1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7c5 
An Insect in Blackberry Canes. 
A. H. R., Denver, Col.—I send two sections of blackberry canes 
taken from just below the surface of the ground. Each section 
contains a grub of some kind, which is, I fear, likely to be de¬ 
structive to our next year’s crop. The grub is found generally 
in the cane which has fruited this year. It bores into the cane 
two or three inches above the soil, goes down just beneath 
the surface, and appears to stay there at the top of the root. I 
also find on the side of some of the young canes, a series of needle- 
like holes, one above the other in a straight line, and each hole 
contains a yellow, glossy-looking egg about 3-16 inch long, and 
slightly bent or curved. How does this grub propagate, and how 
can I destroy it ? It would not be practicable to cut out the in- 
ftsted canes, as it is almost always in the root, and is discovered 
by cutting out the old canes, or rather the hole through which 
it worked its way downward is seen in the butt of the old cane. 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
Apparently, the large grubs found by A. H. It. in 
his blackberry canes, are the caterpillars of a pretty, 
clear-winged moth known as Bembecia marginata. 
The caterpillar hatches from an egg deposited by the 
moth upon the cane, a few inches above the soil sur¬ 
face. The larva, after hatching, eats into the center 
of the stalk, where it devours the pith, working down¬ 
ward toward the root. It spends the Winter in the 
root, feeding upon its substance, and in Spring, works 
upward again, generally in another cane than the 
one in which it descended. A few inches above the 
ground, it gnaws almost through the stem wall, leav¬ 
ing a thin outer membrane intact. It then pupates 
inside the cane, near the partial opening. A short 
time later, the pupa wriggles through the hole, burst¬ 
ing the outer membrane, and stops when about half 
way out. Then the skin splits open and the moth 
comes forth. Canes attacked by these borers often 
wither and die, and the injury is sometimes attributed 
to winterkilling. No other remedy than that of 
cutting out the caterpillars, or pulling up and burn¬ 
ing the infested canes, has yet been discovered. For¬ 
tunately, this insect is rarely sufficiently numerous 
to do serious injury. It occurs in wild as well as in 
cultivated varieties of blackberries and raspberries. 
The needle-like holes in a straight line in the canes, 
each of which contains an egg, are the work of one of 
the Snowy tree crickets. The female cricket lays her 
eggs in this manner, making a ragged slit in the 
cane which sometimes injures the cane severely. This 
is all the injury which the cricket does to the cane, 
as the young crickets feed upon other insects like 
plant-lice. The only remedy is to cut out and burn 
the canes containing these ragged slits of egg 
punctures. 
Insects in Stored Grain. 
K. A. yV., Albion, Pa .—On going to my wheat bin, I find a black 
miller encircled with a white ring midway of its body. On top of 
the wheat, is a small web attached to a dozen kernels of wheat 
containing the miller in-worm form. Deeper in the bin, I find a 
white worm three-fourths inch long, with a black head. The 
wheat is eaten as badly as mice would do. What is the cause, 
and what can I do ? 
Ans.—I do not recognize the insect described by K. 
A. W., but it is, probably, one of the common pests 
which often infest stored grain. Tf the bin can 
be made practically air-tight by blankets or other¬ 
wise, then simply pour carbon bisulphide on to the 
grain in the bin ; use it at the rate of one pound to 
each ton of grain. After applying the liquid, close 
the bin quickly, and make it tight. Leave for an 
hour or more before opening. The fumes from this 
liquid are explosive, hence it should be handled like 
gunpowder. m. y. s. 
Fungous Disease on Gooseberries. 
C. II. G., Peacham, Vt .—What alls my Red Jacket gooseberries ? 
Last year, the plants grew well, and I took off a large number of 
new plants. This year, the leaves began to turn yellow in June, 
and the plants have been wholly bare since July. The plants 
were set in new land, and the ground was well manured. The 
land is good upland loam. Some of the leaves are inclosed. 
Ans.—T he leaves sent showed that the foliage of 
the gooseberry bushes had been seriously affected by 
one of the leaf-spot fungous diseases which attack 
both currants and gooseberries. These fungi produce 
small brownish spots, at first often no larger than a 
pin head, but gradually increasing in size until a con¬ 
siderable proportion of the leaf surface is affected. 
Sometimes several spots may run together, forming a 
large blotch ; these blotches, as well as the older 
spots, are often of a dead gray color. When the leaves 
are badly attacked, they fall prematurely, so that 
the bushes may become as bare in August as they 
ordinarily are in December. Of course, the effect 
upon the plants of such a loss of foliage is disastrous. 
If a heavy crop is already hanging, the plant may 
be unable to ripen it; and, in any case, it has no 
opportunity to store up vitality for the coming sea¬ 
son’s fruitage. 
Apparently, the life histories of these leaf-spot fungi 
have not been definitely worked out. The spores of 
the fungi apparently pass the Winter in connection 
with the fallen leaves. Hence the gathering and 
burning of the leaves will, doubtless, prove helpful in 
controlling the disease. The best results, however, 
will, probably, be obtained by spraying the bushes 
with Bordeaux Mixture. Make the first application 
early in the Spring, just as the leaf buds are open¬ 
ing. Repeat the treatment again as soon as the 
leaves get unfolded and, when the disease is very bad, 
a third spraying before the fruit gets half grown, may 
be necessary. Two or three applications of the Bor¬ 
deaux early in the season before the fruit gets too 
large will certainly largely check these leaf-spots, 
and preserve the foliage on the bushes until it drops 
naturally in the Autumn. m. v. s. 
Values of Different Foods ; Hen Questions. 
M. 0. R., Albion, Mich. —We say that bran has a feeding value 
of $13 per ton. Can you give, in dollars and cents, the feeding 
value of a given quantity of wheat, corn, or oats ? What is the 
feeding value of sorghum seed ? What is your method of apply¬ 
ing insect powder to poultry? How often is it applied? Are 
manufacturers of animal meal required to guarantee its quality? 
If not, how are purchasers to know its value? 
Ans. —We must understand that all feeding values 
are comparative. For example, we can hardly fix 
upon a standard value for the substance known as 
protein or muscle-makers in animal food. We all know 
that corn meal will not exactly take the place of bran. 
Bran, although nearly of the same composition, will 
not take the place of oats, and so on. A fair com¬ 
parison of values would, probably, run about as fol¬ 
lows : Good wheat bran, 102; whole wheat, 105; 
whole corn, 115; oats, 98; sorghum seed, 90. Of 
course, you will understand that these figures simply 
mean a fair comparison of the crude forms of animal 
food contained in this substance. In feeding poultry, 
we have always given a high value to bran, and always 
use it in making up the mash or soft food, because it 
gives bulk to the mash, and dries it out so that the 
hen may eat it readily. In dusting hens with insect 
powder, we simply take them by the legs with the 
heads down, and dust and rub the powder all through 
the feathers, chiefly under the wings and at the back. 
We have found that, by keeping the house well 
sprayed with kerosene, and giving the hens a good 
dry dust bath, we do not need to powder them oftener 
than twice during the season. Some of the larger hen 
men put the bird into a revolving box or barrel con¬ 
taining a quantity of the powder, and turn the whole 
thing over several times on the principle of a revolv¬ 
ing churn. This mixes the powder well through the 
hen’s feathers, and after she shakes herself, most of 
the powder is left in the box. The manufacturers of 
animal meal are not required to guarantee their prod¬ 
uct, except in States like Maine, where special laws 
govern this matter. It would, probably, be difficult 
to give an exact guaranteed analysis of this meat, as 
it is bound to vary within certain limits. 
Garbage for Hog Food. 
L. F. 11., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. —I am thinking of contracting with 
the garbage gatherer of our city to supply me with garbage, with 
which I intend to feed my pigs. The garbage, gathered daily, is 
composed of refuse table matter. It can be purchased for 50 
cents per large, one-horse load. Is the price right ? Would there 
be any objection to feeding it in such quantities as would readily 
be eaten by the pigs ? 
Ans. —It would be difficult to give a fair value for 
such garbage, as it varies considerably, chiefly in the 
amount of water. Some investigations in New Jersey 
show the value of the plant food in the garbage in an 
ordinary family, consisting of one man, one woman 
and six children. In three weeks, the wastes from 
this family amounted to 95.96 pounds, of which 69.71 
pounds were vegetable matter. On this basis, a family 
of this size would provide a total of 1,663% pounds of 
garbage, of about the following composition : 77% per 
cent of water, 3 90 of fat, 0.67 of nitrogen, 0.84 phos¬ 
phoric acid, 0.47 potash. These figures are useful 
chiefly in indicating the immense waste that passes 
away in the garbage from town and city. 
As to the value of this waste for hog feeding, there 
seems to be quite a variety of opinions. It is not 
generally known that, every year, large numbers of 
hogs are driven to the shore in New Jersey to be 
boarded on swill from the large hotels. When these 
hotels close in the Fall, the hogs are driven back to 
the farm. It has been found that many of these swill- 
fed hogs die when brought back to the farm. Their 
death is thought to be due to the food that they re¬ 
ceive at the hotels. Good farmers have observed that, 
where the garbage is fed on the ground, so that the 
liquid soaks into the soil, there is little loss from 
feeding. Some farmers who haul garbage from the 
city or town, observing this, make a practice of draw¬ 
ing the plugs out of the wagons, when on the country 
roads, so that the liquids will drain away. The solids 
spread on the ground or on the floor, give fair results, 
but when the whole thing—liquids and solids—is fed 
in troughs, there is almost always disease and death. 
The fact seems to be established that the trouble 
comes from the dish-water. In some families, and 
especially in large hotels, great quantities of soap or 
washing powders are used in washing the dishes. 
This soapy liquid appears to be largely the cause of 
death among hogs, therefore the safest way to feed 
this garbage is to let the liquid drain away and feed 
only the solid portion. 
Probably 50 cents a large load would prove a fair 
price for the garbage. The best advice from those 
who have used this material, seems to be that only 
the solid portions should be used, and that a fair 
quantity of bran or corn meal should be mixed with 
it. Some feeders declare that it pays to drain off the 
liquids, and then thoroughly cook the solid portions 
before feeding to the hogs. But others claim that this 
involves too much work, and the best way to feed gar¬ 
bage is to throw it directly upon the platform or 
raised floor so that the liquid will drain at once into 
the soil, and leave the solid portions on top. We 
should judge from what feeders say, that it is a mis¬ 
take to feed garbage as the total food. 
Tapeworms in a Hen. 
Subscriber. —On page 686, a statement was made about a tape¬ 
worm found in a hen’s egg. Is it possible that such a thing could 
occur ? 
Ans. —So far as I know, there is nothing to prevent 
any organism, which might be able to enter the ovi¬ 
duct, becoming inclosed within the shell of a hen’s 
egg. I have never noticed the presence of anything 
other than blood clots, etc., except that white and 
shell are sometimes formed around an ordinary per¬ 
fect egg which takes the place o ? a yolk in the large 
egg. Tapeworms and other parasites I have often 
found in the intestines of hens, but never in the ovi¬ 
duct. I have seen the greater part of a tapeworm, 
probably three or four inches long, extruded from 
the anus of a pullet, and which afterward apparently 
worked back into the intestine. Whether it is pos¬ 
sible fora tapeworm which has passed into the cloaca 
from the intestine, to work its way up the oviduct, I 
do not know, but I think an active parasite might 
do SO. W. P. WHEELER. 
Geneva Experiment Station. 
Clover and Nitrogen Gathering. 
}V. C. B., Breckenridge, III. —Would soil gain any nitrogen from 
clover mown in September if not plowed until April following i 
By plowing in September, work would be advanced. Is there a 
limit to which clover will restore nitrogen to the soil ? 
Ans. —Yes, we are sure that clover grows more or 
less all through the Winter. Most of this growth is 
below ground. The roots of Crimson clover in par¬ 
ticular will make a very perceptible growth between 
November and March. Sod ground also retains and 
absorbs the nitrates which are formed in the soil dur¬ 
ing hot weather, and left unused by the Summer 
crops. A large part of the waste of nitrogen in drain¬ 
age waters occurs during October and November on 
bare ground. On our own light soil, we would not 
plow a good clover sod in the Fall. The authorities 
do not agree as to the limit to which clover will accu¬ 
mulate nitrogen. The matter has not been fully studied 
out, but on ordinary soils, we are not likely to overdo 
the matter of clover seeding. 
Propagating the Dwarf Juneberry. 
•I. W. N., Toccoa, Ca. —How can I propagate the Dwarf June¬ 
berry, and the common fig which grows in this part of the South ? 
I am told that both are easily multiplied from cuttings. If so, 
when shall I make them ? 
Ans. —The Juneberry is increased by using the 
sprouts, which form freely about the old plants ; it is 
also raised from seeds. The common fig is easily in¬ 
creased by layers, cuttings and suckers. Cuttings of 
the mature wood should be made in the Autumn, cut¬ 
ting just below the bud. They are usually handled 
like grape cuttings, though some prefer to place the 
cutting where the tree is to stand. Figs are also 
easily raised from seed ; the seed is washed out of the 
pulp, and sown in a frame, the seedlings showing in 
two or three weeks. 
Sulphate of Potash for Strawberries. 
H. T. A., New Jersey — Would an application of sulphate of 
potash this Fall benefit the strawberry crop next year ? What 
is the best way to apply it ? The land has been burned over 
for six or eight years, a heavy growth of weeds being consumed. 
Would that furnish enough potash ? The plants look satisfactory 
in every way. 
Ans. —On reasonably heavy land in fairly good con¬ 
dition, we doubt whether an application of sulphate 
of potash would pay. The ashes from burning a heavy 
crop of weeds, year after year, ought to provide pot¬ 
ash for a fair strawberry crop, and if the plants seem 
satisfactory now, we doubt whether the sulphate of 
potash would pay. It is difficult, however, to deter¬ 
mine this point, and the use of a few dollars’ worth 
of potash may make a great difference in the quality 
and firmness of the crop. If we were to use anything, 
we would certainly use the sulphate. Our plan would 
be to scatter it along the rows, and work it well in 
with a light tooth cultivator just before putting on 
the mulch for the Winter. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Best Early ami Late Peach.—C. W. C., Staunton, Va.—We 
would at present choose the Triumph for the best early, and 
Crawford’s Late for the best late peach. 
Cheat ami Wheat.—Cheat is as different from wheat as rye. 
They are generically and specifically different. Wheat is botan- 
ically Triticum vulgare, and Cheat is Bromus secalinus. Yes, 
Cheat will reproduce itself. 
Fertilizing Peaches.—A reader in Maryland has a peach or¬ 
chard, three years old this Fall. In the Spring of 1897 he turned 
under a crop of Crimson clover, and used 40 bushels per acre of 
lime. The trees have now made a good growth, and he wants to 
know if he should apply fertilizer next Spring. It is hard to 
advise in a case of this kind, without seeing the trees, but in a 
general way, we would advise the use of about this mixture: 
one part muriate of potash ; one part fine ground bone, and three 
parts dissolved phosphate rock. We would broadcast as much of 
this as we could afford, early in the Spring, and cultivate it well 
into the surface soil. 
