1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
35 
THE BEE, THE GRAPE, THE FACT 
The question of whether the honey-bee can punc¬ 
ture the skin of the grape, comes up again in The 
R. N.-Y. of December 30, 1899. L. E. K., of Kansas, 
takes a “whack” at it this time, and rightly says that 
it is a very old subject, but wrongly says it is “fully 
exploded.” He also says that anyone giving the sub¬ 
ject serious attention cannot help seeing that W., a 
former writer in The R. N.-Y., who holds that bees 
do puncture grapes, “has made a great blunder.” He 
furthermore incidentally mentions the fact that farm 
journals have been slow to educate the general public 
on the subject, and winds up his article by saying, 
“If W. cannot see why bees are not capable of pene¬ 
trating sound grapes, let him try biting into a whole, 
large pumpkin.” 
Just where the analogy comes in between a bee 
puncturing a grape, and a man “biting into a whole 
large pumpkin,” I fail to see. But here is something 
he can see (Fig. 14). Last Winter, when I packed my 
bees for cold weather, I put a piece of good, strong 
oilcloth over the frames, and then filled phosphate 
sacks with chaff and straw, and packed it tightly on 
the oilcloth. I think now that I made a mistake in 
putting on that oilcloth. It prevented any upward 
ventilation, and allowed no escape of moisture—two 
things that are essential to the successful wintering of 
bees. The bees soon recognized the fact that “some 
one had blundered,” and so proceeded to correct the 
error by gnawing, or biting, or puncturing their way, 
not only up through the strong oilcloth, but also 
right on through the heavy bagging, thus reaching the 
chaff and straw, which proved a ready absorbent of 
their moisture, and gave them some ventilation also. 
Now these holes, many of them large enough to run 
my open hand through, were literally eaten through 
those two thicknesses of strong cloth, and it would 
seem to be about as difficult a job for the bee to gnaw 
his way through these tough cloths as it would be 
for him to puncture the thin skin of a ripe grape, or 
for a man to bite into a “whole large pumpkin.” It 
matters not just how the bee got through these cloths, 
whether by gnawing, or biting, or digging with his 
feet, or puncturing with a “soft, pliable proboscis," 
for by that same method, whatever it was, he could 
certainly open the thin skin of a ripe grape, and help 
himself to the sweets therein, without the aid of 
“some other insect.” 
I make no fling at scientific research, far from it, 
but I do say that theories are often very pretty things, 
and most elegantly beautified and embellished by 
their author’s own lively imaginations, but many a 
fine theory has “gone glimmering,” or been most ef 
fectively “put to sleep” by a heavy knockout blow 
from fact. a. r. Phillips. 
Ohio. 
B- N.-Y.—Prof. Slingerland has written a very in¬ 
teresting account of the experiments at Washington, 
with bees and grapes. We shall print it soon. 
RUBBERS ON A HORSE. 
Several years ago an old horse which had been in 
the family for many years, and a fine horse in her 
day, was given us to keep. After two years she be¬ 
came lame, and after successive attempts by the 
blacksmith to remedy matters, I decided to have the 
shoes taken off entirely. This was in Summer, and 
in a few weeks the lameness wore off, and the horse 
could trot quite well. I was constantly reminded 
that the shoes must be put on again, or the hoofs 
would become so broken as to make her useless, but 
I thought uest to let well enough alone, and she con¬ 
tinued barefooted for the rest of her life. When 
Winter came, and the ground was frozen and icy, I 
found that she could go without slipping, even when 
other horses had to be sharpened. But a day came 
when the roads were simply covered with a glare of 
ice, making it almost impossible for man or beast to 
stand, and yet it was absolutely necessary for me to 
go in the afternoon to the next town, a distance of 
three or four miles. Instead of the weather mod¬ 
erating toward noon, it grew even colder. There 
would be no use in trying to get sharpened shoes, for 
even could the horse stand to get to the shop, I 
should have to wait so long as to make my going use¬ 
less. 
As I meditated, the thought came to me to try mak¬ 
ing a pair of rubbers for the animal. No sooner said 
than done. A pair of old wornout rubbers were found, 
from which pieces were cut to cover the hoofs, turn¬ 
ing up a bit at the sides, and these I tacked on with 
ordinary carpet tacks, and off we went, tne envy of 
several friends whom I met, who wondered how I 
could have got the horse sharpened. These impro¬ 
vised rubbers lasted until we had got nearly home 
again, one giving out about five minutes before, but 
not so entirely as to be useless. It still kept her from 
slipping, and had the rubber been heavier, like men’s 
rubber boots, would have lasted for many miles more. 
This may remind some of your readers of the straw 
shoes worn by the horse in Japan. When going for a 
distance in that country a supply of these straw 
shoes is carried, the wornout one being thrown away 
when another is on hand to replace it, a most con¬ 
venient method of shoeing, but one that would 
hardly be of use in our country in Winter. 
m. c. MEAD. 
AN INSECT THAT KNOWS BEANS. 
I enclose a few beans, which are infested with a small 
white worm. The worm has left some of the beans as a 
small black bug. We have three bushels of beans. Can 
you tell me any way to separate these Infested beans from 
the sound ones, besides hand-picking, which is too slow? 
We tried putting in hot and cold water, but those with 
worms in do not float. Can you tell me the name of the 
bug or worm, and when it enters the beans, which I sup¬ 
pose is through the blossom? j. r. 
Desplaines, Ill. 
< 
The beans sent by J. R. were badly infested with 
the common Bean weevil (Bruchus obtectus). This 
insect is the most formidable enemy to the culture of 
beans in the United States, as well as in many other 
countries. In the nature of its work it differs from 
its first cousin, the Pea weevil, in that it not only 
oviposits and develops in the pods in the field, but 
continues to breed for successive generations in the 
WORK OF THE BUSY BEES. Fig. 14. 
seed after harvest and storage, until the seed is use¬ 
less for planting, or as food for men or stock. The 
Pea weevil is considerably larger; only one beetle 
develops in a pea, and it does not breed in the 
stored seeds. The Bean weevil is a small beetle, 
about one-eighth of an inch long. Its wing covers 
present a mottled appearance. Its distribution is now 
world-wide, and it is a serious pest in nearly every 
State and Territory in the Union. In the field the 
beetles lay their eggs inside the bean pod, through a 
hole made by the jaws of the female, or through 
other openings, such as are caused by the drying and 
splitting of a pod. Most of the eggs are not laid 
until the pods are well formed. In shelled beans, the 
eggs are dropped loosely among the beans. When 
first hatched the grub has long, ungainly legs, with 
which it makes its way to the nearest bean. It soon 
gnaws its way into the bean, where it sheds its skin 
and loses its legs. The grubs continue to feed inside 
the beans, and when full-grown transform to a pupa, 
from which the adult insect or beetle emerges through 
a round opening in the shell of the bean. The entire 
life-cycle of the Bean weevil may be passed in 
shelled beans, in from 21 to 80 days, according to 
season and locality. Unlike the Pea weevil, a large 
number of Bean weevils may develop in a bean, as 
many as 28 having been found within a single seed. 
It will thus readily be seen that the first outdoor gen¬ 
eration, or any single indoor generation, is capable of 
exhausting seed and completely ruining it for food 
or planting, or any other practical purpose except, 
perhaps, as hog or chicken feed. The insect prefers 
the bean as a host plant. It will also breed in cow 
peas in the field as well as in storage, and, in con¬ 
finement, the insect will develop in dry peas, lentils, 
and chick peas. It was formerly thought that these 
weevils carefully abstained from feeding upon the 
germ in the seed, but it has been proved, experiment¬ 
ally, that germination is much interfered with, and 
that weeviled Deans should not be planted, as many 
of them will not germinate, and those that do will 
produce plants of much lower vigor and productive¬ 
ness. 
No efficient means are known for the protection of 
the attacks of the bean weevil in the field. Our chief 
reliance, therefore, must be placed upon the thorough 
destruction of the insects in the dried seed. From 
the fact that the Bean weevil continues to breed for 
upwards of a year in dried seed, it is obvious that 
neither the expedient of holding over seed for a year 
before planting, nor that of planting late for seed 
stock, would be productive of good, as in the case of 
the Pea weevil. Recourse, therefore, must be had to 
fumigation with carbon bisulphide or to heat, and the 
earlier the seed is dried after it has been gathered, 
the better the result. Place infested seeds in a 
tight box, and apply the bisulphide on top of the seeds 
at the rate of one or two ounces to each 100 pounds 
of seed. It is said that a temperature of 145 degrees 
Fahrenheit will also kill the insects in seed without 
injury to the germinative property of the seed. A 
similar remedy consists in soaking infested seeds for 
one minute in boiling water. Sometimes badly-in¬ 
fested seeds will float when thrown in the water, but 
this method cannot be depended upon to separate out 
all infested seeds. If the correspondent will add a 
little salt to the water, it is possible in this way he 
may be able to differentiate between the specific 
gravities of infested and sound beans. Put a hand¬ 
ful or two of the beans into a vessel of water, and 
gradually stir in small quantities of salt, and it ib 
possible that the infested seeds may have a different 
specific gravity, which will be brought out by the salt 
water. m. v. slingerland. 
HOW ABOUT THE SNEED PEACH? 
Two years ago we planted 500 Sneed peach trees; they 
were then recommended as a profitable early peach for 
market. Since then we have learned that they are not 
considered valuable by some. We are Informed that one 
large grower had his trees of this variety limb-budded 
with other varieties last August. Will some one who 
has fruited the Sneed tells us about its merits and de¬ 
merits? G. p. p. 
Connecticut. 
We have 2,000 Sneed peach trees in our orchard at 
Southern Pines, Moore Co., N. C., planted in the 
Spring of 1896. In 1898 they bore quite a good crop 
for their age, producing about 500 crates, the greater 
portion of which were shipped to New York City and 
Philadelphia, and sold for from $2 to $3 per crate of 
40 pounds. A portion was sold in local markets in 
various towns in our State, and brought good prices. 
Being the earliest peach by eight or 10 days, is the 
great point in its favor. It is rather tender, a semi- 
cling, ripens to the seed better than old Alexander. 
Gathered before fully ripe, as we have to do to get it 
to market where it takes 36 or 40 hours, it is not a 
very good peach; but if allowed to remain on the tree 
until ripe, then get in the market in 10 or 15 hours, 
it will give much better satisfaction. When it ripens 
on the tree it is a fine size, a good peach, and when 
placed on the market in that condition it brings 
fancy prices, but has to be sold quickly on near-by 
market for best results. As a family peach, it gives 
entire satisfaction, so prolific, so early, and so good 
in quality; but, as I have said above, it is rather 
tender for distant markets. Last season our peach 
crop was an entire failure at Southern Pines, but our 
orchard is in fine cultivation, and we are sure of 
making money out of our Sneed peaches. We aim to 
ripen them on the tree, then gather and wrap them 
in tissue paper, crate, and put them on both local and 
northern markets. Judging from the past, we shall 
get fancy prices for them; but I cannot advise plant¬ 
ing this peach largely for distant markets. We also 
have 2,000 trees of Greensboro in the same orchard, 
and of the same age. It ripens with Alexander, is 
large and fine, and about such a shipper as Early 
Rivers. We got fancy prices for it on both local and 
northern markets. _j. van lindley. 
Apple Virginia Beauty.— In further answer to G. C. E., 
Marbleton, Tenn., I would like to suggest Virginia Beauty 
as a suitable apple for him. Here on the Blue Ridge r in 
western North Carolina, it is one of the best, certainly 
the best quality of any commonly grown here and of fine 
color and size; in shape like Cooper’s Market, and of a 
bright red color. It’s everybody’s favorite for eating, 
but as I heard it said yesterday, it will not stand but one 
freezing, while Limbertwig and Ben Davis will stand two. 
Nor does it stand hauling 20 or 30 miles, tumbled loosely 
into boxes, as well as some other varieties, but if G. C. B. 
intends treating it better than a rock I believe that it 
would be it good apple for him on the higher lands. 
Watauga Co., N. C. p. M . 
