482 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY 48 
Rural, in the remark that he has specimens 
taken from the same region in Virginia, some 
with black and some with yellow scape and 
mouth-parts). Of our nigrum. I have care¬ 
fully examined hundreds of specimens, and 
in every ease the scape and mouth parts are 
wholly black, while the amount of yellow on 
the legs is subject to variation. I first thought 
these I. hordei, but the above facts, together 
with others mentioned in the article, made me 
think differently. Surely if I. nigrum is 
identical in speeies with I, hordei, then from 
what appears above, it must be a variety, and 
varieties are only species not yet matured. 
Of course, I would not think to question the 
opinion of so admirable an artist as Dr. Riley, 
yet I think the drawings were very carefully 
made. In the transfer from drawing to elec¬ 
trotype the pro notutu of the male was acci¬ 
dentally doubled, and the shading of the wings 
made to resemble hairs a little too much. Yet 
we thought the drawings very fair. The ab¬ 
domens shown by Dr. Riley are not like those 
of our I. nigrum. They are different in width 
of joints, and ours are quite hairy, especially 
near the posterior end. 
I examiued maay larvae, and all were alike, 
and were illustrated in the article. In securing 
these larvaj all were taken from the straws, 
which, taken at the same time aud place and 
left undisturbed, gave us almost as many flies 
as there were larva* * 1 and only one single para¬ 
site. and hence the suggestion of Dr. Riley as 
to my description can hardly be possible. I 
think there can not be a possible chance that 
it was the Seroiotellus that was described. 
An entomologist who has given this subject 
much study, writes n_e that he inclines to the 
opinion that all these species of Isosoma are 
reallv varieties of the one species of I. hordei. 
Of course, we may hope to decide this by fur¬ 
ther study and observation. 
Agr. College, Lansing, Mich. 
Crops. 
HARDINESS OF CRIMSON CLOVER. 
In a late number of the Rural, my con¬ 
fident opinion that Crimson Clover would 
withstand the climate of New York is made 
to appear unsound by reports of experimental 
trials in Kansas and Michigan. If Crimson 
Clover be seeded here in the Spriog, it will 
share the fate which befell it in Kansas—it 
will be smothered by faster growing weeds, 
and perhaps scorched and killed by the sun. 
purely this does not show it is not adapted to 
Kansas. 
As to the report from Michigan, everybody 
who knows Crimson Clover at all, knows that 
it is an annual. Prof. Beal’s acquaintance 
with it seems to be limited to its start; so far 
he is trustworthy, no further. He is at sea 
afterwards without chart or compass. Con¬ 
ceding bis assumption—for he has had nothing 
but failures, and with him it must be an as¬ 
sumption—that wb have something better in 
that line, any stockman can see, though the 
Professor cannot, that Crimson Clover would 
be a boon to his cattle in the Early Spring, 
though there might be a better forage plant 
two or three weeks later on. 
But the main point is that he has tried it 
five years or more, and “none of it has ever 
passed through the Winter alive.” Now if 
these trials have been made under conditions 
favorable to success, I will bow to the 
authority, and, in the language of the prize 
ring, “throw up the sponge.” But the report 
is silent upon essential points. No report can 
be of value, unless the time of seeding be 
given, and how long before frost. 
I have conceded that the Professor’s knowl¬ 
edge of this plant at the outset of its young 
life, and in one phase of its being, is thorough. 
It does start, as he says, slowly, and, more, it 
begins life tender. At this stage of its exis¬ 
tence, if it be exposed to the “eauld blast” in 
Michigan, or in Louisiana, it will give up the 
ghost at once. It will not live till the Win¬ 
ter, but will be destroyed then and there. I 
have tried it here by planting too close upon 
frost, and it disappeared from the ground be¬ 
fore the Winter Bet in. But if the youug 
plant be “sheltered from the cauld blast,” if 
the seeding, in other words, be in the Sum¬ 
mer—in J uly and August—I still venture to 
think it will withstand the New York climate. 
After the plant attains to an age of H orn 30 to 
60 days, I believe it to be as Uardy as any 
other clover. These are not wild harum- 
scarum opinions; they are based upon ob¬ 
served facts. In the past five years the peach 
buds here have been killed twice—there were 
no blooms in the Spring—yet this clover was 
not hurt. d. s. hicks. 
Brunswick Co., Va. 
ROOT SYSTEM OF YOUNG CORN. 
The criticisms of Mr. Charles S. Plumb, in 
the Rural of April 4, on my notes of Decern 
ber 14, were a surprise to me, and would seem 
to indicate that he has misunderstood the point 
which I wished to establish. Briefly it is this: 
two kernels of corn planted under exactly the 
same conditions as regards the air and soil, 
will begin their permanent working root sys¬ 
tem at almost exactly the same distance below 
the surface of the soil, no matter at what 
depth they are planted, or whether one is 
planted deeper than the other. The practical 
conclusion to be drawn from this fact is, that 
to plant the seed below a certain depth will 
delay the plant in becoming self supporting 
by getting its leaves to the air, and it will be 
much exhausted by its long, unnatural effort 
to reach the surface. I do not thiuk Mr. 
Plumb will question this point, or the con¬ 
clusions therefrom. 
Applying practically the knowledge of the 
growth of a young corn plant, we can readily 
see the need of preparing a seed-bed in which 
the moisture aud other conditions necessary 
for growth, are uniform over the whole field, 
and then planting the seed at a depth to cor¬ 
respond with this. If the ground is moist, 
plant shallow: if dry, more deeply. As, each 
year, a large part of oar Western corn land 
is slightingly prepared, most farmers have 
fallen into the habit of planting quite deep to 
insure germination of the seed, and the results 
can everywhere be seen in the poor, uneven 
stand and inferior crops. 
Some of Mr. Plumb’s strictures are so severe 
that I canuot help noticing them. The torru 
“moisture line” was used for convenience and 
simplicity. It was not in the scope of a short 
article to enter into an extended discussion of 
those conditions which determine the position 
of the first node and its root system, nor would 
it be profitable to do so here. Many com 
plants show a tendency toward being tap- 
rooted at first, but this is of no material im¬ 
port, for the later and principal roots are 
lateral from the nodes. The first roots from 
the kernel are of no practical U3e after the 
plant is established. I am sorry that Mr. 
Plumb’s illustrations are not more complete. 
The depth aloue at which the seed was planted 
is hardly sufficient data from which to form 
definite conclusions. L. E. b. 
farm Cccmomi}. 
FLOOD FENCES. 
F. B BROCK. 
To farmers having land on creek bottoms 
or places subject to periodical overflow, which 
they wish to inclose, a good flood-fence is a de¬ 
sirable thing. The design, Fig. 812, repre¬ 
sents a fence calculated to swing upon its 
lower stringer as a pivot, and lie prostrate 
during the flood, only requiring to be raised 
up after it is over. The cut shows a siugle 
panel, the fence being composed of a series 
of similar panels acting independently of each 
other. The lower stringer has rounded ends, 
fitted into round holes in two short posts, 
which are driven firmly into the ground. 
Each panel is built of upright pieces nailed 
securely to this journaled lower rail, and to a 
transverse board at the top, and has the up¬ 
right pieces on the up-stream side. At each 
side there is a pivoted brace. The braces are 
planted in the earth in the direction from 
which the water flows, and the fence rests 
upon them, leaning slightly in that direction. 
The action of a strong current of water na¬ 
turally pulls out the braces, and the fence, 
revolving on its pivoted lower rail, turns in 
the other direction and floats at anchor. It is 
further protected by an embankment of earth 
or stone into which the braces are fixed, acid 
which slants up so as to carry the force of the 
current above the fence when It lies prostrate. 
This fence can also be used along highways 
where the snow drifts badly, as it can be laid 
down in the Fall and quickly put in place in 
Spring. 
DEVICE FOR TETHERING A BULL. 
Having occasion to tether a Jersey bull 
this Spring, and knowing the bother of put¬ 
ting down and pulling up the tether pin, I 
made a maul for driving and an attachment 
for pulling up, that I find very convenient. 
The maul is merely a section of a “gum” 
tree, about eight inches in diameter, and 10 
or 12 inches long. The pulling up device is a 
piece of iron, shown in the upper right hand 
corner of the cut, at Fig 313, nailed on the 
side of the maul. By putting a projecting 
end of iron under the head of the tether pin, 
the latter is easily raised out of hard ground. 
I made mine myself, but anyone can get the 
blacksmith to make one in a few minutes at 
Slight COSt. A. L. CROSBY. 
Tyranny of Herd Books —Mr. F. Warner, 
in the Tribuue, says: 
“Some of 1 he herd hook associations are exercising 
an intolerable tyranny over breeders by compelling 
them to reeord all their animals before they are a 
year old, an age at which no exact Judgment can 
be forme 1 of thetr value. What sense Is there In re¬ 
cording barren nnlmuls and forcing the owners to 
pay fees for such records? Or what justice la there 
In recording 'weeds’ and scrubs? Nay, what In¬ 
justice Is there not in It, when the mere fact of n 
record holds out to the public an idea of excellence 
In whatever animals are entered? No animal snould 
be entered until It Is known to be a breeder aud a 
satisfactory one, too. The entry should be what It 
is understood to be—a certificate of its value and 
usefulness.” 
The Associations, some of them, it seems to 
us are much more intent on aceummulating a 
large sum, forced from the breeders, than in 
having their standard of excellence kept so 
high that the fact that an animal is worthy of 
record, adds something to its value. A few 
years more of this pressure and we shall see 
some big explosions. Gentlemen, can’t you 
see the breakers ahead? 
Mr. H. C. Gardner, at a recent meeting of 
the Westtown Farmers’ Club, said farmers 
who havea little mechanical ingenuity, should 
keep the tools necessary to do repairing and 
mending, and should keep on hand a supply 
of seasoned lumber to do repairing at short 
notice. He speaks from personal experi¬ 
ence, as he has a small shop stocked with quite 
a number of carpenter’s tools and also with a 
forge and blacksmith s tools, and it is so handy 
and convenient that he thinks he could not get 
along without it, as any sudden or uuexpected 
breakage is soon repaired Instead of Bpending 
a good part of the day at the village black¬ 
smith shop. A sensible conclusion many 
farmers would do well to consider. Often 
more is lost in time spent in going to the shop 
than the repairs cost. 
Tricks for the Market.— Our English 
Cousins can distance any Yankee in the way 
of “tricks” in preparing animals for market. 
We learn from the British Agricultural 
Gazette that sheep are shorn into shape and 
otherwise “fixed up” so as to make them look 
very “taking,” The wool on the back is cut 
short and that on the sides nicely rounded so 
as to make thorn look very broad. W bile this 
greatly damages the wool, it adds much to 
the good shape and appearance of the sheep. 
In addition, the fleece is colored so us to make 
the sheep look as if unshorn, uud also to make 
them look as though fed in different districts, 
as in the London market it is a well known 
fact that the soils of certain counties impart 
a distiuct color to sheep grazed thereon, and 
the favorite colors given artificially to the 
sheep are those most sought after. Verily we 
have much to learn of our English friends in 
“tricks that are vain.” 
Experiment in Febdino Silage. —Our 
English Cousins are a methodical people, aud 
take much pains to get at the truth of every¬ 
thing brought to their notice. The past Win¬ 
ter the Experiment Station at Woburn has 
been making some careful experiments in 
feeding silage. Eight cattle were selected, and 
four were fed on the same ration in each case, 
except that one lot bad hay and roots and the 
other silage. The result was that the four 
oxen on silage fell quite below the other four 
on hay and roots, in the added weight ac¬ 
quired during 60 days on rations otherwise of 
equal value; and those two fours, changing 
places again, told the story with even added 
emphasis; for the four on hay aud roots, 
which had hitherto gained, being now placed 
on silage, which again was at first greedily 
eaten, actually lost in weight during the con¬ 
tinuance of the experiment, while the four 
which bad done ill on silage now did well on 
roots aud hay. The above is reported in the 
British Agricultural Gazette, and teaches us 
that there is still need of some carefully con¬ 
ducted experiments on this side of the water 
in this same lino, where the scales shall bo the 
j ud ges. _ 
Cruelty to Animals.— Mr. F. Warner, 
in the N. Y. Tribune, thus very humanely 
calls attention to the demands of the animals 
that were given to man for use, not abuse: 
“Tlie torture of domestic animals by needless oper¬ 
ations with expectation of mnklug a little more 
money from them, Isa grievous work. For Inst inee, 
the spaying of cows with Intent to make them yield 
a little more milk, the capon Using of eoekorcls or the 
poniarding of pullets to make them weigh a Utile 
more, aud the knocking off of the horns of matured 
animals,are cruel ties, and therefore wicked Dotulu ■ 
ton ov«r the beasts of the Held Involves rospouslblli 
lies which cannot be Ignored without sin.” 
And yet in nothing does man so ignore his 
obligation to provide for the comfort and hap¬ 
piness of those dependent upon him, and in no 
one thing does he so cause them to suffer us in 
compelling them to endure the severities of 
Wiuter unprotected, not only in the great 
West, but in the old settled East as well. 
Lessons in the Treatment of Pleuro¬ 
pneumonia. —We find the following remarks 
in the Mark Lane Express relating to pleuro¬ 
pneumonia in this country: it says'Tf the mat¬ 
ter were not of such serious import, it would be 
laughable to see the keen intelligence of Amer¬ 
ica blindly carrying out in detail all the er¬ 
rors and follies which have been demonstrated 
by our costly pioneer cattle-disease legislation. 
Our blunders have afforded them a gratuit¬ 
ous lesson, but they have not made a cent out 
of our failure. Call States local authorities, 
aud there is the old machinery set to work in 
the New World. The whole history of pleuro¬ 
pneumonia in England, on the Continent of 
Europe, and in Australia, has been to teach 
one simple remedy, to be prescribed every 
time, namely, the destruction of all affected 
animals and all animals which may have be¬ 
come infected by contact with them. No per¬ 
missive action can ever carry this out. It 
must be the work of a central authority, and 
the cost must be a national one. State quar¬ 
antine against State, is costly and mischiev¬ 
ous nonsense, there ueed be no regulations be¬ 
yond the fiat of the destroyer. Nothing short 
of this will be likely to save the United States 
from having pleuro pneumonia always in her 
midst as they now have it in Australia.” 
Congress at its next session should thoroughly 
consider this matter, and we should have some 
system devised for dealing with coulageous 
cattle diseases, that should be at once prompt, 
and efficient. The responsibility should be in 
the fewest possible hands. Let these scourges 
be promptly stamped out, aud then let us 
have some quarantine regulations that will 
be something more than a farce, and let us 
see to it that the Old World plagues be no 
more admitted. Better import no more cat¬ 
tle forever tbau infect what we now have. 
Early Maturity fortuk Butcher.—M r. 
Evershed.ia a pamphlet quoted in the Loudon 
Livestock Journal, takes strong ground in 
favor of early maturity in producing meats. 
He states that this does not necessarily mean 
excessive fat. He shows that early maturity 
is uot inconsistent with the choicest of quality 
in meat, that the system is equally applicable 
to cattle aud sheep, aud that the breeder us 
well as the feeder cau contribute to early 
maturity. We have made much progress, 
but there is still ample room for improvement. 
Young, lean, juicy meat is the waut of the 
age. It is a taste that we should endeavor to 
cultivate, for it can be better supplied by our 
own farmersthau by those of any other coun¬ 
try. A properly fed animal may be grown 
and fattened an 15 to 13 months old, that will 
contaiu a larger proportion of flesh and that 
of a higher quality man those three or four 
years, and there is more money in it as well. 
V’illaoe Societies. —Mr. Gladstone, late 
Prime Minister of the British Empire, said re¬ 
cently at a village flower show: “These 
quiet village societies do an enormous amount 
of good. Look at them which way you will, 
they do good. They are au incentive to vir- 
tuous industry, You cuunot increase too 
