THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
JULY 25 
norcas for eggs is, that they are not over two- 
thirds of the size of Houdaus, and consequent¬ 
ly do not eat so much: on the other hand, 
however, the Houdans are superior for the 
the table. The feed of the above fowls was 
chiefly whole wheat, which, present prices 
make as cheap as any other grain, and it is 
far preferable, more especially to corn. 
ENEMIES OF THE COTTON-WORM. 
(Continued.) 
Among the Soldier Beetles are some useful 
insects. To this family belong the fire-flies, 
the larvae of which are carnivorous. They are 
usually blackish with pale spots at the angles 
of the segments. At Fig. 319 are shown 
Chauliognathus Pennsylvauieus, larva and 
adult; also head, antenna;, mandibles, etc., 
highly magnified. In Florida, a smaller 
species is found, Chauliognathus marginatus, 
Fig. 320. 
Fig. 320. Fig. 321. 
The Lady-birds are perhaps better known 
than any other family of beetles. They are 
small, round and hemispherical, usually 
red, yellow or black, with spots of one 
or the other of these colors. They attain full 
growth in about four weeks. Among those 
found in the cotton fields are Coccinella 
novem-notata, Fig. 321; C. munda, Fig. 322: 
Hippodamia convergens, Fig. 323; H. macu- 
lata, Fig. 324; and Coccinella venusta, Fig. 
325. These are all valiant foes of the cotton 
worm, destroying eggs and newly hatched 
worms and even chrysalids. 
At Fig. 326 we show the only vegetable 
feeding Ladybird: this species is not useful,or 
Fig. 326. Fig. 327. 
entitled to the protection the others merit. It 
feeds upon the leaves of melons, squashes and 
cucumbers, and should be destroyed when 
found. It is of a light reddish color, with 
seven large black spots upon each wing-cover. 
Another insect resembling the Lady-birds is 
shown at Fig. 827. This is the twelve-spotted 
Diabrotica—D. duodeeim punctata. Tnis 
insect belongs to the leaf-eating beetles, and 
feeds on much the same plants as does the 
Fig. 328. 
vegetable-eating Lady-bird. It is usually 
greenish in color; the thorax is green and un¬ 
spotted, and 12 black spots are arranged in 
parallel rows down the wing-covers. 
Wasps are among the beneficial insects 
visiting the cotton fields, At Fig. 338 we 
show a large red and yellow wasp (Polistes 
belliccsa), which destroys the caterpillars. A 
large, brown wasp, a yellow jacket hornet, 
and a common mud-dauber were also noticed 
hunting the caterpillars. The insects from 
which the cotton-worm suffers most are un¬ 
doubtedly the ants. They probably cause the 
destruction of millions of worms every season. 
As the ants do not live in wet ground, uu- 
drained cotton fields, or low spots in the fields, 
do not receive the kindly services of these busy, 
workers. 
PARASITES. 
Besides the outward enemies of the cotton- 
worm already enumerated, it is subject to the 
attacks of many parasitic insects. The cot¬ 
ton-worm egg parasite (Trichogramma pre 
tiosa) is so small as to be scarcely visible to 
tbe naked eye; but it is remarkably hand¬ 
some; the wiugs are transparent and show 
prismatic colors when viewed in different 
lights; the body is yellow, and the eyes are a 
brilliant red. The eggs of this insect are laid 
within the eggs of the cottou-worm, and when 
tbo parasite emerges it leaves the sheltering 
egg empty, thus preventing the appearance of 
one cotton-worm. 
An allied species, T. minuta, is shown at 
Fig. 329, and it will give a very correct idea of 
Fig. 329. 
tbe former. Fig. S30 shows the Ovate Cbalcis 
(Cbalcis ovata) and a chrysalis of the cotton- 
worm pierced by the exit of the Cbalcis. The 
Fig. 330. 
eggs are laid within the cotton-worm, the 
parasite remaining and living upon its host 
until it passes into the chrysalis state. Another 
Chalcid (classed - as Cirrospilus esurus) is 
shown at Fig. 331. Still another Chalcid 
Fig. 331. 
(Euplectrus sp.) is shown at Fig. 332. This is 
about eight hundredths of an inch in length. 
Fig. 332. 
The Proctrotupid parasite of the cotton- 
worm is shown at Fig. 333 (Didyctium zigzag). 
Fig. 333. 
This tiny fly is black and shining, with legs and 
antennae dark yellow. It is not, however, a 
common parasite. At Fig. 334 is shown the 
Yellow-banded Ichneumon (Pimpla eonquisi- 
tor). This is one of the most numerous of the 
parasites of the cotton-worm. The Ring-leg¬ 
ged Pimpla is shown at Fig. 835 (Pimpla an- 
fly (Phora Aletia) is shown at Fig. 339; also 
the larva and pupa. This insect promises to 
become an important aid in diminishing the 
number of cotton worms. 
nulipes). This parasite is found all over the 
country attacking various insects. 
SUMMER- FALLOWING — AN UNPRO 
F1TABLE OLD RUT. 
Fig. 334. 
The flesh flies have been found in the pupa 
of the cotton worm, though they oftener live 
in the tissues of dead animals. At Fig, 
_H more or less of 
1 tbe nutritious 
mV_gasses. Every rain_, 
_ J brings with it to 
the soil much 
plant-food in solu- 
tion; but this, and 
the nutritive ele¬ 
ments of the soil, 
and especially nitrogen in its free state, and 
which in a rich soil is constantly and rapidly 
forming near the surface, are, where the 
rainfall is sufficient, rapidly carried through 
the soil In the drainage waters and lost. 
But where the soil is filled with a network of 
growing roots, these with huugry mouths 
suck up most of the plant food, whether going 
down or up in the soil, and where leaves thick¬ 
ly cover the surface they readily inhale what 
may have escaped the root system, and be¬ 
tween the two nothing is lost. The more the 
soil is stirred and the more mellow it is made, 
the more readily the air enters and the more 
rapid is the elimination of nutritious gases 
and their escape and, of course, the 
more complete is the exhaustion of 
\ the soil. This is, of course, iucideutal 
) to all cultivation and to some extent 
** is unavoidable. Tbe aim of the farmer 
_ should be to so prepare the soil as to 
get it in proper condition for the com- 
• ing crop in tbe shortest possible time. 
And this is certainly not by means of 
^ this old rut, whether in New Eug- 
i land. New York or the great West. 
People are grossly deceived by the 
results of summer fallowiug, in a pro¬ 
pitious season. A soil filled with 
manure, roots or vegetation turned 
egg natural size; bis the same enlarged; c is uuder, or crude plant food in any form, by 
the full-grown larva; d the head of the larva, I being kept bare during one Summer, allows 
this crude food to become 
thoroughly decomposed, aud 
although there is a constant 
J loss, food is prepared, in ex¬ 
cess of this, ready for the use 
of the plants, aud when the 
crop is sown, it is able in a 
single year to obtain aud ap¬ 
propriate to tbe production of 
one crop the results of two 
years’ of Natures slow work. 
Thus is produced a crop, which 
forgetting that it represents 
two years’ labor aud use of the 
land, and judging only by the 
yield, Is apt to strike very 
favorably those not careful ob¬ 
servers or flgurers. A sum¬ 
mer fallow, if thoroughly 
worked, tendB to put the soil 
in just the couditiouas a seed-bed. which is not 
wanted. If plowed, as is usual, two or three 
336 is shown Sarcophaga carnaria, 
shows this insect in all its stages. 
At Fig. 338 is shown another parasite, 
represented in all its stages; a, shows the 
enlarged; e the puparium, and f the adult in¬ 
sects. An active yellowish-brown two-winged 
I 
