SS2 
SEPT 10 
How 
the class they are fond of calling “ the com¬ 
mon people.” Let them go, without making 
themselves known, and hire out ou a farm, or 
in the work-shop. Their thinking will be stur¬ 
dier for their exercise and they will learu, as 
they uever knew before, what people need and 
want. It. would do the average agricultural 
editor a world of good to pass a summer ou 
the farm of one he is pleased to eall “ the or¬ 
dinary farmer.” Too many men bury them¬ 
selves in books. The world grows over them. 
They lead an ideal life. They forget wbat 
they felt aud thought before they became stu¬ 
dents. Consequently they talk to themselves 
and talk over the heads of those they should 
help. It. is only by brushing directly against 
the world that one can keep a hold on prac¬ 
ticality. 
Training Horses. —Every horse should be 
taught to stop short at the word. It can be 
taught to do this only by firm and careful 
handling. A single, sharp word of command 
should be used. Some men make fools of 
their horses by tallciug to them in a lifeless 
tone and repeating orders over and over. The 
horses get careless, for they never know when 
their driver is in earnest. I once saw a man 
driving horses in the woods. They were haul¬ 
ing logs on a sled. The driver slipped aud 
fell at the side of a stump aud the load came 
directly at him. The horses were pulliug with 
all their strength, yet at the word “Whoa!” 
they stopped in an instant, and the man’s life 
was saved. If the driver had trained his 
homes as some men train theirs he would have 
been crushed before the team would have 
halted. H. J. b. 
Hillsdale Co., Mich. 
A Manure Pit.— Prof. Storer, in his “ Ag¬ 
riculture,” speaks of the sink-spout as a 
manure-maker. His plan is to conduct the 
house-slops away through a good-sized drain 
into a hole at some distance from the house. 
This hole is to be dug so that a cart can be 
easily backed into it, aud a good supply of 
muck or rubbish should be kept in it. The 
idea is that the slop and waste will ferment 
the muck aud work it into shape for manure. 
1 cau testify that this plan works well iu every 
way but oue—the hole gives off a sickening 
smell, unless the muck is added every other 
day. h. s, 
Broome Co., N. Y. 
Simple Test for Drinking-Water.— 
Drinking-water that is suspected of being im¬ 
pure, can be easily tested as follows: fill a 
pint bottle two-thirds full of the water, and 
add two tablespooufuls of pure, granulated 
sugar. Cork and keep it in a warm place for 
two or three days. If the water is impure, it 
will turn milky from the development of 
multitudes of bacteria. A. E. hart. 
Ingham Co., Mich. 
The Road Question in our township is 
quieter than it has been for years before. We 
have a road machine and it does prime work. 
As managed here, one man bought the ma¬ 
chine and does the road work for the township 
at a fair price. The roads are in better shape 
than they ever Were before, aud there is more 
general satisfaction all around. Far better 
than “ loafing out taxes on the road.” n. G. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
My method of oiling harness is to take the 
pieces apart and give every strap a thorough 
washing. Let them bang by the fire until 
about half dry, and apply a liberal coat of 
neat’s-foot oil, mixed with enough lamp-black 
to color tbe harness black. It the first coat 
dries in readily, a second should be applied. 
Elnnra, N. Y. g. a. g. 
It pays to be a good neighbor; not just iu 
the way of sometimes borrowing and lending, 
but in the way of brotherly kindness; for if 
we are good neighbors we may be often aided 
by others when otherwise we must depend up¬ 
on our own resources for advice aud help. A 
bad neighbor is but human, aud will not for¬ 
get a kindness or unkiuduess iu the time of our 
need. M - s. M - 
Lyubaven, Va. 
tHraxjarti, 
HANDLING GRAPES. 
Grapes ought to be picked one or two days 
before they are packed. This allows tbe stems 
to wilt, so they can be haudled without start¬ 
ing the berries from the stem, and they cau bo 
packed much closer, so as to have the baskets 
full when they get iu market, Picking hero 
is done by the day, and careful handling is en¬ 
joined on all. Pickers are paid $1.25, but. 
they have to board themselves. We have 
girls to do the packing, and 75 cents per day 
without board is the price paid them. Each 
girl looks over what she packs, aud all poor 
and unripe berries are clipped out with scis¬ 
sors. We use baskets holding five aud 10 
pounds each for shipping. Our markets are 
principally New York, Boston, Philadelphia 
and Baltimore. We ship by express and 
freight. Both work well from here to most of 
the cities. Some growers make wine of their 
cull grapes and claim it pays well. I feed 
mine to hogs. Concord, Catawba and Dela¬ 
ware are about the only kinds grown around 
our lake. The Concord and Delaware cannot 
be kept long after picking. By [Hitting them 
in cold storage, the Catawba cau be kept till 
the holidays in any good cellar. f. h. p. 
Bluff Point, N. Y. 
THE BAG-WORM. 
In early summer it was noticed that the top 
of an Arbor-vita- tree seemed to be dying. 
Afterwards it was noticed that the entire tree 
was ulive with worms rolled up iu a cauoe like 
house made of the Arbor-vita- leaves. Oue of 
these was attached to or suspended from near¬ 
ly every twig both outside and inside of the 
tree. With a pump and cyclone nozzle the tree 
was sprayed with a strong solution of pyre- 
thrum (Buhach) and hellebore. The worms 
were uot injured or even exercised by this at 
all. The tree was next sprayed with Paris- 
green water with the same result. Worms 
confined iu cans with leaves dipped iu this 
water were not harmed. Specimens were sent 
to U. S. Entomologist C, V. Riley and, in his 
absence, the pest was identified by his assis¬ 
tant, L, O. Howard, as the Bag worm— 
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis. Bulletin 
No 10, issued by the Dep’t. of Agriculture, 
says that at irregular intervals it becomes a 
great pest when nut properly dealt with. 
HABITS AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
The Eggs. —During winter time the de¬ 
pendent sacs or bags of this species may be 
seen hanging ou the twigs of almost every 
kind of tree. If they happen to be on con¬ 
iferous trees, aud they are usually more abun¬ 
dant on these than on deciduous trees, they 
are not infrequently mistaken for the cones. 
In reality they are the coverings spun by the 
worm, and the}- serve uot only as a protection 
to it, but also to the eggs. Upon cutting open 
the larger of these hags iu wiuter time they 
will be found to contain the shell of a chrysa¬ 
lis (technically called the puparium) which is 
fiLled with numerous small yellow eggs (Fig. 
3512). Each of these is a little over oue in’lli- 
metcr iu length, obovate in form, and sur¬ 
rounded by a delicate, fawn-colored, silky 
down. In this condition the eggs remai u from 
fall throughout the winter and early spring. 
crawlson a leaf aud.guawinglittle bits from the 
surface, fastens these together with fine silk | 
spun from its mouth. Continually adding to the 
mass, the larva finally produces a narrow, 
elongate band, which is then fasteued at both 
ends on to the surface of the leaf by silky 
threads. Having secured itself from falling 
down by some threads, it now straddles this 
band and, bending its head downward (Fig. 
333, 6), makes n dive under it,burns a complete 
somersault and lies ou its back, held down by 
the band (Fig. 331, c). By a quick turning 
movement the larva regains its feet, the baud 
now extending across its neck (Fig. 333, d). It 
then adds to the band at each end until the 
two ends meet, aud they are then fasteued to¬ 
gether so as to form a kind of narrow collar 
which encircles the uoek of the worm. Far 
from restiug, it now busies itself by adding 
row after row to the anterior or lower end of 
the collar, which thus rapidly grows iu girth 
aud is pushed further aud further over the 
maker (Fig. 333, e). The inside of this bag is 
now carefully lined with an additional layer 
of silk, and tile larva now marches off, carry¬ 
ing the bag in an upright position (Fig. 333, 
/). When iu motion or when feeding, the 
head and thoracic segments protrude 
from the lower 
of the bag, the rest 
Fig. 832—Thyridopteryx ephemorffiforinls: a, larva; 
ft. male chrysalis: female moth: d, male moth: r. 
follicle mid puparium cut open to show i-kks: /. full 
grown larva with bfts: (l, young ltirvui with tholr con¬ 
ical upright eovcrltiKfl; all natural size. 
The Larva and its Bag.— About the 
middle of May in this latitude the eggs hatch 
into small but active larvae, which at once 
commence to construct a. portable case or bag iu 
which to live. The way in which this bag is pre¬ 
pared is curious (Fig. 333, a). The young larva 
The Imago or Perfect Insect. —After a 
lapse of about three weeks from pupation a 
still greater difference between the two sexes 
becomes apparent. The male chrysalis works 
its way to the lower end of the bag and half 
way out of the opening at the extremity. 
Then its skin burst® and the imago appears as 
a winged moth with a black, hairy body aud 
glassy wings (Fig. 5132, cl). It is swift of 
Fig. 333.—Thyridopteryx ephemerajformis, 
the young larva prepares its hag. 
of the body being bent upward aud held in 
this position by tbe bag. As the worms grow 
they continue to increase the bags from the 
lower end and they gradually begin to use 
larger pieces of leaves, or bits of twigs or any 
other objects for ornamenting the outside. 
Thus the bags will differ accordiug to the dif¬ 
ferent kiud of tree or shrub upou which the 
larva happous to feed; those fouudon conifer¬ 
ous trees being ornamented with the filiform 
pine loaves, usually arrauged lengthwise ou 
the bag, while those on the various deciduous 
trees are more or less densely and irregularly 
covered with bits of leaves interspersed with 
pieces of twigs. When kept iu captivity the 
worms are very fond of using bits of cork, 
straw or paper, if such are offered to them. 
When the bags, with the growth of the lar¬ 
va, get large aud heavy, they are no longer 
carried,but allowed to hang down (Fig. 332,6). 
The worms undergo four molts, and at each 
of those periods they close up the mouths of 
their bags to remain within until they have 
cast their skin aud recovered from this effort. 
The old skin, as well os the excrement, is 
pushed out through a passage which is kept 
open by the worms at the extremity of the 
bag. 
The young larva is of a nearly uuiform 
brown color, hut whou more lull-grown that 
portiou of the body which is covered by the 
bag is soft, of light-brown color and reddish 
on the sides, while the head and thoracic 
joints are horny and mottled with dark brown 
and white (Fig. 332, a). The numerous hook? 
__ with which the small, lleshy 
prolegs ou the middle aud 
posterior part of the body 
IjPSSgy are furnished, euable the 
worm to firmly cling to the 
silken lining of the bag, so 
'Wjf that it can with difficulty be 
St fmvS pulled out. The bag of the 
, vfisa/ full-grown worm (Fig. 332,/) 
is elongate-ovul iu shape, its 
outlines being more or less 
irregular on account of the 
igX’LTaro. irregularities iu the ornamen- 
NKwSEf tation above described. The 
silk itself is extremely tough 
and with difficulty pulled 
L oi asunder. The lav® are poor 
v travelers during growth, 
and though, when in great numbers, they 
must often wander from one branch to an¬ 
other, they rarely leave the tree upon which 
they were born unless compelled to do so by 
hunger through the defoliation of the tree. 
Whou full-grown, however, they develop a 
greater activity, especially when very numer¬ 
ous, aud, letting themselves down by a line 
silken thread, travel fast enough across side¬ 
walks or streets and often for a considerable 
distance uutil they reach another tree, which 
they ascend. The migratory desire is instinc¬ 
tive; for should the worms remain on the 
same tree they would become so numerous as 
to necessarily perish for want of food. 
Duration.- The bags of the worms which 
are to produce male moths attaiu more thuu 
an inch in length, while those which produce 
females attaiu nearly double this size. When 
ready to transform, the larva firmly secures 
the interior end of the bags to u twig or 
branch, and instinct lends it to reject for this 
purpose any deciduous leaf or leaf-stem with 
which it would be blown down by the winds. 
The inside of the bag is then lengthened with 
1 an additional lining of silk, and the change to 
k chrysalis is made with their heads ulways 
downward. The chrysalis is of u dark-brown 
color, that of the male (Fig. 3512, 6) being only 
half the size of that of the female (Fig. 332 e 
aud Fig. 334, a). 
Fig. 331.—Thyridopteryx ephemerteforinls: a., Folli¬ 
cle cut open to show the manner In which the female 
works from her puparium aufl reaches the end of the 
bag, natural size; b, female extracted from her case, 
enlarged. 
flight, and, owing to its small size aud trans¬ 
parent wings, is rarely observed in nature. 
The life duration of this sex i.s also very short. 
The female imago is naked (save a ring of 
pubescence near the end of the body, of yel¬ 
lowish-white color), and entirely destitute of 
legs and wings (Fig. 333, e, and Fig. 5134, 6). 
She pushes her way partly out of the chrysa¬ 
lis, her head reaching to the lower end of the 
bag where, without leaving the same, she 
waits the approach of the male. The nntnuer 
iu which the chrysalis shell is elougated aud 
reaches to the end of the bag is shown in Fig. 
884, ", aud an enlarged side view of the female 
showing the details of structure is shown at. 6, 
in the same figure, The extensility of the 
male genitalia, which permits him to reach 
the female within her bag, is set forth iu the 
accompanying Fig. 8515, where the parts are 
shown at rest, 0 and d, and in action, 6. 
Fig. 385.—Thyridopteryx ophomormformis: b. The 
end of male abdomen from tlic side, showing genl 
folia oxt..tided; <>, genitalia In repose veutral view; ti, 
do., dorsal view enlarged. 
Fertilization being accomplished, the female 
works her way back within the chrysalis skin 
aud fills it with eggs, receding as she does so 
toward the lower end of the bag, where, hav¬ 
ing completed the work of oviposit,ion, she 
forces, with a last effort, her shrunken body 
out of the opening, drops exhausted to tlie 
ground, and parishes. When the female has 
withdrawn, the slit at the head of the pupari¬ 
um and the elastic opening of the bag closes 
aguiu, and the eggs thus remain securely pro¬ 
tected till they are ready to hatch the ensu¬ 
ing spring. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
The bag-worm occurs most frequently in 
the more southern portion of the Middle 
States aud iu the Southern States, but seems 
to be absent from the l’euiusuln of Florida. 
Within these limits it extends from the Atlan¬ 
tic to Texas, aud reaches the less timbered 
region west of the Mississippi. Northward, 
it is occasionally found iu New York and 
even Massachusetts, but so rarely and locally 
restricted that neither Dr. Harris nor D 
Fitch mentioned it in their publieatious ou 
economic entomology. 
food-plants. 
The Bag-worm is known to feed ou a large 
number of trees aud shrubs, but has a predi¬ 
lection for certain kinds of coniferous trees, 
notably the Red Cedar and Arbor-vita?, aud 
as these evergreens are much less able to 
stand the loss of their foliage than the deci¬ 
duous tret's, the worms are much more danger¬ 
ous to the former thau to the latter. 
REMEDIES. 
Prof. Riley says that the bags which cou 
