OCT. 27 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
2S0 
crop on the high lands bordering on Lake Michi- na 
gan from St Joseph to Grand Traverse ; and our kn 
10,000 citizens, have been well supplied at prioes cai 
which they could afford to pay. ite 
In this part of the State apples have been a Jn 
short crop; but wherever they have not been wt 
destroyed by the larvae of the codling moth, 001 
thev are verv lino, and not to be beaten. In this to 
part of the* State, wheat has been over au aver- co 
age crop. Just here, on our dry, sandy and an 
thirsty land, corn and potatoes have been a fail- of 
ure. We usually have a drought in July and 
August, and we plant of these crops the veiy S 
earliest or latest; the former so that they may 
make their main growth before the drought, ^ 
and the latter so that they may hold over till the < 
rains; the medium as to time, are liable to fail¬ 
ure by ripening in the drought, without produc¬ 
ing any crop. This year, corn looked fine the & 
first of July, but ripened up without ears, and ^ 
most of it was cut up for fodder the last of ^ 
Juiy. at 
About these grapes, which I intended to be the p 
subject of this article. I have long been lookiug ]a 
for and hankering after a grape that should ^ 
be of fair flavor, size and general appearance, y 
hardv enough to stand our winters on the trellis ^ 
without protection, that should not drop from 
the stems by ordinary handling, even after it has ^ 
become ripe and shriveled, and that should ripen a( 
early enough to remain on the vines for fifteen to ^ 
twenty days after becoming folly ripe before the 
first killing frost , which usually occurs here about d 
the last days of September. As to its color, I ^ 
consider that a mere matter of fancy, and as to y 
its wine-making qualities, that is not what I am y 
looking after, but I should certainly prefer that 0 
it should contain the right proportion of sugar Q 
and acid ; but if it should lack or have an ex- a 
cess of cither, I do not, like some, consider it ft e 
bin to correct this fault by the addition of sugar 
and water, or both. Since the juice of the 
apple has become diluted with the juice of the 
apple-worm. I think the juice of any grape pref¬ 
erable, especially to those who are anyway 
fastidious or squeamish. 
After testing several of the old, popular vari¬ 
eties without satisfactory results, I ordered 
single plants of some five or aix of the newer 
varieties, in the Bpring of 1875, and received not 
five or six, but thirty, among which were twelve 
of Rogers’ Hybrids. A Tew faded, among which 
were two of Rogers'; to wit: Essex and Barry. 
Most of the lot, including six of the Rogers’ 
fruited this season, two of which—the No. 2 and 
Goethe-I discovered as too late for our climate. 
Among the old ones are Liudlay No. 9, Massa- 
soit No. 3, and Ruqua No. 28. AU, but es¬ 
pecially the last, have thus far eminently 
pleased me, and among the Blacks that have 
given satisfaction, aro especially, Meriimae 
(Rogers’ 19.) Eumelau and Adiroudao. The 
latter I think rather puny and shy, hut very 
early, first coloring a bright scarlet, almost daz¬ 
zling, succeeded by au Isabella color aud flavor, 
AU of these five varieties have colored aud rip¬ 
ened before the Concord ; have adhered to the 
stems, show keeping and oarrying qualities, aud 
have mo far filled my bill, most especially the 
Rvqua and Emaelan. 
I have omitted mention of the Salem, Rogers’ 
22, but latterly claimed to be 53, aud some say 
5, 22, and 53, are identical, and 15 nearly so. I 
bought for $3 a single vine In 1809. It set fruit 
the third year and ever since, but being in tbe 
way of visitors, children and chickens, and being 
withal showy, little or no fruit has been perfect¬ 
ed till this season, when by its magnificent size, 
sugary flavor and tempting oulor, it has won the 
praise of aU observers aud tasters. It is said to 
be as early as tbe Concord. I wish It were, but 
think it a very few days behind, but shall prop¬ 
agate and raise it, even if I have to shelter it 
from frosts, and give it by reflection extra 
heat. 
Did time, space, muscular effort aud brain 
power cost no more than water and air, I should 
say more about many of the here mentioned 
and unmentioned grapes and other fruits, the 
different modes of prunning, training, and cul¬ 
tivating, the striking peculiarities of many fruits 
and vegetables, different aspects as affecting 
local climates, aud much else that comes uubid- 
deu into my mind, clamoring for utterance; but 
I must postpone indefinitely these subjects till 
further leisure or till circumstances again call 
them up. 
Muskegon. Mich., Oct. 15, 1877. 
name and place of its own. This is commonly 
known as the Forest-Tent Caterpillar, or Clisio- 
campa silvatioa, Harris. The eggs are depos¬ 
ited on the twigs of trees, the latter part of 
Juno or first of July, remaining thus until spring, 
when the young worms appear and form one 
common habitation. Although they may be said 
to live in one common tent, or web, they do not 
congregate so continuously as the G. Americana, 
aud have been found to oongregate on tho trunk 
of tbe tree when molting. 
Larva of CUsiocamfa silvatica. 
The moth differs from the former iu being of 
a paler or more yellowish color, and the oblique 
line being dark instead of light,. The food of 
the insect is widespread, as it attacks both forest 
and fruit trees, suoh as Oak, Hickory, Apple and 
Plum. Tbe caterpillars are preyed upon by a 
large, green beetle, which destroys many of 
them, but they can be artificially destroyed in 
the same manner recommondcd with regard to 
C. Americana. 
It is to the Fall Web-Worm, Hyphantria tex- 
tor, Harris, that I would chiefly call attention 
at this lime, because of the apparent damage 
done by it during tho past season. It is often 
confounded with tho two former, although it 
differs from them iu many particulars, both in 
its habit and color. It. is not until tbe webs are 
vacated by the two described, that the Fall Web- 
Worm makes its appearance. The webs are gen¬ 
erally found at tho end of the branches of Hick¬ 
ory, Ash, Oak, Black Walnut, Black Cherry, and 
almost every variety of forest trees, while it is 
even found upon Apple and Pear trees to some 
extent. 
Li riding over the various roads of Middle IUi- 
of mixed bran and meal and some hay, just in 
such quantities aB it was found they would eat 
all up. This would help to keep up the 
fertility, for although the shelter would he 
med at times, the greater part of all nights 
would be spent on the pasture; for all well fed 
healthy animals prefer tho open air. Moreover, 
nature provides coats of hair, much warmer 
than any ruau can invent, which proteot them 
from all evil effects, excepting when really severe 
winter sets in. 
fields near the general farm premises, ought 
to be, some of them, small for tho accommoda¬ 
tion of colts and calves, and in them there 
should he sheds suitably fitted up with low 
mangers etc., for young stock, and when such 
shelters aro so built tbat they can bo closed at 
night when necessary, no other kind of protec¬ 
tion is required for the whole winter in any but 
the most Northern States. Brood mares, run¬ 
ning out on natural grass laud and having 
shelter of this kind, would also ho healthier and 
bring much stronger foals, and then the pastures 
would bo rendered so productive by the quantity 
of dung from these cattle, young and old, that 
they would throw up successive grass crops 
capable of supporting more than double, and 
probably treble, the number of stock they could 
maintain under tl.o old system of housing tho 
animals at home in tho autumn, aud stabling 
them during the entire winter. Of course, 
there would be other animals of every variety to 
keep at home. There would be working horses, 
milch cows, stall-fed oxen or oows, and swine, all 
of which would make lots of tho richest manure 
for the arable land. 
(gniorao logical, 
THE WEB-CATERPILLARS.-II. 
BY MISS EMMA A. SMITH. 
There is another insect which makes a web 
and is similar in habit and general appearance to 
the Apple Tree Tent Caterpillar, but differing 
from it in points important enough to give it a 
UYPUANTRIA TEXTOK. w 
«, caterpillar; 0, chrysalis; c, moth. a 
nois, the latter part of summer, the webs made cj 
by this insect, attracted much attention. Tho j, 
moth differs in color from the C. Americana and p 
C. silvatioa, in being white ; and instead of de- g 
positing the eggs in the autumn, it remains B 
during winter in the chrysalis state, emerging as B 
tho moth in the spring, and depositing the eggs 0 
on the loaf instead of twig. As soon as the eggs ^ 
hatch, the young worms commence blinding a ^ 
common habitation, in tho form of a web or £ 
tent. This at first covers but a small portion of ( 
the branch, and inside tho tent is found the food, 
consisting of the parenchyma, and not the entire , 
leaf, as is the case with the two others. When , 
the food is all partaken of inside tho web, this is j 
enlarged, and covers new aud fresh leaves, until , 
large branches are surrounded. 
These insects are generally considered single- 
j brooded, although it is possible in some latitudes 
they are double. The forests around Peoria 
have been unusually infosted by tho caterpillars 
of this moth, some few trees beiug entirely cov¬ 
ered by the webs. When these are within reach, 
they are easily destroyed by holding a lighted 
torch or burning straw underneath, and the 
worms which are not dead, when they alight on 
the ground, should straightway be killed. 
Scientific Association, Illinois. 
®J \t ijetismaii. 
THOUGHTS FROM A FARM. 
LET THE FARM REMAIN UNKNOWN FOR THE PRESENT AND 
THE WRITER REMAIN INCOGNITO. 
Sheds for Shelter in Pastures and Grass Fields 
Generally, 
At this season of tho year it is thought tbe 
. pastures are very much injured by having the 
stock housed at the homestead, thus robbing 
the fields of all dung and urine dropped by the 
animals during their absence- It is true, if they 
. are well Ted at night aud again in the morning 
before being turned for the day into the pasture, 
that this is au equivalent, but in many cases, 
there is little or uothlog given. Now, if on the 
most favorable side of a field there was a com¬ 
fortable, covered shelter, with a rack and 
b manger, how nice it would be for the animals ! 
o For they could run under it at any time, when a 
g shower occurred, and as cool nights came on, 
a and grass became short they could have a feed 
Right here it may ho said that the Booiier 
people realize the immense loss sustained by the 
country owing to tho exceedingly foolish habit 
of feeding hogs on side hills, with streams of 
water running at the foot, so that the manure is 
washed off aud borne away by every shower, the 
hotter for the future fertility of the soil ou 
which is grown the corn foil to tho animals. 
There are some thoughtless people who argue 
that man can continue taking crops from land 
without returning anything to it, and that the 
plant-food will not bo exhausted; but suoh 
ignorant men need only to go a little farther 
East to see thousands of acres already worn out 
and placed on the market by their first owuers. 
There are hundreds of farmers who yard their 
milking cows at night in the summer time, shut 
up their sheep that dogs may not injure them, 
have woodland on which cattle and sheep cau 
spend all tho time they are not eating, and 
where consequently they drop all tho manure 
not left in the yards and the little that may ac¬ 
cidently be dropped while the animals are eat¬ 
ing, and yet these farmers express surprise that 
pastures should run out aud become thin-set iu 
grass. Such men will say tho climate does not 
suit for permanent grass, aud so they plow and 
seed down timothy and sometimes one or two 
other sorts, and soon the same treatment, or per¬ 
haps yearly mowing for hay, will again exhaust 
tho little plant-food left, so that half crops of 
corn or grain cannot bo growu, and finally the 
owner sells out. 
It is no rnatber of surprise to see whole dis¬ 
tricts of poor land, when, in addition to these 
ways of exhausting grass land, it is known that 
flax is grown aud the cake all exported to En¬ 
gland, while millions of bushels of corn and 
grain are taken by distillers and poison made 
from them to ruin hundreds of thousands of 
1 men, while the manure that should have been 
k forthcoming from this source, is lost. Again, 
! not content with all this impoverishing or the 
" soil, still further means aro taken to effect the 
’ same end by running into the river aud the sea 
^ a great deal of matter that would fertilize the 
3 1 land. 
the object, which onr correspondent has in view 
in common with many others, are very abundant, 
as may well be supposed, when tho facility with 
which the most trilling and obvious modifications 
of procesB3s of nature, or of thing* In r, ’ m n 
time immemorial, are “ protected ' by patents is 
considered. Tbat to which our correspondent 
refers as 11 a ebunney for the pipe to go in, 
may or may not be so protf oted. It seems to be 
similar to a contrivance which has oovne under 
our notice in tlm course of an investigation of 
the subject, and we believe wo can describe it 
with sufficient accuracy. The walls of the cis¬ 
tern should be laid in and plastered with good 
hydraulic cement. The floor should also he 
piasteted with hydraulic o. merit. In this way 
the entrance of water from the adjacent earth 
into the cistern will bo prevented. The tap, 
also, should be made perfectly tight,, with the 
provision therein of an entrance-hole, which 
would need to have its cover removed only at 
lung intervals, for tho purpose of cleaning out 
tho cistern. A brick chamber, (of circular form 
preferably as that would resist the pres-ure of 
the water outside perfectly,) or proportions suita¬ 
ble to tho size of Hie cistern, is constructed 
within tho body Of the cistern, ami either com¬ 
pletely enclosed or oarried upward beyond the 
paint Of overflow when the cistern is full of water. 
Au air-vent may ho necessary to this chamber. 
Tho water is admitted from tho roof into tho 
cistern proper, and surrounds or completely cov¬ 
ers up tho filtering chamber. It filters gradually 
into tho chamber through the brick wall and 
thus becomes freed from most of its organic im¬ 
purities. From this chamber It is pumped up 
for use. Subsequent passage through a char¬ 
coal filter removes tho gaseous, deleterious 
and effete matter, especially organic, which the 
water is sure to retain, in greater or less degree, 
after passing through the brick, aud fits it, for 
any purpose required. 1 his is a good aud impie 
form of filter, and would undoubtedly do tho 
work last enough if prop>r precautions were used 
to prevent gross refuse matter which "id gather 
On roofs, from entering tho cistern This last is 
an important point if tho necessity <>f frequent 
cleaning out of tho main cistern is to be avoided. 
In our next issue we will describe one or two 
methods of filtering rain-water, which we con¬ 
sider better than the one above noticed Want 
. of space forbids our continuing the subject at 
; present. 
FILTERING DRINKING WATER. 
Ekitou Rural: —I have room for a cistern 
5x9x6 feet iu my cellar. Now, I would like 
to know the cheapest way of filtering the water 
for house use and drinking purposes. Some say 
build a chimney for tho pipe to go in. Would 
that filter fast enough ? If yon, or some of your 
subscribers will answer, it will greatly oblige 
Seneca Falls, N. Y. A Subbcribbb 
Ams .—Filtration of water for drinking and 
domestic purposes is a matter tho importance of 
which is attracting more aud more attention as 
the population of the country increases iu den¬ 
sity. Many of the prevalent diseases of the 
time are traced directly to the use of water poi¬ 
soned in its passage through the ground by com¬ 
ing in contact with impurities from barns, 
privies, sewers, etc. ; aud filtration is clearly be¬ 
coming au urgent necessity, especially in dis¬ 
tricts where manufacturing is carried on exten¬ 
sively, and whose water* courses are polluted in 
consequence thereof. Methods of accomplishing 
brieflets. 
Tali. Varieties of Trees are far more 
numerous among us than in Europe. There aie 
not more than forty kinds there that attain a, 
bight of thirty feet, whereas in North America 
there are about one hundred and forty. 
The temperature of a manure heap is apretty 
accurate criterion of the state of fermentation 
in it. If the thermometer plunged into it 
does not rise above 100° Fahrenheit, tlu re is lit¬ 
tle danger of too much gaseous matter being 
lost; if the temperature is higher, means should 
bo taken to lower it and thus check the feimen¬ 
tation. 
Manure Pits, Prof. Voelckkr advises, should 
havo their sides and bottoms rendered im¬ 
permeable to water either by clay puddling or 
hydraulic cement. The bottom should be 
slightly inclined so that (he liquid manure and 
drainings may make their way to an appropriate 
tank close by. This should be provided with a 
pump for the purpose of returning the liquid 
manure to the heap in dry weather. The heap 
should also bo well trodden down. 
In Selecting Crops to Plant it should be 
borne in mind that the growth of some crops im¬ 
poverishes the soil more than that of others, and 
also that some make richer manure than others. 
A crop of red clover, for instance, does not im¬ 
poverish tho soil as ranch as one of timothy 
grass, while, a ton of clover hay will make ma¬ 
nure worth about half as much again as that 
made from un equal weight of timothy hay. The 
i manure from a given weight of peas and beans, 
, also, it liaB been calculated, is worth twice as 
. much as that from an equal weight of oats, 
r barley, rye or Indian corn. 
Animal Manures of all kinds are good but 
different in tho rapidity of their fertilizing 
effects as well as iu their duration. Horn, hair 
and wool, as Prof. Johnson has well remarked, 
depend for then efficacy precisely on the same 
principle as the blood and flesh of animals. 
They differ chiefly in this, that they are <lry, 
while the blood and flesh Contain from 80 to JJ 
per cent, of their weight in water. Hence a ton 
of horn shavings, cf hair, or of dry woolen rags 
contains vastly more fertilizing 
the same weight in blood or flesh, but tho effect 
of soft animal matter is more immediate and ap- 
parent, while that of hard and diy substances is 
less visible but continues for a much longer 
time. 
