wanted  for  them  of  an  oval  form  suited  to  the 
shape  of  then'  bodies,  and  where  they  are  waited 
upon  and  tended  with  great  care  and  respect 
since  on  them  depends  the  keeping-up  of  the 
population,  which  seems  to  be  the  groat  aim  of 
aU  ant  labor  and  industrj' ;  and  when  we  con¬ 
sider  how  a  constant  diminution  of  their  numbers 
must  be  going  on  from  Uie  fact  that  many 
species  of  birds  make  them  their  food,  we  can 
understand  how  necessary  this  strong  instinct  is 
in  the  uatiu'o  of  tlio  little  crealurns,  if  the  ant 
race  is  not  to  die  out  and  become  extinct.  The 
greatest  care,  and  exactness,  and  skill  are  shown 
in  Uie  fonniitiou  of  the  little  cave  cells.  The 
walls  of  them  are  built  up  of  grains  of  earth 
fitted  into  each  other  with  great  procisioii,  and 
then  it  would  seem  they  are  covered  over  with 
some  kind  of  cement  which  tJio  creature  has  the 
power  of  secreting  from  its  btsiy,  and  when  the 
whole  is  done  the  small  mason  will  carefully 
j)a8B  his  feelers  over  his  work  to  sec  that  all  is 
smooth,  compact,  and  firm,  just  as  a  human 
mason  will  measure  his  work  with  his  rule  to 
satisfy  himself  that  his  bricks  arc  all  level,  and 
his  wall  upright. 
“  liuriug  the  winter  ants  spend  their  time  in  a 
torpid  state  in  their  umlerground  caves,  and  at 
tliis  time  the  liive  is  filled  jjerhaps  only  with 
workers,  and  the  cocoons  ready  for  hatching 
when  warm  woatlior  comes,  and  it  is  to  prepare 
for  the  fresh  iKumlations  that  new  works  and 
additions  to  their  cities  arc  ma<le  in  spring,  and 
wb*!n  these  are  once  finished  the  whole  character 
and  employment  of  tlm  working  ant  undergoes 
a  complete  change.  The  same  anxiety  for  the 
good  of  the  whole  community,  the  same  devotion 
to  tlio  interests  of  their  race  and  city  show  them¬ 
selves,  and  the  same  selfslenial  and  unwearied 
iudusti’y  go  on ;  but  they  are  now  no  longer 
miners  or  masono,  no  longer  ‘navvies,’  but  be¬ 
come  most  lender  and  careful  ‘nurses.’  From 
tlio  iirae  that  the  city  is  supplied  with  new 
abodes,  and  that  the  waiiuth  of  the  sun  is  felt 
even  beneath  the  earth,  the  wonderful  transfor¬ 
mation  begins  witliin  the  ant-cocoon  which  is  to 
change  its  contents  into  a  living  creature.  Just 
when  the  mother  bud  is  sitting  on  her  eggs  in 
her  snug  nest,  so  as  to  give  llie  warmth  needed 
for  their  cliango  into  young  l>irds,  the  aut 
nurses  begin  their  loving  attentions  to  the 
cocoons  in  their  caves,  which  also  require  heat 
for  then’  change  into  living  ants.  More  eager 
bustling  begbis  among  thorn,  wbicJi  we  cannot 
always  see,  since  it  goes  on  boncatb  ground. 
"  When  the  sun  shines  out  bright  and  warai, 
the  cocoons  in  the  cells  deep  down  below  in  the 
hive  must  bo  earned  up  to  nearer  Uie  surface, 
where  the  warmtii  will  roach  them,  and  to  effect 
this  the  whole  ai'iny  of  nurses  is  in  commotion  ; 
and  if  we  can  manage  to  calch  sight  of  them  at 
such  times  we  shall  see  each  little  worker  with  a 
wliite  oblong  cocoon — not  very  unlike  a  baby 
in  swaddling  clothes — held  by  the  end  in  her 
jaws  or  mandibles  which  she  carries  before  her, 
and  which  forms  a  load  almost  as  largo  as  her 
own  body,  or  even  larger  if  it  bo  the  cocoon  of  a 
future  male  or  female,  but  the  cocoons  have, 
pta-haps,  not  long  been  placed  in  the  warmer 
cells,  or  laid  in  some  passage  or  gallery  near  the 
oiiening  of  a  shaft,  when  the  suu  becomes 
obscured  and  a  shower  begins  to  full.  Now 
although  tlie  white  covering  of  the  cocoons  is  a 
tolerably  tough  and  strong  material,  yet  it  would 
not  do  tor  them  to  bo  exposed  to  both  cold  and 
damp,  and  the  careful  muses  liave  to  set  to 
work  to  cai'i’y  their  charges  all  back  to  tlie  lower¬ 
most  cells  where  the  rain  will  not  reach  them— 
to  bring  them  up  again,  it  may  he,  before  the 
dav  is  over 
funiish,  free,  information  to  all  who  apply  for 
the  same. 
his  chai)eronage.  By  always  letting  the  cocks  be 
of  different  ages  and  hatched  one  under  the 
other  wo  have  generally  noticed  that  tlie  younger 
are  afraid  of  tiic  older,  and  run  from  them. 
HupiMJsing,  of  course,  it  would  be  practicable 
to  hire  80ui<!  farm  homestead  for  the  fowls  only, 
wo  think  a  fair  jmee  niigbl  safely  he  paid  for 
rent,  as  with  iiersoual  supervision  the  results 
should  be  good ;  but  great  care  would  have  to  be 
taken  in  looking-up  the  eggs  regularly,  for  the 
liens  would  be  sm-e  to  lay  in  mangers,  and  cribs, 
THE  JOHNSTON  HARVESTER  COMPANY 
OF  BROCKPORT. 
POULTRY  FARMING, 
The  Rochester  Democrat  and  Chronicle  of 
the  8th  of  April  says:— It  is  well  known  that 
this  Company  have,  for  several  years,  done  a 
large  business  in  Europe,  and  they  have  already 
shipped  several  heavy  lots  of  machines  for  the 
Ratsiko  poultry  on  an  extensive  scale,  has  not 
as  a  rule  pwved  a  snceeHS,  nomattor  wiiereorhy 
whom  attempted.  Tlie  fate  of  large  ilocUs  aji- 
pearstohave  been  about  the  satne  in  F.nroiiean 
countries  ns  in  this,  and  the  advice  given  to  a  i 
correspondent  in  a  late  number  of  the  Joimial  of 
Ilorticultiu'c  (Eng.)  meets  mu*  views  njion  the 
subject  so  fully  that  wc  copy  a  jiortion  of  it  as 
follows  : 
We  confe.ss  we  do  not  believe  iu  poultry  reaiing 
and  in  keepiTig  hens  for  eggs  for  purely  domestic 
purposes.  We  do  not  mean  that  a  few  fowls 
kept  about  a  house  do  not  answer,  for  they  do, 
aud  very  often  well,  and. there  are  not  many 
country  honses  wiiboiit  (hem  ;  but  to  go  in  fora 
largo  number  because  a  few  pay,  on  the  iirinciplo 
that  because  leu  hens  lay  1,200  eggs  in  a  year 
that  twenty  bens  must  lay  2,400,  is  where  the 
mistake  is  so  ofleti  made,  and  which  brings  sneb 
disajipointmeut  to  the  breeder.  No;  we 
do  not  beiK-..  poulti^  fm-ning  on  the  scale 
which  HO  many  Unna  p.,,  .^un^ly,  of 
luring  so  many  jierclics  of  lanu,  n,„4  eroctin" 
houses,  stocking  the  nms,  and  then  waiting 
profits.  W’o  fear  patience  has  to  come  into  use 
greatly  in  such  a  case  ;  for  pnttlng  aside  a  per¬ 
centage  for  Interest  on  money  e.xpended.  paying 
for  food,  rent,  labor  and  the  like  must  leave 
only  a  tiny  lialance  on  the  credit  side,  and  then 
only  when  the  jiropriotor  docs  i;ot  leave  tho 
work  to  attendants  but  does  tlie  greater  part 
liimself,  and  is  always  at  hand  to  superintend. 
The  profits  made  by  the  SnsSex  and  oilier  County 
cottagers  are  of  course  great;  but  then  they 
work  on  a  small  scale,  and  nre  tlnis  able  to  bsid 
the  birds  and  attend  to  them  iinieh  more  than  if 
they  had  hirger  imnibers.  When  (heir  chickens 
are  ready  the  liigglors  come  roimd  and  cwfilect 
them,  and  then  other  liroods  ai'o  brought  tip  to 
take  their  places  ;  but  it  is  only  because  of  the 
small  siao  of  their  undertJilcings  that  they  may 
make  at  times  forty  |Xtr  cent,  or  even  more,  as 
no  doubt  they  sometimes  do;  but  ouco  they 
were  to  got  bverstockud  tbeir  game  would  l)c 
done. 
We  c.au  never  recommend  luiy  one  to  invest 
money  on  lajiug  out  yard.s  for  poultry  for  table 
purposes.  The  expense  would  bo  great  and  the 
results  uusati.sfactory.  It  has  been  tried  and 
proved  by  many  to  lie  a  failure,  and  ••Tho 
I’ouUry  Book  "  teils  us  too.  that  those  establish¬ 
ments  always  collapse.  They  have  Lad  a  very 
fair  trial  and  the  food  has  been  various  and 
good,  but  never  has  any  real  suoooss  been  re¬ 
corded.  Companies,  too,  have  huou  started,  but 
tho  prospectus  has  uivaa'iably  been  drawn  up 
upon  some  foolish  and  ridiculous  basis,  that  it  is 
neeflloss  to  say  tliuy  did  not  answ'er  or  would  not 
have  done  had  they  struggled  into  life. 
The  largest  scale  of  i»oultry  fanning  for 
domestic  purposes  tJiat  can  ever  he  .attempted 
with  Bucoess  are  the  poultry  yards  Connected 
with  large  farms.  In  micli  a  ca.sc  at  one  home¬ 
stead  it  would  bo  impossible  to  manage  more 
than  two  runs  wlicre  tlie  bii-ds  could  liuvc  jKrfcct 
freedom  and  unlimited  runs.  Were  we  going  to 
attempt  the  culUvation  of  poultry  for  eggs  aud 
chickens  we  should  try  and  rent  tlie  farmy.ard  of 
some' large  farm  fur  tho  run  of  tho  birds  alone. 
We  believe  this  can  be  done  and  is  actually  being 
done.  Tho  food  collected  by  the  birds  tbcinsolvcs 
in  then’  wanderings  over  yiuds  among  tiie  loose 
manm’o,  around  the  cornstacks,  in  the  tlekls, 
aud  iu  such  places  is  immense,  .and  would  go  a 
long  way  towards  keeping  them  fed,  .and  at  the 
same  time  keep  them  in  llio  most  robust  health. 
Ducks,  too,  might  be  iwldcd  with  success.  Tur¬ 
keys  we  would  have  uotliing  to  do  with.  In  no 
way  depreciating  them,  but  they  aro  .apt  to  bc- 
delicate  aud  got  iu  the  way  of  growing  chickens. 
Such  a  farm  we  would  slock  with  Black  Ilam- 
burgbs  for  laying,  .and  Bralima  Dorkings  for 
table  and  sitting  imrpose.s.  No  doubt  otliers 
can  recommend  breeds  which  witli  them  have 
been  very  useful  and  prolific,  in  which  case 
people  would  use  their  own  discretion  in  tlieir 
clioioe.  We  have  found  black  Uamburglis 
wonderful  layers  of  good-.-tiiicd  eggs  when  kept 
iu  a  farmyard,  and  wo  know  the  moat  of  Brahma 
Dorkings  is  juicy  aud  good.  A  goud-Kized  farm¬ 
yard  where  the  cornstacks  and  foddering  yards 
aro  umnorous  should  take  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
hens.  We  would  never  go  beyond  tliat  number. 
Supi>08iug  tho  bu’ds  could  not  bo  divided  and  all 
hail  to  run  together  we  would  substitute  Houdans 
for  Black  Hamburghs,  as  the  former  are  good 
layers  aud  they  make  a  good  table  cross,  otlior- 
wise  the  Hanibiu-gh  eggs  would  be  used  for 
sitting,  perhaps,  which  would  liardly  produce 
pretty  tablechickciis. 
For  cocks  wc  should  have  a  large-bodied  Brah¬ 
ma  with  not  hearily-fcathered  legs,  or  the  first 
cross  beeweeu  a  colored  Dorkiug  and  a  Brahma. 
Three  or  four'  or  more  would  hve  peacefully 
ti^gether  if  properly  managed,  and  each  would 
most  likely  take  a  certain  number  of  ladies  under 
i.OClC  IjKVEII 
0X08  continent  for  the  harvest  of  1876 ;  but  their 
any  principal  oVijeet  of  pride  just  now  is  a  communi¬ 
cation  received  by  them  two  days  ago  from  the 
,rdor  President  of  the  Royal  Agiicultoal  Society  of 
;  we  France,  announcing  that  in  a  public  trial  of 
runs  machines,  which  lasted  through  the  entire  season 
Lie;  of  1875,  they  were  awarded  tlic  first  prize- tho 
loplo  record  of  the  judges  showing  a  clear  superiority 
of  ten  per  cent,  a  bovc  all  others. 
The  peculiarities  of  this  trial  entitle  it  to  more 
than  ordinary  consideration.  In  the  great  trial 
of  1874,  In  which  twenty-three  different  machines 
were  entered,  the  three  Johnston  machines  iu 
their  several  departments,  took  each  the  first 
prize,  but  this  trial  lasted  only  livo  ikiys.  Tho 
Iloyal  Society  then  determined  to  select  six  of 
tlie  best  machines  in  the  world  and  put  them  to 
tho  test  during  tho  whole  season  of  1875  and 
then  from  their  machinist's  examination  moke 
tho  award. 
They,  therefore  chose  two  from  .America — one 
being  the  Johnston— throe  from  England,  and 
one  from  France.  Aftei^  tlio  harvest  was  over 
the  machines  were  carried  to  Pwis  where  they 
were  taken  to  luecesaudexaminedhy  maclunists, 
to  ascertain  the  wear.  The  manufacturers  and 
owners  of  the  machines  were  excluded  from  all 
access  to  the  trial  groundu,  the  drivers  being 
selected  by  the  judges  themselves,  and  tlirough 
this  exhaustive  and  complete  test  the  Johnston 
hoars  the  palm  of  victory,  over  wliich  the 
Company  have  reason  to  be  proud,  as  it  gi-eatly 
enhances  their  business  iu  that  country,  and 
gives  them  con-espouding  eclat  in  ah  the  gi  aiu 
producing  portions  of  Emopfe. 
THE  COATES  LOCK  LEVER  RAKE 
A  cENTUKY  ago,  if  tlie  perfection  of  the  hay 
rake,  as  sliown  in  onr  illustration,  could  have 
been  foretold,  farmers,  to  a  man,  would  have 
dembU'd  and  declared  that  nothing  could  or 
would  take  the  place  of  the  hand  iuplement 
tlmi  in  use.  At  the  present  time  they  would, 
perhaps,  regard  fuither  iniproveraent  improba¬ 
ble,  but  not  imiKissible. 
No  fanner  can  be  found  who  will  deny  that  it 
pays  to  glean  well  their  fields,  aud  recent  im¬ 
provements  have  materially  lessened  this  labor, 
mailing  what  was  once  arduous  toil,  easy  and 
economical  work. 
The  old  ostablisliod  fii'm  of  A.  W.  Coates  A  Co., 
Alliance,  Ohio,  (whose  hay  rake  is  the  subject  of 
oim  illustralion).  have  been  for  more  than  twelve 
ycai’s  engaged  lu  the  manufacture  of  these  rakes, 
and  witli  sncli  success  that  upwards  of  50,000 
liave  been  sold,  and  nuBibcrless  awards  at  State 
and  oilier  fairs  have  been  gained  in  honorable 
competition. 
That  it  is  to  a  farmer’s  interest  to  use  hay 
rakes,  none,  we  think,  will  gainsay ;  as  experi¬ 
ence  Jias  shown  that  they  more  than  pay  for 
(licniselves  in  the  value  of  the  grain  saved  by 
careful  raking.  Tho  pcrceiiiago  of  waste  on  a 
fair  average  crop  does  not  lull  short  of  a  tenth 
of  the  entire  amount.  Tho  rake  in  question  is 
well  and  substantially  made.  T'he  shafts  and 
rake  head  aro  most  duiable,  the  beat  timber 
alone  being  used.  The  wheels  are  unusually 
high,  thimble-skin  axles  aro  always  used,  and  a 
new  feature  this  season  is  the  spring  seat,  which 
is  easy,  well  braced,  and  the  springs  so  made  as 
to  adapt  Ihemaelves  to  the  weight  of  a  light  or 
lieavy  person. 
ITiis  rake  is  simplicity  itself  in  its  dischai^ge, 
the  whole  uiechuiiisin  being  a  look  lever,  an  in¬ 
geniously  contrived  joint  (patented  August  27, 
18(57,)  wliich  holds  tho  rake  rigid  while  down 
without  usuig  hands  or  feet,  while  the  discharge 
is  effected  by  the  weight  of  tJie  diiver  and  sira- 
jily  the  slightest  upward  motion  to  the  handle  of 
the  lever. 
'I’lie  rake  is  regulated  for  any  kind  of  ground 
by  olianging  a  pin  at  the  joint,  which  raises  or 
lowers  the  teetli  as  desii^ed.  A  most  important 
item  in  the  rake,  the  teeth,  are  made  of  cast- 
steel.  tempered  in  oil,  and  every  one  tested  be¬ 
fore  leaving  the  factory.  There  is,  tlierofore, 
no  prohttbilily  of  their  becoming  vyeak  or  bent 
out  of  line. 
A  recent  improvement  in  the  cleaner  does 
away  with  tho  wooden  bar  formerly  used,  and 
substitutes  light,  strong,  metal  bars,  which  pass 
through  tlie  teeth  as  tliey  are  elevated  and  clear 
the  hay  from  the  teeth  completely. 
It  would  well  repay  farmers  and  implement 
agents  to  examine  the  merits  of  this  rake,  aud 
Messrs.  A.  W.  Coates  A  Co.  will  be  happy  to 
GARDEN  ANTS, 
Mils.  Saba  Wood  in  her  book  “  The  Dwellers 
in  our  Oiu-dens"  iu  speaking  of  the  common 
garden  ftut  says : 
“  In  each  aut  city  there  ai  e  thi-ee  kinds  of  in¬ 
habitants,  and  on  all  three  kinds  the  good  of  tlie 
whole  community  depends.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  an  ant  living  or  Avorking  for  itself,  pro¬ 
viding  for  its  own  wants  or  those  of  its  young, 
as  with  most  other  ci'oatiu'es.  All  ants  live  aud 
work  together  for  the  benefit  of  tlie  whole  popu¬ 
lation  iu  each  community.  In  each  of  tho  latter 
there  are  males,  females,  and  working  ants, 
Tho  males  and  females  have  to  jirodiice  tlie 
young,  and  so  supply  inhahitants  for  tho  city, 
while  the  working  ants  have  to  work  for,  and 
feed,  aud  take  care  of  the  males  and  females  and 
young,  and  construct  the  cave-cities,  and  it  is 
these  indefatigable  little  creatures  ivith  which  we 
are  host  acquainted  from  seeing  them  above 
ground  when  tlicy  come  up  on  matters  of  busi¬ 
ness.  On  them  depends,  in  fact,  the  well-being 
and  lives  of  all.  It  is  they,  as  we  have  shown, 
who  aro  so  busy  when  the  fine  weather  sets  in  in 
hollowing-out  the  oaves  or  cells,  which  will  be 
wanted  for  future  progeny,  and  which  they  con¬ 
nect  together  with  galleries  and  passages,  so 
that  aU  are  commttnicahlo  one  Avith  another. 
Some  of  the  caves  are  for  the  reception  of  the 
females  Avho  are  to  become  the  mothers  of  a 
future  generation,  others  are  for  the  males,  aud 
others  are  destined  for  the  eggs  Avhich  produce 
the  grubs  or  larvoi,  aud  others  for  the  cocoons 
from  which  the  jterfect  ants  are  to  he  hatched. 
“The  female  ants  being  much  lai-ger  than 
either  tho  males  or  workers,  larger  cells  are 
in  case  the  sun  should  reappear. 
No  end  is  thei^e,  in  fact,  to  the  tender  care  aud 
indefatigable  attention  of  the  nurses." 
AN  IMPORTANT  (!)  MOLE  EXPERIMENT 
Dubtho  tho  mild  ATcather  about  the  first  of 
Jannaiy,  we  captured  a  mole  that  was  sloAA'ly  ex¬ 
tending  his  fmTow  along  a  border. 
We  placed  him  in  a  large  paint-pail  18  inches 
in  diameter  hoping  to  ascertain  by  experiments 
what  sort  of  food  he  preferred  and  Avhat,  Avheu 
pressed  by  hmiger,  he  might  be  driven  to  eat. 
We  at  fii-st  supphod  him  with  ten  grains  of 
corn — a  small  onion  and  a  small  potato — marked 
the  time  of  day  aud  made  a  note  of  the  food  pro¬ 
vided. 
Thi^ee  hours  afterAVords  Ave  Ausited  our  mole 
again. 
Now  tve  dislike  to  disappoint  those  of  our 
readers  who,  having  been  pestered  with  these 
pestiferous  ci-eatures.  are  naturally  interested  iu 
any  series  of  experuueiits  that  might  suggest 
exterminatory  or  preventive  measures. 
But  wo  were  onrsolyea  disappointed  and 
misery  loves  company. 
The  mole  was  dead  1 
In  A-ain  attempts  to  burroAV,  he  had  loosened 
the  hard  Croat  of  paint  from  the  bottom  of  the 
pail,  aud  besmeared  ins  jaws  Avitb  the  film  of 
paint  yet  soft  underueai'th,  Avhich  was,  doubtless, 
the  cause  of  his  death. 
Spide&s  have  eight  legs,  while  true  insects  have 
six.  Some  naturalists  say  spiders  are  not  insects. 
