DEC. 14 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
847 
was not unusual for customers to complain of 
the ill effects of the milk upon children, 
and, tracing: the cause back, he generally lo¬ 
cated the difficulty at some farm where the 
cows were fed largely on apples or had some 
other improper food. There is no doubt all 
cows will eat with avidity the contents of the 
silos and, like us humans, prefer a mixed, 
moist diet to a dry one of hay and bran ; but 
it is yet to be proved whether, for all dairy 
purposes, the lacteal fluid and the cream and 
butter will be as good and fine for the delecta¬ 
tion of discriminating epicures, as the same 
products produced from the usual fodder, 
early-cut hay, wheat- brau aud corn-meal. 
There is another consideration apt to be over¬ 
looked by the enthusiast and new beginner, 
embodied in the homely proverb, “ You can't 
get more of a cat than her skin and what's in¬ 
side of her." No more food will come out of 
the silo than is pul iu. There are some chem¬ 
ical changes, of course, but probably the most 
efficacious of the results is the softening of the 
corn butts aud the other hard substances by 
the vinous fermentation, so that the animals 
cau eat aud digest everything ; but was not 
that result reached as effectually by the steam¬ 
ing process so much In vogue a few years 
since and now practiced in a limited degree ? 
Great credit is due to those enterprising farm¬ 
ers—and they are increasing daily—who will 
experiment and test for the beuefit, of them-, 
selves and others, and it is wise to let those 
who have the means aud the knowledge satisfy 
themselves and give the results of their work 
before too many, without due preparation, 
rush in and get disappointed and perhaps deter 
others from having a good thing. 
Water. —Water iB now what is wanted in 
New England, on the farm aud in the vil¬ 
lages as well as in the manufacturing estab¬ 
lishments, and the dairymeu especially cry for 
it almost as zealously as did the thirsty rich 
man to Lazarus. The Winter has closed iu 
upon us without the usual Fall rains ; the 
Summer has been almost a continuous drought; 
the wells are dry, cisterns only partially fill¬ 
ed, and the springs closed up. It looks as if 
our farm hauds and horses will be occupied 
all the Winter in drawiog water from the 
brooks and rivers for the cattle, and the latter 
will have to run great risks iu going to those 
streams sufficiently near, on the ice and snow. 
Among all the devices to suriuouut the ditfi 
culty attending this condition of things, the 
most feasible appears to be deepening the dried- 
up wells by boring or driving new wells iu soils 
suitable to this purpose. I'here are several 
machines Invented for boring to any depth, 
now comiug into use here and at the West, 
and they bore through rock as well as earth, 
until water is reached. Then iron pipes screw¬ 
ed together are inserted, a force pump applied 
and the supply i6 uufailing. Green's **driven 
wells" have been seen at almost all the couutry 
fairs, and are familiar to the farming commu¬ 
nity. One great advantage of this system of 
reaching water, next to the supply obtained at 
all seasons, is that the water is free from all 
surface impurity, as nothing cau leak iu 
through these iron pipes, and the well can be 
near the barnyard without injury. When an 
old well is deepened, the water reached and 
the pipes inserted, the well is filled up around 
them with clay and earth. The cost of boriny 
is usually $5 to $6 per foot through rock, and 
the cost of pipiug, about $1 per foot, is to be 
added ; through earth alone about 4S per foot, 
and where cement iustead of iron pipes is used 
the cost is two-thirds less than iron, but the 
joints are uot so close, and if the well is near a 
barnyard it might not be safe from intrusion of 
the How from it in wet seasons. We are not as 
clean as the Persians, according to Herodotus, 
were — “ who never spat or washed their 
hands in a river, nor allowed anyone to do so," 
and for pure water for house or barns there 
seems no better way for those aloof from 
mountain springs to obtain it than by delving 
into the bowels of the earth, which are sup¬ 
posed to be clean, and if we don't go near 
enough to the hot regions below, we shall get 
a good article and plenty of it. A wind-mill 
cau be used iustead of a force pump, when 
required, and the water thereby constantly 
distributed to the tank of the dwelling-house 
and barns, and from the latter into the inan- 
gerB of the cattle. 
- — - 
How to Feed the Pigs. 
A good plan for a pig trough is here illustra¬ 
ted. It is so constructed that without trouble 
or delay, the swine can be shut away from it 
while the feed is being put in. T is the trough, 
divided by cross 6trips to prevent the swine 
from crowding one another. D is a door hung 
over the center of the trough. When it is 
desired to shut the swine away from the 
trough, the door is swung in and bolted (B) 
on the side of the trough. After the feed is 
evenly distributed, the door is swung to the 
outside of the trough, and bolted. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. Chas. A. Green. 
(gntomoloqiral. 
THE GRAPE-VINE FLEA BEETLE. 
This little insect, a small blue or brown 
jumping beetle, less than one-fifth of an inch 
In leDgth aud which is shown, much magnified, 
in the two illustrations, figures 430 and 421, 
has the scientific u'lme of Haltica ebalybea, 
of llliger, and is of the order Coleoptera, and 
family of Chrysomelad®. It is found eating 
into the grape buds in early Spring. 
fig. 420. 
In May and June the brown, sluggish larvie 
are found upon the upper surf ace of the leaves, 
eating irregular holes and often partially or 
wholly skeletonizing the leaf. 
A sketch of the natural history of the flea 
beetle is given by Prof. Comstock in the forth¬ 
coming report of the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, from which we are permitted to reproduce 
the accompanying illustrat : ona for the Rural* 
The greatest damage which is done l y this 
flea beetle, so called from its jumping habit, 
is in eating the young vine buds in early 
Spring. The adult beetles hibernate in great 
numbers in the Fall under the bark or the 
fig. 421. 
splinters of supporting posts, or on the lower 
portiou of the grape-viues. in the joints of 
fences, or under sticks, stones or logs, and, in 
fact, in any convenient place where they can 
find prom'sing protection. During the first 
warm, sunny days of Spring, as the buds of the 
vine are beginning to swell, the beetle leaves 
its win ter-quarters and flies, or jumps, to the 
nearest vine for its food. There it gnaws holes 
into the buds often deep enough to t»nry itself. 
As soon as the leaves unfold, the females de¬ 
posit their eggs of a alt aw color, in irregular 
clumps of four or five, upon both under and 
upper side of the leaves. The young larvae 
hatch some time in May or early in June, ac¬ 
cording to climate, and commence to feed upon 
the leaf, cutting irregular holes. The larvae 
attain full growth in from three to five weeks, 
and may be found in almost as wide a range 
of latitude as the grape vine itself. 
Figures 420 aud 431 show the size and ap¬ 
pearance of this pest, and its habits of feeding. 
After feeding sufficiently the larvie drop from 
the viuc and work their way under the 
grqund some two or three inches, form a 
smooth cavity around themselves and are 
transformed to pup®, about 15-100 of au inch 
in length and of a yellowi3h-browu color. 
Here they remain from two to three weeks 
when the perfect beetle emerges, see fig- 420. 
A second brood may be fouud in the warmer 
latitudes, but one brood a year is all that 
there iB any certain knowledge of. 
The remedy for this iusect is to use posts 
without bark, in the vineyard, and to make 
examination of the lower part of the vine 
or any other places, and remove any that 
may there be discovered, and to rake up, 
late in the season, aud bum all refuse 
or rubbish in which the beetle has tak¬ 
en refuge. In the Spring the appearance 
of the beetle should be noted, and all 
beetles’ eggs and larv® carefully destroyed 
with the fingers. The beetle drops and 
feigns death when interrupted in feeding. 
Holding a strip of cotton cloth, three feet by 
six, saturated with kerosene, under the vine 
and giving this a sharp jar, will collect and de¬ 
stroy the beetles while beginning to eat early 
in the Spring. Spriukling with a solution of 
whale-oil soap—two pounds to fifteen gallons 
of water—or dusting the leaves with lime also 
aids In the destruction of the pests. 
The Cabbai(tt Pionea. 
In the Rural for August 7th, 1 ventured the 
statement that there must be three broods of 
the Pionea worm iu this latitude and possibly 
four or five, giving my reasons for such a con¬ 
clusion. Though I have not taken the trouble 
to rear them since writing, I have observed 
them on the cabbages in my garden since then, 
and my observations fully confirm the conjec¬ 
ture I made at that time—that there are at 
least four broods. While it is quite probable 
that the more rapidly developing specimens 
may ruu through five broods iu a season under 
favorable circumstances, and the slowest de¬ 
veloping only through three, the average Lum¬ 
ber will produce four broods, according to their 
appearance in my garden. 
At times I have seeu the Pionea aud rape 
worms on the same head, bat they are gener¬ 
ally found on separate heads. The rape worms, 
by the way, are much less numerous this year 
than last, showing that the parasites on them 
have been present in full force. On the sub¬ 
ject of remedies, it is probable that pyreth- 
rium will prove the only safe one that will 
be sure not only for this but the rape worm. 
Paris-green and London-purple are effectual 
iu killing the worms, but they are not safe, as 
they are liable to remain on the heads aud kill 
the people who eat these. G. H. French. 
Carboudale, 111. 
Jnhstrial Implements. 
AN EXCELLENT PO&TABLE MILL. 
The accompanying cut represents a very 
serviceable mill designed and made by tbeNor- 
dyke & Marmon Co., of Indianapolis, Ind. It 
is of the upper-ruuuer type, placed in ab iron 
hurst frame. Ail its material, except the 
stones and curb, is of iron or steel, which rea¬ 
ders it extremely durable. Every part ac¬ 
curately fitted, adjusted aud balanced, and 
thus the utmost steadiness of uioiiou is secured. 
The mill runs very lightly, and the stones, be¬ 
ing of equal thickness aud in perfect rnnuing 
balance, no trouble a’ises from their action. 
In fl mring middlings or wheat it is only neces¬ 
sary to keep the farrows and faces smooth and 
true, aud to follow the usual directions fur good 
milling. The mill has the latest improved 
FIG. 423. 
self-tramming driving iron; the bush or upper 
bearing of the spindle is self-adjusting; the 
bed-stone is movable aud held firmly in its 
place by suitable screws, which are used for 
tramming and leveling it. Several sizes are 
made. The fact that the mills of .this well- 
known firm were awarded the highest prize at 
the Missouri State Fair lately held at St. Louis, 
and at the recent Millers’ Exposition at Cin¬ 
cinnati, speaks eloquently in praise of their 
merits. For full particulars with regard to 
them we refer our readers to the Company at 
the above address. 
Miscellaneous. 
NOTES. 
It seems to me that the deer may be taken 
in hand and bred into an animal of more gen¬ 
eral utility, and certainly there are few great¬ 
er objects of beauty. Does not the deer offer 
a subject of as much interest as the outlandish 
goat for experimenting with ? 
There is want of a kind of meat somewhere 
in character between beef, and mutton and 
pork—not so tough, and coarse as beef, and 
yet not bo fat and indigestible as pork, and 
still of a better flavor than mutton, as gener¬ 
ally found upon our tables; something lrrger 
than poultry and not as expensive, and yet 
more compact and meaty, yet not as heavy os 
beef, c, o. b. 
The cry of food adulteration comes period¬ 
ically round, and nearly scares the life out of 
all sensitive, nervous people. The coffee Is 
half peas for body, half chiccory for strength ; 
the sugar and sirup are half glucose or sorghum, 
just as though any and all of these were not 
perfectly wholesome. The olive oil is half 
lard, or cotton seed or fish or some other, as 
though they were not all oil, and who knows 
which is best ? c h. 
Rice is not only one of the most wholesome, 
but one of the most palatable cereals, when 
carefully cooked, and its area of cultivation is 
very rapidly extending. The crop in Louisiana 
in 1870 was but 60 000 barrels, while the pres¬ 
ent crop is estimated at 250 <XK) barrels. The 
price ranges from six to eight cents per pound 
at wholesale, which is three or four times 
more than that of wheat, but no more than 
flour, and there is no waste in it as in wheat. 
J. F. B. 
-- 
EXTRACTS FROM SUB SC RIB IRS’ LETTERS. 
I like the Rural. It bas a heart in it. 
E Lewis Sturtevant. 
So. Framingham, >1038. 
I subscribe for the Rural New-Yorker be¬ 
cause it is the best agricultural paper I take, 
and I want it every week steadily. 
Watertown, N. Y. D. S. Marvin. 
I must say the Rural is tbe very best paper 
I ever read, and l read a good many. 
New Market, Va. Mrs. P. 8. Wise. 
The Rural is an especially welcome visitor, 
week by week, helping very much to relieve 
the dullness and loneliness of our Isolated 
situation. Mv husband esteems it very highly 
for tbe information in agriculture and horti¬ 
culture it affords, and I enj >y its literary and 
miscellaneous contents. Mas. L. B. Hale. 
Kansas. 
The Rural grows better and belter. I will 
do all I can to add to its circulation. I hope 
to get a large club this Fall. Your premiums 
are very liberal and valuable. F. B. Weed. 
Saratoga Co., N. Y. 
If the White Elephant should prove to be as 
good a potato as the Beauty of Hebron, it will 
be worth the cost of the Rural to each sub¬ 
scriber, aud the Rusal is worth more than 
any other fanner’s paper that I have seen. 
Oneida Co., N. Y. H. E. Davis. 
I hope the Rural is prospering as well as it 
appears to be, for its appearance is very invit¬ 
ing and successful. Mart Wager-Fisher. 
Bryn Mawr, Pa. 
[it is safe in this instance to judge by ap¬ 
pearances.— Eds ] 
I love the Rural. I have learnt something 
about fruit growing every week since last 
January, when I had my first number. It has 
made me an enthusiast about grapes, raspber¬ 
ries, strawberries. H. Kenworthy 
Iroquois Co.. Ill. 
I have taken the Rural since Jan. 1, 18S0, 
and like it very much. 
Mrs. Elizabeth A. Brigdek. 
van Ktteavllle, N. Y. 
This morning I take time to answer your 
letter. It is your fault that I am so hurried. 
My advertisement in the Rural New Yorker 
tells almost too well. J. T. Lovett. 
Monmouth Nursery, Little Silver, N. J. 
W’e think the Rural is a splendid paper. 
Hartwlck, N. Y. G. W. Sill. 
I was so well pleased with the seeds you sent 
