830 
THE RURAL fSEW-YORKER. 
France, Malmaison and Catherine Merraet 
would stand with a little protection; Baro¬ 
ness Rothschild is, of course, thoroughly 
hardy, but we think our correspondent would 
gain more lasting satisfaction by substituting 
hybrid perpetuals for the tender sorts. Any 
of this class will lie found satisfactory under 
the circumstances given. 
ROVE-BEETLES. 
P. B. C., Catonsinllc , Md. —What is the 
insect, a specinTen of which is inclosed? Two 
specimens which I captured were both en¬ 
gaged in battle with Dor-bugs. They have a 
peculiar habit of using the tail as a ramrod, 
and shoving their wings under a little knap¬ 
sack they carry on their backs, not folding 
them like those of a bird. Telescoping ex¬ 
presses the movement. 
ANSWERED BY W. L BEVEREAUX. 
Ans.—I t is Stapbylinus maculosus. Gro, 
one of the largest of the Rove-beetles, also 
called Cocktail Beetles. These large beetles 
are the most valiant of all insects. Without 
a sign of fear they boldly attack, erecting the 
abdomen, curving the posterior end over 
toward the head, and with opened jaws, they 
present a formidable appearance very much 
like a miniature dragon, or crocodile, as they 
dash impetuously upon auy enemy. An 
ancient Greek writer mentions the *Staphy¬ 
lious as creeping about pastures with elevated 
tail ejecting a noxious scent, aud ho states 
wheu eaten, as in grass, by horses, it produced 
tumors. Many of these Rove Beetles are 
feeders ou decaying vegetable and animal 
matter, toad-stools aud mold, and are hence 
clearly sarcophagous insects. Some resort to 
flowers; others keep about water, and some 
catch and eat cut-worms, caterpillars, beetles, 
aud bugs. The specimen sent is an inch long, 
a quarter in breadth. It is provided with 
clear wings which can be snugly folded under 
its abbreviated elytra, or ••knapsack.” There 
arc nearly 1 ,<100 species of these beetles in the 
United States. Some are no thicker than a 
horse hair, and these comprise a large share of 
the winged insects seen in the sunlight. 
Miscellaneous. 
E, K. P., Puden'a Valley, Mo. —Inclosed is 
a bloom, or part that blooms, aud part of stem 
and leaves of a plant that has appeared in our 
hill pastures w ithin the Jast two years, aud is 
spreading with alaiming rapidity and killing 
out grass. What is the common name of the 
weed ? How can it be exterminated without 
plowing, as our hills are very steep aud 
rough ? 
Ans —It is the Wild Teasel—Dipsaeus syl- 
vestris. It is, perhaps, the original of the cul¬ 
tivated Fuller’s Teasel—D. Fullonutu. It has 
hitherto been somewhat rare in this country. 
It is a worthless biennial, with stems that 
grow from three to five or even six feet high. 
To exterminate it, cut off the blcssoms be¬ 
fore the seeds form. 
B. F. M., Bedford, Mass.— What book will 
tell me about planting aud raising of garden 
stuff ? 
Ans,—M arket Gardening for Profit, by W. 
W. Rawson, Boston, price §1, is a good work. 
F. J. M. C., Croton-on-Hudson, N. I'.—The 
grass is Tricuspis sesleroides—Tall Red-Top— 
False Red-Top. Wheu young it is eaten by 
cattle, but the culms soon become harsh aud 
wiry, und are not then relished. 
J. P. G. Saratoga Springs, X. I'.—What is 
the plant a specimen of which is inclosed. It 
was sent to me by the Washington “Seed 
Store.” 
Ans.—T his is a worthless, foetid annual 
found on gravelly shores from Connecticut 
to Wisconsin and Kentucky. Its botanical 
name is Polanisia graveolens, a member of the 
Caper Family. 
J. II. B., Oakland, Fla.— What are pine 
ashes worth as compared with hard-wood 
ashes? 
Ans.— Dr. Kedzie’s careful analyses show 
that unleached hard-wood ashes are worth, 
ton for ton, about 25 per cent, more than un¬ 
leached pine ashes. 
Subscriber, Exerett, Fa.—Where is a jelly 
press resembling the Enterprise Meat Chopper 
manufactured i 
Ans.— By the Enterprise Manufacturing 
Company, Philadelphia, Pa. 
B. A. T., Starl*e, Fla.— Where can I get 
pure-bred Houdaus aud Golden Ilauiburgs? 
Ans.— From C. E. Rockenstyre, Albany, 
N. Y. 
M. C. W., Oak Bulge, N. J. —Will a coating 
of petroleum ou a shingle roof affect the 
water collected from it iu a cistern? 
Ans.— It will u little at first, but after a 
couple of showers there will be no effect. 
J. B. Onosso, Mich.— Does the Rural keep 
the R. N--Y. Pea for sale, and what is the 
price per bushel 
Ans.—I t is offered by most seedsman; 
price about $4.00 per bushel. The Rural is 
not a trade paper, and offers the R. N.-Y. 
alone for sale. 
H, J. H., South Glastonbury, Conn. —The 
plant sent is Melilotus alba—White Meliot, 
Sweet Clover. It is a biennial aud found iu 
alluvial soils. 
DISCUSSION. 
FIGHTING CAULIFLOWER MAGGOTS. 
H. A. M., Skaget Co,, Wash. Ter.— 
I see by the Rural of July 2 that Joseph 
Perkins, of Kingston. N. Y . has succeeded iu 
killing the cauliflower maggots by the use of 
“liver of sulphur,” whatever that is. Now f 
have tried everything recommended in the 
Rural for the last five years, aud I have 
killed more plants than maggots. Professor 
Cook’s emulsion cost me 2,000 cauliflower 
plants, and yet it has paid me more than $100 
by killing lice on my cabbage and cauliflower 
seeds. It will kill every louse without the 
least harm to the blossoms of the finest grade 
of cauliflower. I used last year 45 gallons of 
kerosene in emulsions—one pint to a quart of 
soft soap, and a gallon of soft water. Now, 
if this “liver of sulphur'’ will kill the maggot, I 
si all send the Rural a uew hat, and I have a 
new, crisp $10 greenback that I have been 
saving for the man who will discover the thing 
that will kill the cauliflower maggot without 
injuring the plants, and if Mr. Perkins has 
struck the thing ho gets the greenback, 
I have about three acres of as flue cauli¬ 
flower as ever grew, this year, aud here is how 
I kill the maggots. I find the flies lay their 
eggs all about the same time; so I watch very 
closely and as soou as I find them at their 
work, I prepare for w r ar by hiring a half 
dozen Indian women, each armed ivith a 
piece of hoop-imn turned at right angles atone 
eDd, aud filed sharp. Now about the fourth 
or fifth day after the fly has begun its work, I 
start. The eggs are laid ou the soil close to 
the stalk, and a person with keen eyes can see 
them at once. With the iron on one side and 
the fingers on the other we scrape dirt and 
eggs out into the middle between the plauts 
where they perish for want of food, even if 
they hatch. We also look for young mag¬ 
gots on the stalk if any have hatched, and 
wi|Mi them off with thumb and finger. Then 
with our little tool we stir the soil about the 
plants, which sets the latter growing finely, 
and they soon get out of the way of insects. 
To be sure it is some work; but a smart girl 
will attend to about 000 plauts a day at a cost 
of 50 cents. I go over the field again in about 
a week and that finishes them 1 have not 
lost, five per cent, of the plants set this year. 
I have counted as many as 20 maggots ou one 
stalk of cauliflower, which would have com¬ 
pletely girdled the plant and devoured the 
roots before they were as large as a rye 
kernel. I don’t think there were five per 
cent, of the plauts that were not blown with 
from one or two t.o 20 blows, which would 
have destroyed the field for the year. 
R. N.-Y.—Liver of sulphur is a compound 
of sulphur and potassium. It is known as 
sulphuretted potassium, or sulphide of potas¬ 
sium. It is prepared by heatiug sulphur with 
carbonate of potash in a covered vessel. It is 
readily soluble in water. One-quarter of an 
ounce to a gallou of water is the usual allow¬ 
ance. It sells hero at 00 ceuts per pound. 
MORE ABOUT KUMYSS. 
E.F. Brush. M D., Mt. Vernon, N. Y.—In the 
Rural of June 25, is a communication which 
at one aud the same time contradicts Prof. 
Arnold, advertises a brand ot kumyss, aud 
institutes a disparaging comparison between 
the product the writer seeks to advertise, and 
others. 1 think if Prof. Arnold “hasstepped out¬ 
side of his knowledge of dairy fcubjeets’'Mr. Vai. 
lancey E. Fuller is “way off” in his chemistry. 
In the beginning of his first paragraph he in¬ 
timates that no ferment is used in his prepara¬ 
tion. If this is a fact (aud he ought to know) 
what he sells is not, kumyss in any sense of 
the word. I will not comment on the broad 
use he makes of the word “predigested,” but 
the statement that his preparation is free 
“from the addition of cane aud milk sugars, 
which are also ferments ,” is ridiculous. Cane 
und milk sugars are not ferments, in anysense 
of the word. His next statement is dial, in 
his preparation, “the milk sugar in the new 
milk is converted, Jirst of all, iuto lactic acid, 
and a small portion of that pusses iuto alco¬ 
hol.” Now, if Mr. Fuller has succeeded in 
converting lactic acid into alcohol, he has 
performed a feat which will immortalize him. 
Iu ordinar y chemistry, sugar is first convert¬ 
ed into ulcohol, aud then the alcohol is con¬ 
verted into acetic acid. The chemical world 
have been waiting lor some man toriseiunong 
them with the ability to convert glucose into 
cane sugar. This would be au easy feat in 
comparison with that achieved by Mr. Fuller, 
of converting lactic arid into alcohol. 
His next statement is that “those who use a 
yeast for a ferment will find that after fer¬ 
mentation has ceased, putrefaction will set 
in.” , Of course it will, with the proper tem¬ 
perature. It is a well-known fact that all 
foods that respond to the putrefactive fer¬ 
ment quickly, will also resjiond quickly to 
the digestive ferments, and just in proportion 
as you preserve a food (hat is exposed to fer¬ 
ments, in that same proportion you lower its 
susceptibility to digestive changes. Bottled 
skim-milk that keeps sweet for two weeks, 
must necessarily contain more material that 
will resist the action of all ferments, digest¬ 
ive as well as putrefactive. 
When Mr. Fuller was contemplating his 
venture in the kumyss business, ho came all the 
way to this village to get from mo some points 
to aid him iu the manufacture. I gave him the 
best advice I could, and I am exceedingly sor¬ 
ry that be has wandered from the path to 
which I directed him. I advised him that it 
would uot be fair or possible to make a pre¬ 
paration with skimmed milk. 
It is not necessary for me to take up the 
Rural’s valuable space with comments ou 
Prof. Arnold’s remarks, as I have sent to the 
Tribune, the paper in which his article ap¬ 
peared, a communication coriecting some of 
bis errors. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Arizona, 
Dudlyville, PiDal Co., July 22. —Every¬ 
thing grown here is raised by irrigation. 
Larger crops are raised every year as water 
rights improve. The main hay crop is getting 
to be Alfalfa. I have cut mine twice this 
year and the third crop will be ready to cut 
next week, nil grain and vegetables do well 
here. Early fruit scarce; late a fair crop; 
not much planted yet. W. A. L. 
Calffornln. 
Mauuado, Los Angeles, Co., July 24.—The 
principal field crop grown in this particular 
section is barley, both for hay and grain, 
and although the rains this year did not begin 
until the middle of February, the crop has 
been a good one. The hay, cut the last of 
May, was of excellent quality, and averaged 
from a ton and a half to two tons to the acre. 
The thrashers are now at work, and a neigh¬ 
bor haviug 1,000 acres reports 15 to 20 sacks 
of superior quality to the acre, averaging 100 
pounds to the sack. The vineyards all look 
fine aud promise an abuudaut crop. The 
Chinameu monopolize the growing of gardeu 
vegetables on irrigable land, aud produce 
abundant crops, which they sell at low prices 
all the year round. A great deal of Alfalfa is 
grown not far from here. Seven crops are 
cut in a year. The price varies from $8 to 
$12 per ton. n. a. w. 
Canada. 
Brit. Col., 15 Mile House, July 24. —The 
outlook for all kinds of crops in my immediate 
neighborhood has uot been so good iu the last 
five years os it is now, although crops are 
later by two weeks than usual. Wheat, peas, 
oats, barley, com and potatoes were never 
better. Very little limit is raised. What 
there is looks welL Vegetables, especially 
onions, cabbage aud tomatoes, are very fine. 
Small fruits in abundance. w. H. K. 
W’AHliIngtou Territory. 
Colfax, Whitman Co.. July 23.—Wheat, 
oats, and barley are the main crops here, and 
are looking well. Wo are having very hot, 
dry weather tit present, and if it does not 
change soon ibe grain will uot fill in places. 
Apples and all small fruits are up to an aver¬ 
age of the last live years, except cherries and 
plums. liny, which is mostly graincut in the 
milk, is above average. Garden truck is up 
to au average. Pasture is quite short ou 
account of drought, J. M. 
Delaware. 
Dover. KontCo,,Ju.y 30.— We have had hot 
weather iur the past four weeks, aud an un¬ 
usual amount of rain; the result is that all 
kuu.s of farm crops are looking tine. Wheat 
is mostly thrashed. Most of it is thrashed di¬ 
rect from the field. The yield is good, or 
about 8(1 per cent, of an average. Corn could 
uot look better—just earing. Oats damaged 
by wet in the shock,and the crop of good oats 
will be small. Truck of all kinds looks fine. 
Peaches are being shipped in small lots. The 
crop will bo light. Yellows are doing much 
damage to orchards; none seem to be exempt; 
many young orchards will ho ruined before 
they come into bearing. If some remedy is 
uot soon found for it, the peach crop in tills 
State will be ft thing of the past. If this 
should happen,farming would hoof little prof¬ 
it here, for fruit growing is the main source 
of clear money to our farmers. Bo much wet 
weather has put the farmers back with their 
work at this season. Tile rush of work is sup¬ 
posed to be over, but most of us Hud that we 
have more that requires immediate attention 
than at any other tune. New wheat is selling 
for 73 to 76 cents. Corn scarce at 50 to 60 
cents. Oats (new) 30 cents. Farm produce 
and truck plenty at very low figures. Eggs, 
14 cents; butter, 15 to 20 cents; poultry, 10 
to 15 cents; potatoes, 40 cents. A. G. s. 
Knnuita. 
Emporia, Lyon Co., July 28.—Wheat but 
little sown—a complete failure. Oats are 25 
per cent, above last year’s; yield, a quarter 
crop. Corn nearly dried up in this section, 
but iu some localities the crop is good. Pota¬ 
toes, grass and fruit crops fair. Very dry 
weather. H. T. p. 
Ohio. 
OxFOnn, Butler Co., July 28.—We have 
just entered our eighth week of dry weather 
during which time we have had less than an 
inch of rain,and crops are very short. Mercury 
96° in the shade to-day. w. F. b. 
Illinofa. 
Salem, McCook Co., July 24 —The area of 
grain is larger this year than ever before. 
Wheat will not average more than 10 bushels 
per acre. Oats about 25 bushels. Rye not 
much sown; not one fourth crop. Barley 
very poor, about one half crop. Cora area 
larger than in any former year. It looks 
well, but must have rain soon. Flax will not 
be more than one-half crop. Hay very light 
Prospect fair for potatoes. u. f. w. 
Mobe about Pyretrrum as an Insecti¬ 
cide. —We find the following in the Weekly 
Press: “A correspondent who has tried the 
Rural New-Yorker’s prescription of pyreth- 
rum for rose bugs did not fiud it successful. It 
was ‘fresh,’ too, and ho paid $1 per pound for 
it. He adds that it w r ould need to be applied 
every day or so at. all events aud the expense 
and labor of treating 10,(KH) grape vines in 
this way would make it impracticable as a 
remedy.” it may be quite true that it would 
be necessary to go over the vines “every day 
or so,” when the rose bugs are present in great 
numbers. The question is will the spray kill 
them ? Did the Press correspondent find that 
it would ? How did he apply it ? Using two 
heapiug tablespoonfuls of the powder to four 
gallons of water and forcing it through a 
cyclone nozzle upon the infested plants, we 
aro as confident, as one can be from his 
own experiments confined to his owu home, 
that it can be applied as effectually and 
as economically as any other insecticide we 
know of. But we insist upon the use of the 
hand force-pump and the cyclone nozzle. A 
mere sprinkler would uot answer at. all. The 
finest spray suffices to destroy the insect 
jast as well as, or better than, if the py- 
rethrum water were poured on them, or 
sprinkled upon them through the rose of a 
watering-pot or other sprinkler. The econ¬ 
omy of its use exists only iu its application as 
a fine spray or vapor when the same quantity 
of water will go fifty times as far as if 
sprinkled upon the plants; while the time re¬ 
quired to do the work will be, perhaps, 20 
times less. We believe that rose-bugs seem 
to exist in far greater numbers than they really 
do. That is to say they cluster upon certain 
plants iu immeuse numbers, and we take for 
granted that they exist everywhere in the 
same numbers, aud that, to destroy those which 
we see, is merely to make room for millions of 
others. But. our experience loads us to think 
that a few days of unremitting war upon 
rose-bugs, as we find them upon spinous, mag¬ 
nolias, roses aud grape-vines, will show that 
they are really quite within control. As 
to “ fresh” pyrethrum powder: so far as 
the imported article is concerned, there is no 
such thing as a guarantee of its purity or 
freshness. Oue pays for the best article. He 
may or may not get it. Wo have used the 
American powder only, which is grown and 
ground in California and is sold as“Buhaeh.” 
Pyrethrum cinerarnefolium is a hardy herb¬ 
aceous perennial at the Rural Grounds, where 
it has been growiug for live years. It is of 
the easiest cultivation, and it is only a matter 
of time before leading seedsmen or wholesale 
dealers will grow auil grind their owu pyreth- 
rum. 
Anticipating Difficulties.— The Weekly 
lave Stock Journal says that the stock farm 
is regarded by many as a place where a good 
number of accidents must necessarily happen. 
The horses arc expected to occasionally injure 
one another, as well us other kinds of stock, 
and even the men or boys are sometimes hurt 
by the intended or unintended action of a horse. 
Euth e animals of every kind, aud mothers with 
their charge when very young, are to beguard- 
ed against too. Then there are a hundred 
means of accidents to the workmeu for which 
the stock is in no way responsible. The farm 
