroying have appeared in the 
columns of the ItcttAt, New-Yorker during 
the past half dozen years, hut so long as it 
confined itself to the potato fields of the 
Western States o r Eastern fanners did not 
careafigubout he labors of entomologists 
in seeking prev ntives or studying its nat¬ 
ural history ; but of late the “ halter begins 
to draw,” ami letters arrive by almost every 
mail from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Western 
New-York, asking for information about 
this great pest ; and while wo talk to those 
particularly interested in the destruction of 
this insect at the present time, those farmers 
residing a. few miles to the eastward won’t 
heed our advice, but will wait until the pest 
reaches their potato patch, and then ask us 
to repent the same old story over again. 
There being but one State in this “ glo¬ 
rious” Union which has enterprise or good 
sense enough to pay a live entomologist suf¬ 
ficient to keep him constantly in the field, 
we are obliged to look to it for entomological 
light in regard to the Colorado potato beetle 
and many other insects. Of course we refer 
to Missouri anil her talented entomologist. 
Charles V. Riley, who has paid more at¬ 
tention to the habits and history of the in¬ 
sect. in question than any other man in the 
country. It is true that we might say, sub 
rosa , that Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, 
and perhaps a lew other States, claim to 
honor some individual with t he title of State 
Entomologist; but of the treatment these 
men receive in the way of salary and the 
publication of their reports the less said the 
better. But o return to the Colorado potato 
beetle wide' is at this time making such 
havoc arnon t he potatoes. 
The color a the beetle is pale yellow, with 
five stripes n each wing cover ; hence the 
scientific m no, Doryphora, W Hne.ata, or, 
according to the latest “ Check list of Goleop- 
tera,” Chrysotnela 10-1 i neat a. This insect is 
principally injurious in its larval stage, the 
imago or full developed beetle doing com¬ 
paratively littje injury ; but as there are 
three broods in a season and each female lays 
an immense number of eggs, the host of de¬ 
vouring posts soon strip every leaf from ever 
bo large a field of potatoes, unless some pre¬ 
ventives are employed. Happily these are 
at hand, ; ml our farmers can save their 
potatoes if they will use due diligence in 
making applications of 
PARIS GREEK 
to the infest ed vines. As this substance is a 
deadly poison, some care is required in its 
application in order to prevent injury to the 
one who app'es it. The usual method is to 
mix one pur of the poison to twenty of 
plaster or n mmm Hour, and apply this to 
the vines v. die wot with dew, or after a 
shower. A . old tin can, with small holes 
pierced in the bottom like a common pep¬ 
per-box, . nd fastened upon a handle four or 
live fee* long, will answer very well for a 
duster. The poison sticks to the leaves and 
the worms eating tiro killed. The smallest 
particle of the green will cause death, conse¬ 
quently the main point to be observed in 
dusting the plants with the composition is to 
have a portion reach every leaf. 
Li Prof, III ley’s Sixth Annual Report on 
The Noxious and Beneficial Insects of the 
State of Missouri, which has just come to 
hand, we iiml that ‘•improved methods of 
applying tins substance have been devised 
during last yew, and it is now very gene¬ 
rally used iu liquid suspension, in proportion 
of one tablespooliful of pure green to a 
bucketful of water, and sprinkled over the 
vines with a sprinkler or an old broom.” 
As the green docs not dissolve in water, hut 
is merely held in suspension during a short, 
time, the mixture must be frequently stirred, 
else the poison will settle to the bottom. 
But it matters little how the poison is ap¬ 
plied if it is only spread over the leaves 
where the larval wall be likely to cat it. 
As this very destructive insect does not 
migrate but spreads over the country, re¬ 
maining permanently in every locality where 
it once finds a foothold, we think every farm¬ 
er should make an effort to destroy all that 
appear on his premises. Our farmers must 
do this or give up the culture of the potato, 
and there can be no half-way system about 
it; the tliiug must be well done, else there is 
little use of doing anything. It is well to 
get the pepper boxes ready or the sprinkler, 
in order in time to make an attack upon the 
advance guard of this great pest. 
---- 
THE CODLING MOTH. 
Prof. Beal of the Michigan Agricultural 
College, gives, in the Country Gentleman, 
some experiments tried last year in destroy¬ 
ing the codling moth, as follows:—“About 
June 10, last year and tlui year before, the 
trunks and larger limbs of the trees were 
scraped and rubbed with soft soap to kill the 
eggs and young of the borers. As soon as 
the apples were the size of quails’ eggs, bands 
were, put about the bearing trees, made of 
thick, coarse paper of two or three thick¬ 
nesses, making it strip about as wide as the 
hand. These were wrapped about the tree 
find secured by a carpet tack driven in half 
its length. Some woolen cloth bands were 
used, which I like best. They were taken off 
and examined and the larva:* killed every 
week or ten days. It cost us about 70 cents 
in labor of students to remove and replace 
the bands ouch time for 211 trees. If left 
two weeks longer, there is danger that the 
chrysalis will discharge the moth, and thus 
the bandages do more hurt than good. The 
largest catch was 1450, on July 18 ; the small¬ 
est' 210, on August 15. We ought, to have 
knocked off and picked up the small, wormy 
apples, especially early in the season, so as to 
catch the young of the first crop of moths. 
The first brood is the one which does the 
chief damage to our fall and winter fruit. 
It was impracticable to turn in hogs, in 
which we have so much confidence for keep¬ 
ing the moth in check. The moth can fly for 
considerable distances ; hence the necessity 
for concert of action in whole neighborhoods, 
-—■■ -- 
Currant Worms.—A. 8 . Magoffin, Ross 
Co , O., says, that “Two tcaspoonfuls of ni¬ 
trate of potassft to two gallons of rain water, 
sprinkled over the currant bushi-s twice a 
day for a few days will effectually rid the 
bushes of the currant worms. For the potato 
bug, the same remedy is effectual, having 
this advantage over other * eradicators,’ that 
it is harmless to the plants—really an advan¬ 
tage.” _ 
Jiutostpl Jnt|l£W^nts. 
TRIAL OF LAWN MOWERS. 
The Central Park Commisisoners gave a 
committee appointed by the Farmers’ Club 
of the American Institute the privilege of 
trying lawn mowers in the park. There 
were five machines entered, some of t.be 
competitors having come a considerable dis¬ 
tance to attend the trial. The day, the 
grass, and all the circumstances were favor¬ 
able for the trial, the machines worked 
well and exhibited individual characteristics 
which a competent committee would have 
been likely to have comprehended ; but this 
committee, with the redoubtable Dr. Trim¬ 
ble as Chairman, it seems could not decide 
upon the relative merits of these mowers 
after careful trial, and adjourned for another 
test. But the machine men are not to be 
treated in this manner without protest (we 
don’t blame them either), and here it is : 
New York, .Line 25, 1874. 
Whereon, Through the kindness of the 
Park Commissioners, permission was granted 
to the committee appointed by t he American 
Institute as judges on trial of lawn mowers 
to take place this day, and in accordance 
with the same said trial was held this P. M.; 
and , „ 
Whereat, The decision of the committee 
was reserved until the 13th of July (pending 
anoti er trial), they not being satisfied with 
the trial of to-day. and recommending a fur¬ 
ther trial on the above date ; therefore, 
liesolved, That we tender our thunks to 
the committee for the interest they have this 
duv manifested in our behalf, but we beg 
leave to respectfully declibo any further trial 
the present season of the Lawn mmvers rep¬ 
resented by the undersigned, for the reason 
that, in our opinion, the ‘reason will be too 
far advanced, and consequently the grass 
will not be in a proper condition for such a 
trial ns the uoumiiit.ee desire ; and we fur¬ 
thermore request a decision from to-day s 
trial, if the committee can consistently, with 
their sense of duty to US and the institution 
they represent, grunt one. (Signed) 
Graham, Emlex & Passmore. 
Philadelphia Lawn Mower. 
Hill’s Archimedean L. M. Co., 
Archimedean Linen Mower, 
Chadbohn a Coi.mvF.i.L Mini. Co., 
Excelstor Lawn Afvwer. 
Barlow & Walker, 
Empire and Monitor Lawn Mowers. 
f oultijg fatjd. 
MANDARIN DUCKS. 
We have had several inquiries concerning 
these ducks. We never saw one. They 
have been found in the London zoological 
gardens, and they were import ed into Con¬ 
necticut as long ago as 18 r >l. But we do not 
know that any exist here now. They were 
originally introduced into England from 
Wliampftll, China. The drake is represented 
as being gorgeous in plumage. The top of 
the head Is black, a color which extends 
down the nape of the neck; below is a dear 
white line passing over the eye down the 
base of the bill, which is of ft bright deep- 
rose color. The cheeks and the long pointed 
feathers of the neck are of a bright orange- 
brown. The upper parts of the breast and 
back are of a glossy black, and the lower 
white. The two raised feathers of the wings 
are orange brown; the flight feathers are 
white and black. The tail is black, except 
underneath, which is white. The sides of 
the breast are greenish orange, margined by 
a dear white line. The legs are a deep 
pink. From the middle of June to the mid¬ 
dle of September the drake assumes the 
color of the duck, which is a dull olive- 
brown. 
.---- 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Gapes in Chickens,— The editor of the 
Lancaster Farmer says:—In a recent con¬ 
versation with an experienced chicken 
grower, he informed us that he had been 
very successful in conquering that precarious 
disease In liis young fowls by the application 
of air-slacked lime. As soon as a mani¬ 
festation of gapes in his fowls appears he 
confines his chickens in a box, one at a time, 
sufficiently large to contain the. bird, and 
places a coarse piece of cotton or linen 
cloth over the top. Upon this he places the 
pulverized lime, and taps the sereco suffi¬ 
ciently to cause the lime to fall through. 
This lime dust the fowl inhales and causes it 
to sneeze, and in a short time tile cause of 
the gapes is thrown out in the form of a 
slimy mass or masses of worms, which had 
accumulated in the windpipe and smaller 
air vessels. This remedy he considers su¬ 
perior to any he has over tried, and he 
seldom fails to effect a perfect cure. He has 
abjured all those mechanical means by 
which it is attempted to dislodge the 
Entozoans with instruments made of whale¬ 
bone, hog’s bristles, or fine wire, alleging 
that people are quite as certain to push the 
gape worms farther down the throat of the 
fowls as to draw them out. 
Quality of Flesh of Fowls.—The principal 
points by which to discern the quality of 
the flesh in a fowl are, says The College 
Gardener , the color of the feet and the kind 
of skin. The yellow foot generally indicates 
a fowl with tough flesh, heavy bones, and 
yellow fat. It is very rare that this color 
does not show itself in the skin. However, 
it, does not exclude certain qualities of the 
flesh in the pure descendants of the two 
exotic races, Cochin China and Brahma 
Poot.ra. \V r ith the exception of yellow and 
green, which can never bu recommended, 
all other colors from black to white are 
equally indications i>f excellent flesli. When 
the skin, and above all that of the sides and 
breast, is of a fine tissue, delicate and easily 
extended, also having a rosy-pearled color, 
one may be certain that the flesh is good 
and will fatten rapidly. 
Disease among Chickens .—1 have a disease 
amongst my chickens which I have never 
seen or heard of before this spring. It 
attacks them when from four to six weeks 
old, and has proved fatal in eight cases out 
of ten. They break out iu ulcers over the 
head and face, many of them becoming 
blind, the eye closing up, and when opened 
a thin watery substance runs out, followed 
by a thick matter. Many of them have 
sores over the breast and wings, I have lost 
from two to three hundred chicks from the 
disease, and would like to know from you or 
some one of the many poultry raisers or 
readers of the RURAL a name forth© disease, 
Kiid a remedy if they know of one.—T. II. 
W., Glendale', West F«. 
This disease is new to us. Have our 
readers liud a similar experience and dis¬ 
covered a remedy ? 
Nameless Fowls.—A. N., who does not 
date his letter norgivehis name and address, 
(and is therefore not entitled to any atten¬ 
tion), says:— “I have a breed of hens for 
which I would like a name. They have no 
wing or tail feathers like other hens. No 
one here can tell their name. Enclosed find 
a sample of the down with which they are 
covered. They are the best laying hens I 
ever saw.” We know of no bird that 
answers this (very meager) description ex¬ 
cept what are described under the name of 
Emeu Shanghai. Of course we are in no 
wise certain wliat they are. A. N. had bet¬ 
ter tell us where he got them; what he 
knows of their history, size, habits, hardi¬ 
ness, &o. 
The Poultry Standard — There having been 
criticisms of the standard adopted at the 
meeting of the American Poultry Associa¬ 
tion, the Executive Committee of that Asso¬ 
ciation, by its secretary, announces that 
“ the Association does hereby request that, 
at an early date, any fancier, breeder, or 
other person, make known to us any and all 
omissions and errors that may have been 
made in this our first edition, to the end that 
such errors or additions be corrected before 
printing the second edition. By so doing 
they will confer a favor on the Association. 
Address all communications to Edmond 8. 
Ralph, Secretary American Poultry Associa¬ 
tion.” 
A While, Leghorn Hen hatched June, 
1873, owned by Mrs. Olivia Maria Judd, 
Castle Creek, Broom county, N. Y., has for 
the last three months laid three eggs per 
week similar to one now on our table, by 
the kindness of Miss Midy Morgan, to whom 
we are indebted for the facts. The speci¬ 
men egg before us measures $% inches by 
7% inches. 
Poultry Farts Wanted,—l have seen in 
several numbers of the Rural New-Yorker 
what some have made by their poultry. I 
wish they would tell what kind of food they 
give their fowls, whether they had them 
shut up or not and wliat kind of fowls they 
were.—T. M. 8., Hath, N. V. 
HAULING MANURE WITH TWO WAGONS. 
— 
Titere is an important gain iu busy sea¬ 
sons of the year (and when is it not busy on 
the farm?) in having two and even three 
men with two wagons to every team when 
hauling manure from the bam-yard. I am 
always provoked when I see one man load¬ 
ing a wagon, drawing it a quarter or half 
mile, unloading It and returning. In this 
way one man with team may haul eight or 
nine loads a day. Add auother man and 
you increase the number of loads to fourteen 
or fifteen. The true way is to get two wag¬ 
ons, take off the boxes and have wide boards 
for the bottom and tides. Two men load 
one wagon while one is driving to the field 
and unloading in heaps from the side of the 
wagon, with a common potato hook clawing 
it down from the top. After one or two 
heaps are made, one of the bottom boards is 
turned over, the wagon is drawn a few steps 
farther, and the whole is dumped. In this 
way thirty or even more loads can he drawn 
per day where the pitching is good and the 
distance not too great. The manure is not 
spread, but this can be done at leisure and 
without stopping the team from the plow. 
Two men will fill ft wagon with coarse ma¬ 
nure in from fourteen to twenty minutes, 
according to the situation. For cleaning 
out a large accumulation in the barn-yard I 
know of no better way than this. The 
horses are not unhitched from the whiflie- 
trees, but these arc shifted from one wagon 
to the other with each load. One of the 
pitchers usually assist in this operation, and 
after a few trials it is the work of only a 
moment. Western New York. 
---* 
WASH FOR FENCES AND OUT BUILD¬ 
INGS. 
The following is a most excellent, cheap 
and durable wash for wooden fences and 
buildings. It owes its durability chiefly to 
the white vitrol which hardens and fixes the 
wash: 
Take a barrel and slack one bushel of 
freshly burned lime in it, by covering the 
litne with boiling water. 
After it is slacked, add cold water enough 
to bring it to the consistency of good white¬ 
wash. Then dissolve in water, and add one 
pound of white vitrol (sulphate of zinc) and 
one quart of fine salt. 
To give this wash a cream color, add one- 
half a pound of yellow ochre (in powder). 
To give it a fawn look, add a pound of yel¬ 
low ochre, and one-fourth of a pound of In¬ 
dian red. 
To make the wash a handsome gray stone 
color, add one-half a pound of French blue 
and one fourth pound of Indian red; a drab 
will be made by adding one-half of a pound 
of burnt sienna, and one-fonrtli pound Vene¬ 
tian red. . , , 
For brick or stone, instead of one bushel 
of lime, use half a bushel of lime and half a 
bushel of hydraulic cement. 
