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527 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
fertilizer, but, like the Wilson, it seems to b e 
running out. The variety that will take its 
place here is yet undetermined. 
Ames, Iowa. 
Triumph Goosebkrry. —At the West, the 
Houghton Seedling and American Seedling 
have made up the list of really satisfactory 
varieties in yield and freedom from mildew. 
The varieties with a strong infusion of for¬ 
eign blood have, one after the other, been re¬ 
jected either on account of imperfect foliage, 
tenderness of plant in winter, or mildew of 
fruit. But so far the Triumph, sent out by 
Mr. George Achelles, of West Chester, Penn. t 
seems well adapted to our soil and climate. 
The fruit on the young plants at this time is 
nearly up to the crown. (?) —Eds. Then it is 
wholly free from mildew in this season of 
almost general mildews and rusts. 
[At the Rural Grounds, the Triumph mil¬ 
dews badly. Specimens were received from 
Mr. Geo. Achelles in 1885.—Ed.] 
I should prefer to apply manure in the falj 
to give the most benefit the following year; 
but, all things considered, I would prefer t 0 
have it hauled and spread during the winter 
as made, as it saves a great amunt of la¬ 
bor and there is no loss from fermentation, 
though on some land there would be some 
waste from washing. w. d. h. 
Rockford, Ill. 
m. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
DUTCHESS AND ULSTER COUNTY (N. Y.) NOTES. 
Corn seems likely to be almost a total fail¬ 
ure. At this time (July 25th) it is not more 
than knee-high. It is the result of the late 
cold spring and early summer. 
Rye has been better than for many years 
and as a rule was harvested in fine condition. 
Wheat is not raised to any considerable ex¬ 
tent. The oat crop is good, but the acreage 
is small. 
Sheep raising is a profitable adjunct to gen¬ 
eral farming. The mutton breeds, however, 
are not as common as one would expect so 
near such markets as Newburg, Poughkeepsie 
and New York Some of the sheep growers 
make a specialty of raising fine mutton and 
they rather favor free wool because they think 
it will lessen competition and increase the 
price of mutton. I he wool growers who only 
sell lambs and old sheep are very anxious 
about the Mills bill and are desperately op¬ 
posed to it. 
It is a strange fact that notwithstanding 
the marvelous growth of contiguous cities, 
land is not worth as much now as it was 100 
years ago. A farm, one of the best in Ulster 
County, which sold for $100 per acre in 1812, 
would not bring over $75 per acre now. Is 
this the result of Western competition or of 
unjust discrimination in favor of the cities 
and towns ? 
As a matter of course milk producing is the 
chief occupation. The business has at least 
the advantage of comparative uniformity in 
profit. Variation in the supply and quality 
of pasturage and fodder affects the cost of 
production somewhat, but still the profit is 
about the same from year to year. 
Holstein grades are chiefly kept, although 
there is a strong sprinkling of Ayrshire and 
Guernsey blood. Occasionally a solitary 
specimen of the Dutch Belted breed is seen. 
They may be easily detected because they 
never lose their distinctive marking. Strange 
to say, they are generally known as Holstein 
grades. Crossing with Holstems seems to in¬ 
crease their size, while the peculiar marking 
is preserved. 
Good roads are the rule. The work is gen¬ 
erally done under the personal supervision of 
the commissioner, and is paid for in cash, instead 
of hard cider, as was formerly the custom. 
As a friend expressed it: “ Road-making is 
now a business—not a drunken frolic.” Road 
machines are generally used. 
Potatoes are a good crop, not in quantity 
but in profit. They are now bringing from 
$1.50 to $1.80 per bushel in the local markets. 
Hay is a good crop, and as a rule has been got 
in in good condition. 
Summer boarders are beginning to appre 
ciate the quiet and healthfulness of this par^ 
of the State, and are adding materially to the 
income of many of our farmers beside helping 
the local market. The price of board, how¬ 
ever, rules very low, as compared with more 
fashionable resorts. The very best board can 
be obtained at from five to eight dollars per 
week. RAMBLER. 
Canada. 
Kings Co., P. E. Island, July 16.—Since the 
advent of July we have bad a period of ex¬ 
tremely hot weather. This came at a tim« 
when it was absolutely needed; and coming 
so timely when the earth was filled with moist 
ure, caused by the exceedingly wet and cool 
June month, it has made a most favorable 
change in the outlook. Oats are looking well. 
Spring wheat, in mellow land, bids fair to 
eclipse the really good crop of ’87. Hay is 
above the average. Early potatoes are com¬ 
ing on finely—many patches now showing 
blossoms. We had some fine growing 
showers last week. As a result everything 
has a rich greenish cast. j. a. m. 
Hillier, Ontario, July 23.—The most dis¬ 
astrous drought that ever occurred in this 
vicinity was broken by the rain of Wednesday 
last. We have not had rain enough to wet 
the ground down three inches since the snow 
went off last spring. Pastures are all dried 
up and farmers are trying to sell their cattle 
as fast as they can, keeping only enough to 
supply their families. Good cows are selling 
at $15 apiece and a lot have been sold at from 
$10 to $13 apiece. Very few farmers have 
over three loads of hay. Barley and peas will 
average, I think, five bushels to the acre. 
Corn may come on now since the rain, but it 
did not come up well this spring, and a lot of 
farmers are plowing up barley aud sowing 
buckwheat to help get stock through the win¬ 
ter. Corn and millet sowed the usual time 
(about the 1st of June) were complete failures. 
We have no kind of fodder to feed green. I 
sowed a piece of oats to feed green through 
harvest and seven cows will eat all there is on 
an acre in three days. This county generally has 
half a million bushels of barley for export, and 
this year it is all needed here, although some 
will be obliged to sell to pay bills, l. p. h. 
Illinois. 
Pleasant Valley, Jo Daviess Co., July 16. 
-The last storm period of July 4th and 
5th, seems to have been very extensive. 
It struck this section on the 3rd and still 
more severely on the 4th, but although 
doing immense damage to grain and grass, 
and washing badly plowed fields, still we es¬ 
caped what others suffered in the way of 
cyclones and hail. The fall wheat crop is 
immense and rye is fully up to the average 
with twice the usual acreage in this and 
adjacent counties. The more I travel, the more 
I am impressed with the amount of rye sown. 
Corn is doing well at present, but has hardly 
the appearance of making an average crop 
though a great improvement over last season. 
The meadows have made a marvelous growth 
considering the dry spring, and will average 
up with former years. Cattle are scarce, but 
not very dear, and pastures sport a growth of 
grass heavy enough for a meadow. There 
have been but a few days of hay weather since 
clover was ripe enough to cut, and they kept 
corn plowing back so that everything comes 
together. Winter wheat and rye are ready to 
cut now. A good many small bridges were 
carried away by the floods, and mud and 
trash were left on the meadows. From the 
R. N. Y. seeds we raised some splendid double 
yellow hollyhocks which blossomed first last 
year. This year, much to our surprise, the 
blossoms from the same roots are all black or 
purple. No other seed was sown. Is this 
freak of common occurrence? If so, we shall 
look for white ones next year. w. s. s. 
Remarks. —Our friend is mistaken. The 
hollyhock blooms but once. The darker 
flowers were from seed accidentally sown. 
Iowa. 
Des Moines, Polk County, July 28th.—The 
readers of the Rural will remember that I 
held the position that the years of drought 
had not impaired the soil, and that those who 
would keep their land cultivated and manured 
would see big crops when a good season should 
come. Our crops now bear me out in that 
position, for they are as nearly perfect as we 
may ever expect to see them. Our spring was 
wet, late and cold; but we have had a fine 
June and July and all crops have been mak¬ 
ing up lost time. We have had good showers 
in these months, and no extremes of heat or 
storms. Very little wheat or rye was sown in 
this part of the State; what there is is good 
and harvested in good condition. Hay good 
and nearly all put up dry and in fine condi¬ 
tion. The oat crop—the heaviest I have ever 
seen—is now in full harvest. It has badly 
lodged and cannot nearly all be saved. The 
crop grew so tremendously heavy that it could 
not stand up. Some crops will have to be cut 
with the mowing machine and raked like hay. 
The corn crop is justa grand sight, and is now 
silking. It has been well worked, perhaps 
never better. Early potatoes are a splendid 
crop and now about ripe; that is, the vines 
are drying fast. The late potato crop gener¬ 
ally promises well, though there is some blight 
in some crops. We are not troubled with 
potato bugs. The vegetable crops are almost 
perfection. We have a great abundance of 
everything, though the vine crops are a little 
late. Tomatoes and melons are nearly a 
month behind last season. My tomato trees— 
the largest I have ever seen—planted six by 
six feet, now cover all the ground. The 
strawberry crop was poor, but the raspberry 
and blackberry crops very large. One of my 
neighbors has 35 acres of blackberries now in 
full harvest. He has no trouble in getting 
pickers, for the city people will come out and 
work at this when they could not be got out 
for anything else. The grape crop is fine. 
Our summer apple trees are loaded; winter 
apples hardly half a crop. Farm help has been 
scarce aud hard to get this summer, and 
wages have been good—no trouble for a man 
to get a dollar per day and his keep all the 
time. f. s. w, 
Louisiana. 
East Baton Rouge, Baker P. O., July 14. 
—Corn good. Cane favorable prospect. Stub¬ 
ble not a good stand. Cotton, irregular stand 
and later in growth aud fruit than last year, 
which was a backward season. A dry spring 
and daily rains for the past three weeks have 
given the planter an abundance of work. Po¬ 
tato crop did not yield more than one half. 
Oats not as much planted as formerly and 
poor yields. r. g. b. 
New Jersey. 
Harborton, Mercer Co., July 22.—Wheat 
and hay are mostly harvested in good order, 
and are above the average yield. The oat 
harvest has commenced. Crop good and not 
lodged. Corn backward, owing to late plant¬ 
ing on account of wet weather, but growing 
fast and will be a good crop if frost does not 
come too soon. Fruits of all kinds almost a 
failure. New wheat, 85 cents per bushel. 
Butter, 22c. per pound. d. j. b. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If It Is not answered In 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper. 
THE BUFFALO OR CARPET BEETLE. 
Subscriber [address mislaid.) What is the 
history of the Buffalo or Carpet beetle, and 
how should it be combatted ? 
answered by w. l. devereaux. 
The Buffalo bug, or B. moth, B. carpet bug, 
etc.—more exactly, the Carpet beetle (Anth- 
renus scrophularius)—is no longer a new pest 
in this country, for it made its appearance in 
destructive numbers 15 years ago. The first 
news of damage from this insect, as far as the 
published records show, came from Buffalo, 
N. Y., whence the name, although the young 
larva or worm—and the larva is the noxious 
stage and form of the insect—resembles the 
pictured form of a buffalo or bison while 
charging. The insect seems to have appeared 
in numbers at nearly the same time in several 
other cities, and some of the starting points 
were traced to large carpet stores where in¬ 
fested carpets had been imported and retailed 
without caution or disinfection. Before this, 
not a single specimen had been discov¬ 
ered east of the Rockies, even by natu¬ 
ralists. The pests were found rarely at San 
Francisco 40 years ago, and possibly they were 
brought there by the Chinese or Spaniards. 
The insect is a native of Europe, where it is a 
well-known pest mentioned in books a century 
old. Beetles of this kind belong to the family 
Dermestidse, and in nature most of them are 
eminently useful in the reduction of animal 
matter, especially that which is indurated, as 
bones, hides, hair and wool, and they follow 
up their food habit in leather, preserved 
meats, lard, furs, wool clothing and wool 
carpets; also in silks and preserved plants. 
In the voracious growing stage (the form in 
which they are usually seen eating carpets, 
etc.) the pests are about the size and form of a 
kernel of barley. They are clothed with erect 
hairs, especially abundant at the terminal 
segment, making a tail-like pencil of brown 
hairs. In early autumn the pest is trans¬ 
formed into the perfect beetle of smaller size, 
appearing like a little round seed. The hard 
wing-cases and dorsothorax, orLack, are pretti¬ 
ly marked with white, scarlet and black, quite 
fine, almost variegated. These, the parents— 
egg-layers—have wings folded under the cases, 
and they fly away to now places, and to 
flowers, where they feed on pollen. Egg- 
laying is begun in the fall by the earliest- 
matured beetles, and others come forth in 
heated rooms in winter, but most of the egg s 
are laid in the spring, and most of the mis¬ 
chief is done in the summer months, and to 
circumvent them for the year, the work must 
be prosecuted in May or early Juue. Scald 
the floor thoroughly at the joint of the base¬ 
board, and beat the carpets well in late May. 
After the pests get located in summer the 
same measure will answer. Gasoline in con¬ 
tact with them is sure death to them, and it is 
the best of the volatile liquids, which are all 
more or less inflammable. The odor of this, 
or of cedar oil, coal tar paper, or similar 
things will not drive them away, however. 
They must be killed off after they once get 
located, and although naturalists rely on the 
arsenicated soap used in preserving the skins 
of birds and quadrupeds in museums, where 
every insect which begins to damage is at 
once poisoned, it is not to be expected that 
many people will feel safe in using an arseni¬ 
cated water sprayed under the borders of car¬ 
pets ; but it is effective. Pure Buhaeh an¬ 
swers the purpose, killing them as quickly as 
any dangerous poisons. If they get on the 
premises, it is desirable to have them located 
where they can be destroyed more readily than 
in carpets or clothes presses, and this is done 
by placing an open box of fleece wool and old 
yarn on the floor in a corner of the room, 
or on a shelf, not to be moved or handled 
except to see if a colony has settled 
there. A box of fresh feathers will decoy 
them. A lady friend has called my attention 
to the destruction of Pampas plumes by the 
carpet beetle, when it first took up its quarters 
in her house, and on a German writer’s 
authority, such plumes are an attraction for 
the nuisances. It is one of the first places to 
look for their presence in the house. Counter¬ 
odorants are not successful in keeping the 
beetle from entering the house, unless the 
odors—like carbolic acid or naphthaline—are 
so strong that the houskeeper and household 
are driven out. Pleasant perfumes of plants 
and flowers do not answer, as the insect is 
part of its life a flower-dweller. Still, after a 
few trials, I am favorably impressed with 
pennyroyal and peppermint oils, and recom¬ 
mend that potted plants of these bo kept in 
rooms and in open windows. 
SOUTHERN MISSOURI AS A FRUIT AND AGRI¬ 
CULTURAL REGION. 
G. N. A ., Camp Point, III.— In which part 
of Missouri is the climate warm enough to 
produce all kinds of fruit ; aud is the land 
there hilly, rocky or level ? 
ANSWERED BY L. A. GOODMAN, SECRETARY 
MISSOURI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The counties of the southern tier are warm 
enough to grow the peach to perfection. 
There, too, the raspberry, strawberry and 
blackberry do as well as they do in any other 
part of the country. The apple and pear and 
plum grow in abundance and beauty. On the 
southern slope of the Ozark Mountains, pro¬ 
tected by the high ridges and pine forests on 
the north and west, we have the moderate 
weather so well adapted to the growing of all 
of our fruits, and yet we are high enough so 
as not to suffer from the heat. 
The country is rough and rocky (some por¬ 
tions of it) enough to suit any person’s ta6te. 
It is rich and level (many portions of it) enough 
to raise the best of corn, wheat or grass. The 
ground is covered in many places with flint 
rocks, but they are all on the top and 
when once taken off the ground is easily culti_ 
vated. The valleys are as rich as need be. 
The hills are especially adapted to fruit-grow 
ing. The soil is a red clay loam and although 
it looks poor to those accustomed to black 
land, yet it produces even corn and potatoes 
well. The peach seems to be at home here, 
and if I mistake not, this region is destined to 
be the peach region of the United State*. I 
never saw the peach'grow or bear better than 
it does here. The ground is covered with a 
small growth 'of black-jack; and po*t-oak and 
hickory are easily cleared, and although the 
soil is hard to break, yet when once well 
broken there is no more' trouble. Rains are 
plentiful and well distributed. The tempera¬ 
ture ranges from five degrees below to 100 
degrees above zero. The section is high enough 
to produce the best kinds of apples, and the 
prospects are that it will be a desirable pear 
region also. Some of the finest apples, in size 
and color, were obtained from that district to 
assist our State show at the New Orleans Ex¬ 
position. Thedron in the soil seems to produce 
an excellent color in all our fruits, aud they 
seem to be of remarkably fine quality. They 
are not t(he varieties that do so well in the 
East, but those specially adapted to the West 
and South. The raspberry aud blackberry 
are succeeding admirably and produce 100 Je 
