THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
AUG 46 
528 
Examining the blossoms of tha Crescents, I 
found a few of what would seem to be imper¬ 
fectly developed stamens, so few and so small 
that they would be likely to be overlooked by 
the observer, unless he examined closely; yet it 
seems that they were sufficient for self-fertili¬ 
zation. With the Mancbesters the case was 
different; not the slightest rudiment of a sta¬ 
men was visible, yet it is difficult to find a 
blossom that has failed to set its fruit. Possi¬ 
bly sufficient pollen was obtained from the 
near-by Crescents to fertilize the Manchester*. 
If such was not the case, if the Manchester has 
also proved self-fertilizing, then I repeat, how 
are we to distinguish a perfect from uu imper¬ 
fect blossom? - 4 ~ °- B - 
Orleans Co., Vt. 
[Tbi* is an interesting letter, as it shows 
how little pollen may serve to fertilize many 
pistils. No doubt there are perfect flowers 
among the Manchester.!; perhaps an occasion¬ 
al seedling may assist. We have often seen 
fully developed anthers upon so-called pistil- 
lates.—E ds.J 
-» - 
BERRY NOTES FROM MICHIGAN. 
I think more of the Ohio Black-cap than 
ever; it is of such excellent quality, besides 
all the other good things I have said about it. 
The Soubegau disappoints me. I had 
quite a lot of them ripe before any of the 
other Black cups, and wo could hardly eat 
them; they are not even good enough to sell, 
to suy nothing about eating them ourselves, or 
giving them to our friends. Shaffer’s is the 
best market berry I have: last year I sold a 
few for canning purposes to people of good 
sense, and this year they were in great demand 
at the price of the best reds. Without ques¬ 
tion, it is the best canning berry we have. 
1 planted Co wing’s Seedling Strawberry 
witli 25 other sorts, and allowed friends, on 
going through the plot, to taste of all and vote 
as to quality; Cowing’s was ahead of every, 
thing. I picked out eight of the best sorbs and 
planted them on a larger scale, and our fami¬ 
lies always keep the Cowing’s clean of ripe 
berries. Why has this old berry been so ne 
glected? 1 grew it at Lansiug some years ago 
upon clay loam; it was of the same good 
quality, but assumed monstrous shapes; no 
worse than Kharpleas, however; upon the sand 
it is very comely. Were 1 to name the straw¬ 
berry "grade marks” iu the order of their 
importance, I should put comeliness among 
the first. I thiuk only quality and color come 
before it. 
CHAS. W. GARFIELD. 
*t is quite as common and destructive as 8. 
Candida. The late Mr. F. G. Sanborn, who 
was a skilled observer and experienced collec¬ 
tor, told me, some years since, that he knew 
of no case where 8. erelata had been noticed 
working on the apple. The fact that 
this beetle is not considered by Riley, Fitcb- 
Saunders, etc., leads me to think that the 
opinion of Mr. Sanborn is shared by the 
others. 
DESCRIPTION. 
This beetle (Fig. 270) like 8. Candida, is 
from three-fourths to 
PEAS. 
In the Rdral of July 5th, pugc 429, 1 gave 
a few notes of my experience with the Rural 
New-Yorker Pea; 1 should have added to 
the list of peas therein mentioned as planted 
on March 29th, Laxton’s Long Pod and Hors- 
ford’s Market Garden. The peas on the Long 
Pod were of a size suitable for use on June 
15th, ami those on the Market Gardeuou June 
20th. As the Long Pod is so well known, Ido 
not think it necessary to describe it further 
than to say that it is decidedly more prolific 
than the Market Garden. With me the Mar¬ 
ket Garden attained the hight of two feet., the 
vinos averaging twelve pods each, moat of 
the pods coutaiuiug seven peas. How it com¬ 
pares ns regards flavor with the Long Pod I, 
of course, am unable to say; but if it should 
prove to bu of superior quality, it would un¬ 
doubtedly be a decided acquisition; otherwise 
it is very doubtful if it will supersede many 
of our popular sorts. There are so many va¬ 
rieties of pens in cultivation at the present 
time that it is very difficult for a beginner to 
make a proper selection, I am much pleased 
with Carter's Telephone, which 1 grew for 
the first time this season. Why is the old 
Yorkshire Hero so little cultivated now? I 
find that for productiveness and delicious 
quality few, if any, of our newer varieties 
equal this. It grows about three feet in hight, 
and succeeds for the main or general crop. 
CHAS. E. PARNELL 
SAPKRDA CllKLATA. 
Fig. 270. 
seven-eights of an inch 
long, and brown,mark¬ 
ed with white, though 
[the white is not so pro¬ 
minent, and instead of 
white lines, as seen in 
8. Candida, extending 
from the front of the 
head to the tip of the 
elytra or wing-covers, 
they are only represent 
ed by lines across the thorax and while spots 
on each elytra, one in the middle, notched in 
both ends,and one near the tip, notched or cres¬ 
cent-shaped on the inner posterior angle. The 
head, antenme and legs are all brown, w'hile a 
broad, brown central stripe extends along the 
entire length of the veutral or undersurface 
of the thorax and abdomen. In tbe 8. Can¬ 
dida, the head is striped above on each side 
with white, while the antenn®, legs and entire 
under surface ore w bite. 
The cylindrical, footless larva and the pnpa 
are almost entirely alike in both species, as are 
also the habits. The egg* are laid in June on 
the trunk and main branches of the apple 
trees, wild crab apples, June-berry and wild 
thorn. (For method of ovaposition see R. N.- 
Y. Vol. 42. p. 132 ) The common remark that 
these beetles lay their eggs near the base of 
the trees, is not correct. Both species fre¬ 
quently lay the eggs on the branches or high 
up on the trunks. The larva- live and out for 
three years In the tunnels which they form. 
ThiB is not a guess, as some writers would 
lead us to infer, a* I have found all three sizes 
jn the early Spring, and also in the Autumn. 
These beetle*, which belong to the long-horn¬ 
ed family of beetle*,are very different from the 
big-beaded borers. These latter are Bupres- 
tians; work on the southwest side of the trees, 
tuuucl many of our forest trees, as the oak 
and the maple, as well as the fruit trees; eat, 
for the most part, only just beneath the bark 
—though I have known them to bore entirely 
through a young apple tree which was two c. 
m. (3-10 inch) iu diameter—-feed only one year, 
and ure most likely to attack trees of feeble 
growth. Trees the first year from the nursery 
are therefore very likely to be injured. The 
remedy for the Saperda borer* is prevention, 
and applies equally well against the big-head¬ 
ed borer and the apple tree bark lice, which 
are very common in the Northern United 
States, and often do very serious damage. 
Few operations in the orchard, therefore, are 
more prolific of good than this. The trees 
should be washed two weeks after the blos¬ 
soms full, and again four weeks later, with a 
mixture of soap solutiou and carbolic acid. 1 
make this as follows: To one quart of soft- 
soap, add two gallons of water, and heut all 
till it boils; then, while still hot, add one pint 
of crude carbolic acid. This is easily and con¬ 
veniently applied by meaus of a common shoe 
brush witha diagonal handle. After using for 
years several washes, as soft-soap, strong so¬ 
lution of the same, kerosene and soap mixture, 
whitewash, etc,, etc., there is no mixture that 
I value like the above. The soap alone is good; 
but the persistent odor of the carbolic acid 
makes it even more effective. 1 keep this com¬ 
pound in my barn, and by use of a force- 
pump, with a fine rose at the end of the hose, 
1 occasionally spray my stable. This keeps 
the barn sweet and serves to protect the horse 
and cow from annoying flies. 
SAPERDA CRELATA. nkwm. 
FAMILY CERAMBYCID.E: ORDER COLEOPTERA. 
FROF. A. J. COOK. 
that the second year will be the worst- The 
insect is not a weevil, though commonly call¬ 
ed so. It is a true fly or midge. The injury 
is done in its larval stage. It is then an 
orange-colored worm, nearly one-eighth of 
an inch long, tapering at each end, and, a* 
seen under a lens, the posterior end has six 
spines or teeth, and the anterior, or head 
end, two extensile borns. It hatches from 
the egg laid in the florets, and these often 
prevent the kernel from growing at all, or 
when nearly full-grown it is seen in the husk 
next to the soft growing kernel, drawing sub¬ 
stance from it, and causing it to shrivel. In 
1854, wheat fields were literally alive with 
tbe pests. 
In tbe egg-laying time—June—the fields at 
evening swarmed with flies as thick as mist, 
and when the worms came out of the heads and 
dropped to the ground, the fields were heavily 
tinged with orange. Thousands of acres were 
left unharvested, and the loss in New York 
was estimated by the State Agricultural Socie 
ty, to have exceeded $15,000,000. The damage 
done in Ohio that year was Still greater. 
That invasion lasted four years. My observa¬ 
tions this year lead me to believe that wheat 
cannot be sown early enough to avoid the 
evil; but more likely late sowing will avail. 
This fly is closely allied to the clover seed 
midge, the Hessian Fly, and other injurious 
midges. It works in barley, oats, rye, and 
grass also. w. l. dkvkrkaux. 
Wayne Co., N. Y, 
(Some of the midges or larvaj go into the 
ground and there pupate, while others are 
harvested with the grain. Some parasitic in¬ 
sects help to reduce the number of the pests, 
but the only known artificial help is to plow 
deep, so as to turn those which have entered 
the ground under so deep that they enunot 
make their way to the surface, and to burn 
the refuse in the cleaning of the grain. The 
time of putting in the seed will also have 
considerable influence on the preservation of 
the crop, as suggested by Mr. D.—Eds.] 
of Colorado and the mountain region. We 
have fine fruit lands, and all the water we 
shall ever need for irrigation, and I may add 
we have unlimited waterpower. One of the 
finest deposits of coal is being developed. 
What people here think of our fruit lands is 
shown by the fact that lands that nobody 
wanted two years ago at $20 to $30 an acre, 
are now selling rapidly at $125 to $250. 
Canon City, Col. 
FRUIT CULTURE IN COLORADO. 
REV. l. j. templin. 
The old apple tree borer, Saperda eaudida, 
Fabr., has become one of the best known of 
injurious insects, as it is also one of the most 
destructive. The Saperda erelata, with habits 
exactly like those of 8. Candida, and with such 
a marked resemblance that I have doubted 
whether it were more than a variety of the 
old familiar 8. Candida, has hardly a mention 
in our current literature on economic- entom¬ 
ology. andye r I ftpd, that in Central Michigan 
THE WHEAT MIDGE. 
(Diplvsig tritici. Kirby.) 
With a wheat crop generally satisfactory, 
which had escaped much harm from winter- 
killing, and remained entirely clear of the 
Hessian Fly, we are now all at once, 
and almost at harvest, dismayed te find the 
dreaded ” weevil” abroad. Reports of its 
presence in the wheat come from all directions, 
in Seneca Co. there are fields with only twen¬ 
ty per cent, of the kernels maturing, and 
some claim that the crop is in some pieces en¬ 
tirely destroyed. In Wayne Co., no serious 
damage has yet been found, but tbe “ worm ” 
is present in different degrees of abundance 
in every lot thus far examiued. Some kernels 
have been injured in a large share of the 
beads, and we may expect a certain amount 
of shriveled, damaged wheat wherever worms 
are found. They have gained a footing, and 
and we hardly need the testimony gathered 
from that experience twenty-five years ago, 
The question of growing fruits in the arid 
climate of the Rocky Mountains was problem¬ 
atical until recently. The early experience in 
this line was not encouraging; the trees had to 
be hauled from the Missouri River, 500 to 600 
miles, by oxen, requiring weeks, and even 
months, to make the trip. They arrived ne¬ 
cessarily in bad condition. Add to this, the 
general ignorance of tbe climatic conditions 
of the country and the absence of all experi¬ 
ence in terra-culture, and it is not strange 
t-bat the early efforts resulted in failure. The 
Rocky Mountain Locust also made frequent 
incursions, proving destructive to young fruit 
trees. With these hindrances many became 
discouraged and gave up tbe struggle, declar¬ 
ing that fruit-raising could not be made a suc¬ 
cess. But others persevered, and after 10 or 
15 years' trial they have not only proved fruit- 
raisiug possible, but have proved that some of 
the valleys of this State furnish as fine a fruit 
climate and soil as can be found in tbi* coun¬ 
try. All the fruits common to this latitude, 
except peaches, have been raised, and experi¬ 
ence so far goes to prove that in all the lower 
altitudes east of the Rocky Mountains, all the 
hardier fruits cun be raised with great suc¬ 
cess. 
In aud near Canon City are several apple or¬ 
chards iu benriug for several years. They have 
borne crops so large as to result in great injury 
to the trees by breaking aud splitting. But 
this overcropping does not seem to have any 
effect in diminishing the crop that sets for the 
year following. The largest orchard in the 
State is located eight miles below Cafiou City 
in the Arkansas Valley. Mr. Fraz‘ \r, the 
owner, has about 3,300 apple trees growing, 
I about one-half of which are in bearing; the 
oldest were planted in 1868, and the principal 
part of the bearing trees in 1870. Some of the 
oldest one* bore as high as 22 bushels each the 
the past year. 
Mr. F. gathered last Fall 4,000 bushels, 
which he sold at an average of $1.50 per 
bushel net. Other orchards in this vicinity 
did as well in proportion. When it was de¬ 
monstrated that fruit-raising was a success, 
many other orchards were planted. Pears 
have done as well as apples; some believe they 
are even more reliable. The present season 
has exceeded all before in the amount of stock 
that has been planted. Two full car loads of 
stock came iu one train. The writer set about 
1,000 fruit trees, 1,200 grapes, aud 5,000 small 
fruits, and many others planted more exten¬ 
sively. The vicinity of Cation City, located 
just at the mouth of the Grand Canon of the 
Arkansas, is destined to be tbe fruit garden 
Ants as Insect Destroyers.— Farmers 
or gardeners, in their contest with insects, 
have not as yet called to their aid, as they 
should, other insects and birds, the natural 
enemies of insect hordes, says the Sun. Too 
generally all insects are looked upon as ene¬ 
mies. although it i* well known that ra.iny 
kinds of insects are very beneficial in protect¬ 
ing fruits and grains from the ravages of other 
insects. Tbe auts, although generally regarded 
as an unmitigated nuisauce, have been found, 
by careful observation, to be useful in several 
way*. The canker-worms, which are a most 
destructive pest to orchards in some sections, 
are sometimes destroyed in largo numbers by 
them. The editor of the Boston Journal of 
Chemistry says that ants are great destroyers 
of canker-worms, and probably other worms 
or insects of the smaller varieties. He watched 
with great interest the work of a large colony 
of black auts which attacked the canker- 
worms on an elm tree in his grounds a few 
weeks ago, and was delighted with the nature 
and results of their labor*. Two procession* 
of the ants were moving on the trunk of the 
tree, one going up empty, the other coming 
down, each bringing with him a canker-worm, 
which he held fast in hi* mandibles, grasping 
| the worm firmly in the center of the body. 
Although the prey was nearly the size of the 
destroyer, the plucky little ant ran down the 
tree in a lively way, deposited its booty in its 
ne*t in the ground, and instantly returned for 
further slaughter. There were at one time a* 
many as 40 coming down the tree, each bring¬ 
ing along his victim, and doing the work with 
apparent ease. Extending his observation*, 
be noticed that the auts rau up the trunk and 
out on the limb*, thence on to the leaves of the 
tree where the filthy worm was at work aud, 
seizing him with a strong grip at about the 
center of the body, turned about with the 
squirming worm aud retraced hi* steps. The 
worm was dead by the time the ant reached 
the ground. If this move of the ant* l* com¬ 
mon they must prove valuable friends to far¬ 
mers uud fruit raiser*, and should be protected 
iu every way possible. Wo do not believe 
that the birds that prey upon worms will do 
the work in a week iu our orchards, which 
these ants were doing in an hour. 
Sowing Orchard Grass. — Mr. Henry 
Stewart advises those farmers who desire to 
seed to Orchard Grass to be preparing the 
land for the reception of the seed, which 
should be sown early in August. The land 
should be thoroughly well prepared, because 
this cropuot only requires it, but well deserves 
it, remaiulug in the ground, as it does, for 20 
or 30 years, or even more, wheu well treated 
by occasional top dressings. The soil should 
be made fine by repeated harrowiugs. The 
seed is then sown and cross-sown, half each 
way, to get an even sowing, aud the ground is 
then lightly brush-harrowed, and then rolled. 
The rolling is especially needed if the weather 
is dry. From two to three bushels of seed— 
about 33 pounds—are sown per acre. As the 
seed is rather costly, it is well to sow au acre 
or two first, cut this the next year when it is 
ripe, and save tbe seed. One acre will produce 
enough to sow 10 acres. 
A new use has been found for self-binders, 
says B. F. J., in the Prairie Farmer. Where 
Timothy is heavy and stands upright, the self- 
binders gather it very well, enabling the for¬ 
age to be handled more readily than where 
laid iu the swath and raking has to be done 
cocking oftentimes, and pitching twice. Be 
sides, hay in sheaves is more readily aud safe¬ 
ly stacked, and if put away under cover, two 
tons will occupy about the space of one tou 
loose. 
Prickly Comfrey, the Georgia Agricul¬ 
tural Report says, is a most valuable fe>ed for 
cows,horses, aud pigs. The Report says that the 
plant takes deep root and withstands drought 
remarkably well, the driest weather having 
but little effect upon it. It is a vigorous 
grower, aud may be cut five or six times iu a 
season. The yield the first year is said to be 
20 tons of green feed to tbe acre, and after 
three or four years’ growth as much as 100 
tons to the acre. The green leaves are said to 
