. 43 
(gittomolofiual. 
I contend that the seeds, roots, stems and 
loaves of plants are fed, sustained and matured 
by plant gases, and that theso gases liquify 
and then solidify in tho plant, creating their own 
POTATO BEETLE MITE. ash and inorganic matter; giving to tho plant 
at the same time its^orm, substance, color and 
Among tho many natural enemies of the fruit. 
Colorado Potato Beetle, the one shown in the There are, perhaps, very few peoplo who have 
accompanying illustration, from Prof. Rilet’s not noticed, in the spring and summer months, | 
now work on * * Potato Pests," . 
is oertainly one of tho most 17 m V 
interesting. In relation to V (wi * 
this mito, Prof. Rilet says: agms J T ^ y jw 
Of mites (Acarfna), there s'* 
is a very interesting species ^ v s n\ ^ // 
( Uropoda Americana — Ri- ^ , ' s Vv\ " 'u /[ 
lev), which is parasitic on ¥j r W (I 
the beetle externally. It \\ // 
was first sent to me by Mr. V-I jjgsira'jS— l\ // 
JI. C. Eeaepsuee of Paines- /' w I // 
ville, Ohio, in 1873, and sub- U ' r * ) 
scquontly found by Mr. TV. a I I 
R. Gekabd to very generally \ V J j) i, 
:nfcst the beetles around \. fit, 
roughliccpsie, N. Y. It »■ 1 /VJ§," ' W W' v> 
sometimes so thickly crowds V s \ 
and covers its victim that no f? 
part of this last is exposed, 
-ml tVir> goalie ilma infested Duo podA A .mekicana.— a, Colorado Potato Beetle attngucd byit—nat. 
•* llU lLC u ° eu ' 4 luu - nuesiLu R)zo . ttl0 mite, venir-,. vk w. and showing tho penotouma organs lyin'; 
laii,"Ui-li' 3 and eventnaJJy between tho levs; c. tlie organa extended s d, the claw; r, the excremenil- 
pSlms. This minute para- « ous “'“-a 11 •"!«««>• 
1 „ ,, . I _3 _ A.1___1 „ it_i ... ... . .1 
nite is about tho sue of the head of a small pin, 
broadly oval, depressed, tbo body in one piece, 
somewhat tough above, and yellowish-brown in 
color. It is not uncommon on other beetlos, and 
is closely allied to a well-known European mite 
parasite of beetlos and other Articulates—the 
TJropoda vegelans. This last is described by au¬ 
thors as possessing tho peculiarity of attaching 
itself to the hard, shelly parts of its victims by 
means of a thread-like filament that issues from 
the posterior part of the body. A careful study 
of our American species has convinced mo that 
tho Bimil .r anal filament, which also helps it to 
adhere to Doryphora, is in reality excrement!- 
tious, sticking to the beetle and to the mito by a 
flattened disc at either end, being quite fragile 
and easily broken. The truo penetrating or¬ 
gans, which enable the mito to hold tenaciously 
to its victim, and probably assist in obtaining 
nourishment, I have discovered to bo a, pair of 
extensile processes, each armed at the tip with a 
bifid claw somewhat resembling that of a lob¬ 
ster. When at rest these organs are retracted 
and lie between the legs and just under the skin. 
When extended, they are usually brought closely 
together and extend the whole length of the ani¬ 
mal beyond the head. Thus, in addition to the 
more frail excremonlitious and adhesive fila¬ 
ment, this Uropoda is provided with an organ 
that is beautifully adapted to penetrating tbo 
hard covei’ing of beetles, thus securing it to its 
slippery support. 
Jfarm t&nmomjh 
DISCOVERY 
AGRICULTURAL 
I8TRY. 
CHEM- 
Aoiu«tiltttkax, chemists of great ability have 
labored for years to discover not only the con¬ 
stituents of plants but w hat kind of material 
they most need, and tho best manner of sup¬ 
plying them with it. That bo many men of ac¬ 
knowledged skill have been so long without suc¬ 
cess iu determining this all important point, is 
a fact, and up to this present time their opinions 
arc as varied as ever, and are not proven fully, 
oven by the analyses they have made of different 
materials in their inorganic state. 
Tho majority of writers, including Liebjo, 
SflBKUOEL, Dm, JonN3T0N and otheru, have 
concluded that as ash and inorganic matter are 
found in all plants and trees in (lie vegetable 
kingdom that such ash and inorganic matter have 
been taken from the soil by the seed and roots 
in either one of two ways, or in both: 1st, by ab¬ 
sorption in a crude state, or (2nd) hv absorption 
in a soluble or liquid state. 
I will endeavor to demonstrate that these opin¬ 
ions are erroneous, and that instead of the seeds 
or roots absorbing inorganic material from the 
soil they are fed and sustained wholly by gases, 
and that they ar6 more dependent on these 
gases than on the character of the material in 
the soil; and that it is essential that the soil be 
porous, to admit of the entrance of these gases ; 
and that thoroughly rotted manures create this 
poroBity by their rapid decomposition, and at the 
same time assist in the formation of these gases. 
Many agricultural chemists have proven the 
power of the leaves of plants to absorb nitrogen, 
and a few of them admit that other materials are 
so absorbed; but all of them have, bo far, con¬ 
sidered that the seed and roots were the receiv¬ 
ers of the ash and inorganic matter fouud in the 
plant, a conjecture with them, at best, although 
seemingly natural and reasonable, but in which 
the reader will not probably concur after he has 
read these notes. 
onions, potatoes and other seeds that were not_ 
in the soil, but on floors or shelves in house and 
bam, sprouting and growing, caused by tho ab¬ 
sorption of atmospheric gases. 
Having frequently soaked beans, peas and 
other seeds in manorial waters, strongly impreg¬ 
nated with nitrates, from twenty-four to forty- 
eight hours, to test tho value of such treatment, 
I did not find, by such experiments, any improve¬ 
ment over common water in tho growth or char¬ 
acter of tho plant. 
I have not found any chemist stating that ho 
had detected in tho seed, or even root of a plant 
any of (ho soil or ash in its crude condition. If 
thus, the seeds will grow or germinate without 
soil, which they are found to do, tho necessity 
for this or that inorganio material for their ger¬ 
mination, is not strictly proved. Now aa to 
roots, wo often boo them submerged in pure 
water and find the plants growing, living noton 
inorganic matter, but on tho gases absorbed 
from iho water and tho atmosphero. It is true 
that some writers say that the inorganic matter 
is taken up iu a soiublo stato from tho soil, but, 
can wo believo such was strictly tho case, after 
such an experience as wo have had during tho 
past season ? 
I take tho liberty of narrating tbo result of an 
experiment which I made tho past summer, and 
one that iff corroborated by tho tostimo.iy of 
numerous writers, resulting in the confirmation 
of the power and utility of tho plant gases. 
Yom- readers will, perhaps, remember what an 
extraordinary drought wo had in tho vicinity of 
Now York City, tho heat at. night being almost, 
the greater part of tho tirno, equal to that of tho 
day. No dews or moisture at night, made it ex¬ 
tremely remarkable. Being engaged in tho man¬ 
ufacture of poudretto (from night soil), I was 
anxious to test its efficacy and practical value. 
I had a small number of tomato plants, ono half 
of them in ono bed without poudretto; tho other 
received a heavy top dressing of bone-dry pou- 
drette. I had not anticipated that tho result 
would show that tho plants receiving such a 
heavy application of this fertilizer at such a dry 
season could be so much benefited, yet they bore 
throughout a dark, rich green color, whilo those 
that wero without it, wilted and showed tho 
withering effects of the drought. None of these 
plants in either bed had over been watered dur¬ 
ing tho entire drought, nor before nor after, ex¬ 
cepting by tho rain. Now, when they re¬ 
mained for so many weeks without moist¬ 
ure even at the rootB, ground all dry and parched, 
how can we believo that inorganic matter has 
entered those roots in a soluble stato? Is it 
natirral that it should have entered in a crude 
state ? I think not. Is it not more reasonable 
to suppose it lo be made by those gases within 
the plant, which we know tho plant absorbs? 
We are familiar with the power of tho chemist— 
we know he can convert liquid bodies into solids 
and so lids into liquids, and one or both into 
gases and gases again into liquids. I there¬ 
fore presume all will admit that it is equally 
possible for nature to do the same, and although 
very learned and scientific men have simply con¬ 
jectured that the aBh and inorganic matter found 
in all plants have been absorbed by seeds and roots 
from the soil, it is possible they are wrong frem 
their numerous disagreements in their theories 
anti analyses. I think tho power of nature in 
the plant to form the ash, or convert thoso 
gases. Rap or liquid material into inorganic mat¬ 
ter. cannot well be disputed. 
We find her iu the animal kingdom perform¬ 
ing similar changes, as in the case of infants 
having gravel and sometimes born with teeth; 
and the bone horn and hoof in cattle at birth. 
We find her incessantly at work changing or¬ 
ganic into inorganic matter and inorganic back 
again to organic, so that we hardly know where 
to draw a dividing line. 
As to phosphates, nitrates, ash or inorganic 
elements taken from tho soil by the root, the tes¬ 
timony is very conflicting. In Johnston’s Agri¬ 
cultural Chemistry, page 4-12, ho says; 
“When hones are bnrriod in a more or less 
ontiro state, as they occasionally are about tho 
roots of vinos and fruit trees, they gradually do- 
cay and sousibly promote tho growth of the 
trees to which they aro applied. Yet. after the 
lapse of yoar3, these same bones may be dug up 
nearly unaltered, cither in form or size. Tho 
main effect, therefore, produced by bones when 
buried at tho roots of treos, and their first effect 
in all cases, must be owing to the animal matter 
they contain—the elements of this animal mat¬ 
ter, as it decomposer, being absorbed by tho 
roots with which tho bonus aro in contact. Such 
facts as theso prove, I think, tbo incorrectness 
of tho one-sided opinion too hastily advanced by 
Shkenrel, and, after him. reiterated by Liebig 
and his followers -that tlio principal efficacy of 
bones is, in all cases, to bo ascribed to their 
earthy ingredients, and especially to tho phos¬ 
phate of lime.” 
Another strong proof is the fact that from the 
same pieces of land, manured highly every sea¬ 
son, wo obtain different quantities and qualities, 
oven after seasons in which our manures have 
been alternated or combined, thus showing that 
our plants aro more dependent on gases iu tho 
atmosphere. 
Agricultural writers that have experimented in 
oils that contained not one particle of nitrogen, 
have testified to their efficacy, nnd if we aro to 
take all the advice given us by such writers and 
chemists, wo could use every known commodity 
or thing in this world to advantage in tho soil, 
not excepting one’s old clothes. Wo know tho 
odor exhaled from plants whon In a room. In 
tho fields wo find tiro atmosphere strongly im¬ 
pregnated. Is it not then just as probable that 
plants have tho same power of inhalation as they 
have of exhalation ? Ibis power of absorption nr 
the atmospheric plant gases is proven, not only 
by chemical tests, but by numerous experiments. 
James A. Cottingham. 
Jersey City, Dec. 29,1S70. 
-- 
BEER IN HARVEST TIME. 
The trials and tribulations of English farm¬ 
ers over tho “beer question" are somewhat 
amusing to farmers on this Bide of the Atlantic, 
and, wo nifty add, should bo instructive as well, 
as they show what un evil may grow out of a cus¬ 
tom, founded solely for the good of a certain 
class of laborers, but which, in tho end, works to 
their great injury. 
Tho custom of supplying the farm laborers 
of England with a certain quantity of beer per 
diem, has boon an established one for genera¬ 
tions. 'This, as might kavo been foreseen, 
has tended to create hi them a habit of “guz¬ 
zling,” not only in working hours, but after¬ 
wards, and tho tap-room, for many, has become a 
far more nttractivo place than their own fire¬ 
sides. Our English exchanges have boon dis¬ 
cussing this beer question quite vigorously, of 
late, and it appears that there is a Btrong effort 
being made to abolish tho practice of granting 
rations of beer in addition to tbo wages, which, 
to us on this sido of tho Atlantic, seems to be 
both a wise and economical retrenchment, inso¬ 
much as it will permit of paying higher wages 
leaving tho laborer to do with them as ho pleases 
—tho sober, Industrious man being afforded 
a chance to save the value of his rat ions of beer, 
if no more. In a report of a discussion on this 
subject, before tho Farmers’ Club (London, 
Eng.), as published in the Agricultural Gazette, 
the Rev, H. R. IL Hayehd Raid that the true way 
to meet, the difficulty was to pay the wholo of the 
men’s wages in money. 
It might bo asked—What did he know of tho 
difficulties of getting men to work in the harvest 
field without beer ? Ho had in his day done as 
hard manual work under a midsummer sun as 
any man had done in the hay fieldf. Whon ho 
was an undergraduate at Oxford he rowed on 
the river; he had often rowed from Oxford to 
London, and to row 20 or GO miles a day was a 
common thing. At first ho did not understand 
it, and began with beer, but it would not do. 
Tho beer was all very well, nice and cooling at 
tho time, but it created a most insatiablo thirot, 
and the more odc had the more one wanted. All 
this past Rummer, too, he could speak of what 
comfort ho had .found in abstaining from beer. 
Co had found it was the best thing one could do 
to keep something in tho mouth—a pebble or a 
bit of gla„8; and when ho was walking in moun¬ 
tainous countries, as he wa3 very fond of doing, 
whether it was in Scotland or Switzerland, he 
always carried something in his mouth, and thus 
did away with tho craving for something to 
drink, and prevented that terrible thirst. For 
what was this thirst? It was not the thirst of 
tho stomach, if he might bo speak; it was the 
heated air entering tho mouth and drying up the 
throat, and thus creating a terrible craving for 
drink. Ho believed no doctor would contradict 
him whon he said there was nothing more pre¬ 
judicial or more injurious than drinking alco- 
holio liquors at odd hours and odd times. Ho 
traced hr many of his contemporaries their down¬ 
fall, and iu some oases their death, to that abom¬ 
inable and insidious system of having n, nip now 
and ft nip tlftm. Well, then, what should bo his 
rulo and practical conclusion from these facts ? 
Ho would say, do not get into the way of over¬ 
drinking without eating, for that ho had also 
proved. 
In old days, when ho had rowed many and 
many a long boat t aco, and como back tired and 
almost, exhausted, his throat in such a state that 
ho could hardly swallow, was it tbo glass of beer 
that did him good? No, they bad to do without 
it if they wished to row in one or two races. A 
bit of dry bread was the bent of all revivers. It 
was hard to get down, but when you at last had 
swallowed it, tho intenso relief experienced and 
t he comfort gained were incalculable. So lot tiro 
laboring man abstain if possible—for he knew 
that men were not exactly aliko, and he would 
not lay dowu a hard and fast rulo—from all 
stimulants, even rvith his dinner or luncheon, 
and let him have his beer with his supper at 
homo. He was very glad to 8oo that tho labor¬ 
ing men wore in tho habit of having their own 
smal l cask of beer at home. 
Tho system of doing without beer in tho day 
would prevent Unit feverish and insatiable thirst, 
and would prevent a man getting sq much that ho 
would bo compelled to go to bed, arising tho next 
morning unfit to go to his day’s work, lie could 
have nit) drop of beer iu the evening after his 
work was dono, fro: his awn small barrel, and 
another good thing was that tho wife, who bad 
perhaps also been in the field, or who had done 
a hard day’ll washing, gut a little of tho benefit 
of it, and thus sobriety was encouraged and 
thrift fostered. 
Mr. Wearing agroed w ith what Mr. Hayward 
had said; tills mutter of beer iu tho harvest had 
been much abus. !. _.o had seen iu summer' 
men quite "boo oy”in tho evening, and thoy 
knew very well if u man was in that state at 
night ho was not .It for work tho next morning, 
and even if ho got o work at the proper t ime, 
it was with the hoa hiehe. In referring to this 
question, two or three weeks ago, at a harvest- 
home meeting at Soratton, lie remarked, that, it, 
struck him if farmer would resolutely sot their 
faces against this system of giving boor ad libi¬ 
tum, andqivo a nnu*(J« a week more to his wa¬ 
ges in the placo of the beer, it would bo a boon 
to tho man, to his family, and to tho farmer 
also. lie know' it was very difficult to break 
through old customs, and if the farmers tried to 
abolish this giving of beer they might bo ac¬ 
cused of getting “stingy ’’ or penurious towards 
their laborers. Ho could not, however, concoivo 
a greater benefit which tho farmer could bestow 
on his laborers than by adopting the rulo of all 
money and no beer, except perhaps a little at 
meal times. 
Insurance Hcpuilmcnt. 
“PAY AS YOU GO. 1 ' 
A veiiy largo proportion of all tho insurances 
of farm property iu tho Eastern mid Middle 
States is held with mutual associations or com¬ 
panies. having no capital stock or accumulated 
financial resources. Each policy holder acquired 
membership by making a small anti-payment in 
money, and depositing a premium note subject 
to assessment fur losses and expenses. Tho 
membership of theso associations may bo num¬ 
bered by t' ms of thousand ■, yet it is j ust barely 
possible that ouo member in a hundred compre¬ 
hends fully the stringency and extent of tho 
nbUgftt.h.i/ 1 sftHRtuin:d, '| hi matter appears fiimplo 
indeed. The insured in impress d with the idea 
that the note i.i tittle more than a form, that its 
chief use is to indicate tin limit of alltfio assess¬ 
ments to bo made during t.ho tenure of tlio in¬ 
surance, and that unless somo excessive losses 
aro incurred, no aRsesKment whatever will be 
made, 
Tho truth is that tho insured is also tho in- 
nuror and atockholder, and as such liable for a 
rharo of tbo losses and expenses incurred what¬ 
ever their amount, andean be, if necessary, as¬ 
sessed without limit,. In a regular* insurance 
company tho stockholder is liable only to tho ex¬ 
tent of his subscription to Mock. This matter is 
regulated by tho charter which also limits tho 
amount which a policy holder can be compelled 
to pay. In n mutual company there are no such 
chni t- r restrictions limiting the liability to pay. 
Tho members are at tho fame time iusured and 
insurers, stockholders and policy holders and, 
as the courts have again and again decided, aro 
liable to tho ontiro extent of their ability to pay. 
They may be compelled to pay losses* and ex¬ 
penses incurred before and after their member¬ 
ship began. 
Iu fine they become parties and partners in a 
business which they are not permitted to control 
or manage, but, which compels or may compel 
them, as the history of such enterprises in the 
west has shown, to pay the uttermost farthing. 
The fearful abuses of privilege that grievously 
oppressed that confiding people, have not oc¬ 
curred very often In the oast. but. they may 
occur, and provide amino nf JI'-gotten wealth for 
some designing parties. Home of these mutual 
associations rnanagu their business with tolerable 
cure and economy, hut there is always a risk of 
excessive payment, impending. Tho plan iB to 
pay a stipulated promium to ono of the many 
excellent stock companies doing a farm business, 
that is, buy insurance for caMi. pay as you go, 
and have done with contingent liabilities. There 
is no security like that, provided by ready money 
and ample cash capital. 
