SEPT. 28 
THE RURAL HE 
ER. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Wheat Bran as a Fertilizer. 
A Subscriber, Marietta, Ga.. asks for informa¬ 
tion in regard to wheat bran as a fertilizer for 
corn or cotton. Price of corn, GOc ; cotton, 10c.; 
bran, $15 per ton ; cash price of commercial 
fertilizers, $40 to $50. 
Ass —Wheat bran haR been used as a fertil¬ 
izer in the Connecticut Valley for tobacco with 
much success. It has been used by market 
gardeners in growing sweet corn and melons also 
very successfully. There is no doubt that it 
would answer equally well for corn or cotton. 
Rye bran is richer in fertilizing matters than 
wheat bran, and the following table gives the 
comparative values of both wheat and rye bran, 
barn-yard manure, Peruvian guano and ordi¬ 
nary raw-bone superphosphate, both intrinsical¬ 
ly aB fertilizers, and also commercially in money. 
In 2,000 lbs. there are contained in 
Nitrogen. 
on 
5j 
o 
cu 
! £ • 
i 
9 -H 
irSo 
! £“ 
4S 
II 
C 3J 
Wheat bran... per lb 
41.8 
28.6 
38.« 
14.6 
tis .10 
Rye hran .. . " “ 
40.4 
68. (i 
2a. 60 
Barn vard Manure_ “ '• 
9.0 
M.4 
4.2 
3. ‘5 
Peruvian Guano. * “ 
Raw h<ino Superphos- 
2c0 0 
* 1 
40.0 
”60.0 
78,70 
phate... ... “ “ 
40.0 
_2 0 
320.0 
42.12 
The values are made up at the estimate of 25 
cents a pound for nitrogen; G cents for potash; 
and 10 cents for phosphoric acid. In practical 
use the materials in the bran would be more 
available than iu any others, because they are in 
an organic form, readily decomposed, and more 
easily dissolved and assimilated by plants. 
It follows, then, that wheat bran (and more 
especially rye bran), is cheaper as a fertilizer at 
$15 per ton than Peruvian guano at $70, or 
superphosphate of lime at $40 per ton. 
It might be proper to state that bran contains, 
in addition to those matters given above, much 
oil and fat, which would be usefully applied in 
feeding animals. Nearly the whole of the fertil¬ 
izing properties wouid remain in the droppings, 
liquid and solid, of the animals fed ; and. more¬ 
over, they would be in move available condition 
in the dung than in the raw bran, so that it 
would be a great economy to feed the bran, and 
save and use tbo manure made from it. Used in 
this way, bran possesses a much higher value as 
a fertilizer than any of the mineral manures, 
and the manure made from it may reasonably 
be considered as equal in value to the bran itself, 
notwithstanding a portion of it has been utilized 
as nutriment for feeding animals. To feed bran, 
then, and make manure from it, is the most use¬ 
ful and economical method of utilizing it as a 
fertilizer. 
Tingis Arcuaia. 
Alexander Moore, Chickasaw Co., Miss., sends 
some specimens of a miuute insect, and asks the 
name, history, and how best to get rid of it. Its 
kindred attack the hedge plant, Pyracanth, and 
often destroy it when young. 
ANSWERED BY J. STAUFFER. 
Ans.—T his is a very singular and remarkable 
creature, and can hardly be described as seen 
under the microscope. It belongs to West- 
wood’s Family 6 (or 8) Tingidie, which embraces 
nine genera, and many species. The old genus 
Tingis is now divided into the following four 
genera:— 
1. Monanthia, sides of pro thorax scaroely di¬ 
lated ; an tern, as pilose, last joint clavate. 
2. G^leatus, prothorax much dilated at the 
sides, with a large hood iu front; autennao long, 
slender, pilose ; areolro of the thorax and heme- 
lytra very large. 
3 D ctyonota, sides of thorax dilated, and 
areolate; the an ten as scabrous; terminal joint 
thinner than the third ; prothorax with a front¬ 
al hood. 
4. Acalypta Prothorax, with the sides slightly 
dilated, 3cariuated; antenna Jong, clavate, 
hemelytra meeting in a straight suture; wings 
wanting. 
These generally have the thorax furnished 
with a membranous dilation on each Bide, and 
posteriorly produced in the place of a scutel- 
Jum, and being, as well as the large hemelytra, 
(which lie over and cover the abdomen) formed 
with greater or less sized cell-iike reticulations. 
Their habit is much the same. The Tingis 
Pyri attackB the loaves of the Pear, and is 
known by the French gardeners under the name 
of “le%re.” It belongs to the “Bug-Tribe,” 
order iieteroptera, or Hemipteia Heteroptera. 
In Say’s Entomology, vol. 1, page 348-9. he de¬ 
scribes five species—gives the specific character 
for Tingis ciliata; this specimen accords, iu 
many respects with this common species as de¬ 
scribed by Say. The T. arcuata, is very much 
like the ciliata, distinguished mainly by the 
brown bands and the arcuated exterior edge of 
the hemelytra. Fitch’s Nl xious Insects, Re¬ 
ports 3, 4 and 5, p. 148, give a full description 
of ti e Butternut tingis, (Tingis Inglandis, new 
species.) which punctures the leaves and Hacks 
the juices. Found also on various other trees 
and shrubs. He adds, that this corresponds 
with Say's T. arcuata, except that the outer 
margin of the wing covers is rectilinear and not 
arcuated or concavely excavated, as the speci¬ 
men is which whs sent by Mr. Moore, and shows 
the brown bands also. Therefore we may call 
this Tingis arcuata, for the present. Charles 
H. Peck, Albany, N. Y., fouud a similar leaf-bug 
on tbo Basswood, named by Mr. Walsh as Tingis 
(monanthia) tiliar. The T. ciliata of Bay is 
found on the Sycamore, and is called Sycamore- 
leaf bug. 
The effects of all are much the same—causing 
the small, dead, dark-brown spots by the punc¬ 
tures made in sucking the juices. We can find 
no remedy—Harris is silent, and others fail to 
give a remedy. Fumigation is mentioned by 
one writer incidentally. 
“Big Worms,’kOaterpillers, i 
Mr. Geo. Washington Lee, of Columbiana 
Co., Ohio, sends us per mail, two “ worms” that 
he found on one of bis young apple trees; he 
states that they are new in that region, be 
noticed that there was something wrong with 
the tree, but. before tho culprit was detected, it 
wag found that they worked very fast, eating 
leaf, and stem close to the bud, or hardwood; 
he desires to have our opinion. 
Ans. The “ worms” are really very large and 
thick caterpillars, 2)£ inches long, and one inch 
in circumference, that have minute warts on 
each ring, with a single fine hair; the prolegs are 
hairy, or beset with very short bristles, the spi¬ 
racles yellowibh, as also a lateral line on each 
ring, sic ping across the spiracles, or breathing 
pores. 
It has much tho general aspect of the larva of 
the Cecrrpia moths, tho largest of our butterfly 
moth tribe of Lepidoptera. But it does not ac¬ 
cord with any known to us, iu the details. We 
submitted one of these larvre to an experienced 
entomologist, who at first sight pronounced it 
the larva of the Cecropia Luna, which he had 
raised on several occasions, as well as numerous 
other species from their larval state. Yet. after 
carefully comparing it with accurate figures aud 
descriptions of his own, aud examining the re¬ 
searches of Fitch, Harris, and others, carefully, 
he could not determine the imago or perfect 
moth resulting from said caterpillar. 
We would advise Mr. Lee to follow them up 
to their transformation, by finding the cocoon, 
and keeping it until it develops into a moth. A 
good plan is to have a box with the lower portion 
filled with common garden soil, say six iuches 
deep, the upper portion covered with netting, 
aud a lid so as to feed the catterpillar, if not 
fully matured, until he spins up into a oocoon, 
or enters the soil to undergo the change. In 
this way one oan prove what inseot will be de¬ 
veloped from a certain caterpillar. A box set on 
end, 12 inches high, and six inches square, will 
answer the purpose very well, and may prove of 
interest to any desirous to study insect life. 
It may be that these larva, or these worms, are 
a new phase in a feeder on other trees, or a new 
importation of a species not yet known to sci¬ 
ence, but changes occur in the same genera 
both as regards their food and consequent color 
and development. 
Choice Grapes. 
TV. IT. E., East Betaukel, Suffolk Co., L. I., 
asks—1. Which are the most hardy and profit¬ 
able, first-quality, market grapes. He has been 
thinking of the Salem ; Rogers No. 53 ; Wilder 
No. 4; Goethe No. 1; Agawam No. 15; Dela¬ 
ware and Maxatawney and wishes to know which, 
if any, of them would answer best: 2, the name 
of an approved work on wine making and where 
it can be purchased. 
Ans —1. There is no grape that doeB equally 
well everywhere. The best plan for a mau who 
intends to set out grape vines, is to go among 
those who have vines in his own neighborhood and 
find out which kinds succeed best eitbor near his 
own home or not far off, under the same climatic 
conditions. Quality and hardiness do not al¬ 
ways go hard-in-hand. Of the above list, Dela¬ 
ware and Maxatawney will doubtless do well and 
probably Salem, Wilder and Agawam. Concord 
succeeds well generally, while Worden is as good, 
or better, and ten diys earlier. Whitehall, 
Northern Muscadine, Merrimack, Martha, Isra- 
ella, Enmelan, Creveling and Adirondack would 
probably also succeed iu the above locality. As 
to quality, Delaware, Silem, Wilder, Agawam, 
Whitehall, Merrimaok, Eumelan and Adirondack 
are of the best quality. Champion, Worden and 
Enmelan are the earliest. 
2. Hu8mann's Grapes and Wine. $1. The 
Orange Jndd Co., 245 Broadway, N. Y. City. 
Miscellaneous, 
E. I). J]., Seneca Falls, N. T., asks whether 
salt would be any preventive against the Hes- 
sian-fly, and if it is so considered what is the 
best time and way to apply it. 
Ans —Salt is no preventive against the Hes¬ 
sian-fly. There are two broods of this pest, 
one in the fall and one in tho spring. Although 
many advocate sowing early to avoid the rav¬ 
ages of this pest, still, on the whole, tho best 
method of avoiding its depredations, is to sow 
the wheat late, both iu the fall and in the spring. 
The Fly begins to deposit her eggs, in both 
caseB, at about the same time that the wheat 
appeal’s above ground, and continues to lay eggs 
from two to three weeks. By sowing 10 to 14 
days later than ordinary seed time, the period of 
egg-laying will be nearly over before the wheat 
comes up and the pest thus, to a great extent, 
avoided. It is also recommended to burn the 
stubble in the fall. 
VF. Norfolk, Va. asks for the name of a man¬ 
ufacturer of stencil plates for marking clothing. 
Ans.— Stafford Mfg., Co., 66 Fulton St. N. Y. 
M. L Forman, Chautauqua Co., N. Y., 
ask if raising poultry and eggs for mar¬ 
ket can be made profitable wheif eggs are worth 
only from 10@12>ef cts. per dozen and chickens 
six cents per pound livo weight, and corn and 
other grain sell at prices about as heretofore ? 
Ans. —The margin of profit under such 
cir cumstances must be so narrow as to be per¬ 
ceptible only to those who have been fortunate 
enough to realize it. 
Communications received fob the week ending 
Saturday, September 21st: 
S. B.—N. A. W.-L.-E.F. M.—A. L. J.—D. S. M. 
—H. H. — J. W. K., thanks — I. P. R.—W. J. F.— 
M. A. L. — G. M —S. B. P. — A. M. V. A. — G. G.— 
C. C. G.-G. H. F.—G. D.—N. R.—H. 8.—H. H. B.— 
J. S. — W. J. B. — G. A. W. — W. C. B. -J. S. — 
H. B. N.—L. A. R.—W. G. L. D.—O. C. G.-J. W. E. 
B. D. B.—F. H. D.—W. C. J. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Columbia Co., Pa., Sept. IS, 1878. 
We have had a poouliar sort of a season thus 
far. Tho spring was summer-like; then, in 
May, came a week of cold weather. June and 
July and August were very hot and dry. In 
some parts of the county plenty of rain fell all 
the season, but along the- Susquehanna River no 
rain of any account fell for eight weeks until 
the 13th, when we had a day’s down-pour which 
has set the farmers to plowing again. The hay 
crop wsb the best in several years. Wheat and 
rye were very good iu most parts of the county ; 
but in some parts the Fly injured the crops 
very much. Oats thrash well iu the bnshel, 
but light in weight, Corn will not be more than 
two-thirds of a crop on aoconnt of the drought. 
Buckwheat, where they had rain, will be good, 
but where there was no rain it is not one-third 
of a crop. The honey crop is about the same 
as buckwheat runs—and but very few swarms. 
H. H. Brown. 
Anderson Co,, S C. 
Last year I plantod half an acre for corn 
fodder; one half in common corn and the 
other half in “pop corn." The latter yielded, 
I think, twioe as muoli as the former. Every 
stalk had from one to five “ shoots " and nearly 
all the stalks had from one to two fair-sized ears, 
while not more than one-fourth of the common 
corn had a “nubbin" When cured my cows 
would eat the pop-corn in preference to the com¬ 
mon corn, and were In better condition while fed 
on it. If any Rural reader has ever tried pop¬ 
corn, I should like to hear of his experience 
with it. G. A. McGee. 
Deer Lodge, Montana, Sept. 3, 1878. 
Here in Montana the season is so short that 
corn does not mature, so we raise only enough 
for table use during summer when it is tender. 
As for fruit, we can raise only the small fruits. 
In our valley which is much lower than usual, 
a few apiples ha ' been ripened. We hope at 
no distant period to be able to raise successfully 
the hardier kinds of fruit. We have to continue 
to experiment until we find what is suited to 
this climate. _ m. a. l. 
Brown Co., Wls., Sept. 14, 1378. 
From being very warm the weather at once 
dropped with the beginning of this week. On 
Tuesday night there was a severe frost in the 
low-lands back from thv river, in some places 
forming ice, but on high ground and near the 
water nothing was hurt. Farmers are doing 
their fall plowing and sowing rye of which grain 
a large area promises to be sown, the failure of 
wheat this year causing farmer* to turn their 
attention to raising a greater variety S ra ' u - 
Van. 
Chautauqua Co., n. Y. Sept, it, 1S7S - 
The heavy rain of last week did mttcb dam. < *8 e 
in some parts of this county by sweeping »wv, v 
a large number of highway bridges, &o. Corn- 
outting and potato-digging are new in full blast, 
(lorn is a pretty good crop, while potatoes are 
small and but few in tho hill. Green apples are 
worth 40 cents per bushel; tomatoes, 3o. per tb ; 
sweet potatoes, 3c. per tb.; grapes, 4@5o. per 
lb.; oats, 40o. per bushel; corn, 60o. per bushel; 
table butter, 20o. per lb.; eggs, 10c. per dozen. 
Trade dollars, 90 cents each. m. l. d. 
Rural Grounds, Bergen Co., Sept. 21, 1878. 
For a few days past the weather has been as 
warm as during the hottest of the summer. 
Pearl Millet is now in bloom and we hope that 
frost may be delayed long enough to enable it 
to form seed. The plants have grown to an 
immense size and we hope to send you a sketch 
in a few days. 
(Flit fonlfru Jjarii. 
POULTRY RECORD. 
The Rural’s correspondent “ Anon,” page 
584, Sept. 14th, gives the record of his White 
Leghorn hens for six months—March 1st to 
Sept. 1st. I regret that he did not give the 
number of eggs for each month. A corres¬ 
pondent of the Poultry Yard, some time since, 
gave a table showing the number of eggs an 
ordinary ben would lay during each month of 
the year, viz.: Jan., 4 ; Feb., 9; Mar., 20 ; Apl., 
17 ; May, 15 ; June, 12 ; July, 9 ; Aug., 7 ; Sept., 
6 ; Oct., S ; Nov., 5 ; Deo. 3. According to this 
table, “Auon’s” 44 Lcgborns would have given 
him 3.520 eggs ; the actual number, as reported, 
being 3,702. or about five per cent, iu excess. I 
give the result from my Plymouth Rocks for 
three months :— 
Jnne, 19 hens, 251 eggs, averaging 13-4.19 
July, 20 n 230 “ “ 11>£ 
Aug., 19 " 221 “ ‘ “ 11-12.19 
This shows an excess of about thirty per cent., 
or about twenty-five per cent, better than the 
Leghorns. 
The fowls are all last year’s chicks ; are con¬ 
fined in a large run, with plenty of shade and 
grass. Their feed consisted of whole corn, 
cracked corn, oats and ground feed ; with scraps 
from the house, and broken clam-shells. My 
experience does not accord with that of “Anon,” 
in regard to the value of the Leghorn. After a 
trial of two years, I discarded them, as being 
the poorest of any breed among the many tried. 
Uuless the Plymouth Rocks have faults not yet 
discovered, I place them at the head of the list, 
as I find many others have done—having tho 
quality of being good layers, sitters and mothers ; 
and, last, but not least, good table fowls—the 
latter quality will not be claimed, T think, for 
the Leghorn. For two years previous to the 
Leghorns, I had the Dominiques, and I regard 
them next to the Plymouth Rocks—lacking only 
one point—weight. g. d. b. 
NATLF8, N. Y. 
For the benefit of Rural readers who keep 
breeds of fowls much inclined to sit, I give my 
way of breaking, in a very short time, a hen ob¬ 
stinately determined to sit. I simply tie her 
legs together and put her on the floor of the 
hen-Louse. Twenty-four, or at most thirty-six 
hours, in this uncomfortable position, will in¬ 
variably cure the most obstinate case. f. g. 
-- 
To Rid a Hen-house of Vermin.—C lean out 
all loose rubbish; sweep out all dust aud filth ; 
then rub the whole length of the roosts, and the 
door throngh which tho fowls come in, with gas 
tar, and lice will trouble your poultry no more. 
j. e. s. 
®jjx Dfrtautn. 
POLLED CATTLE, &c. 
For several years I have always said a good 
word for hornless cattle, contending that horns 
are not only useless appendages but dangerous 
and really a nuisance aud the cause of many ac¬ 
cidents, including abortion, etc. 
Now I see that at the Paris Exposition the 
polled Aberdeen breed carried off the principal 
premiums from all others, consequently there 
can be nothing henceforth advanced in favor of 
these oflensivo weapons. According to the Lon¬ 
don Agricultural Gazette, Mr. Mecbi prefers 
hornless animals, and the Irish drovers actually 
remove the horns, because it answers their 
purpose to do bo. I have been on this conti¬ 
nent twenty-two years and first advocated cut¬ 
ting grass when it was m bloom instead of 
makiug hay from it when it had seeded. This 
was nearly twenty years ago, aud among others 
a Mr. Rice of New Jersey attacked me with bit¬ 
terness and intimated that I knew nothing about 
hay or hay-making. Next I argued against 
plowing fine natural-grass land aud stuck to it 
for years. Then I combatted the opinions of a 
great many to the effect that half the grass 
grown ought to bo left to rot on the ground, 
contending that by grazing with a variety of 
stock of which sheep should be a proportion, it 
was best to keep it evenly grazed and once in 
the year barely ealen, which would bring in all 
the best natural grasses and discourage the 
^ rso and worst herbage. Then I tried all pos¬ 
sible means of showing how foolish tLe hollow- 
. ' d tail-evil ideas were and how ridiculous 
horn »u 
„„„ * 1 .^. notion often entertained of the mflu- 
moon on so many subjeots, but iu 
S i have bee,' only partially successful. 
B-fore their na. rit “ are generally recognized, 
polled cattle must pv “““y wait a fcw m0r0 
men are gored to dea/ h ' a many more 
cows hooked aud inward.* ’ brut * od H0 fta to k,U 
the expected offspring and . miscarriages 
besides cruelly injuring the * ood 
miloh cows, by which bloody nmk a. ^ ^ ^ 
tiou are brought on, so that the tnav ’ 
Then it will begin 
to be 
one after the other. —- _ 
said what silly men there are in. the world tv ° 
