738 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 
an hour, and has made one trip of 20 miles in a day 
this Fall. 
The boys have broken a two-year-old this Summer 
to drive lo the cart, and it Is hard tellin* which 
learned the more, the boys or the pony. I also have 
learned a few things about ponies and some about 
men also. I have found that some of the mares are 
non-breeders, and also that it is well to have a cer¬ 
tificate of registry come with the pony, or he may 
grow, and grow, and grow, until he is just an under¬ 
sized little horse, too small for a horse and too big 
for a pony. Dealers in this class hurt the sale of real 
ponies, because they offer their stock at low prices, 
and cause aissatisfaction among those who buy. 
J. GRANT MORSE. 
THE " HICKORY HORNED DEVIL” 
I found the large worm I send you in my yard, crawl¬ 
ing on the ground. Will you Inform me as to its name 
and nature? Upon what does It feed? Does It ever dam¬ 
age trees or plants? c. s. d. 
Barnesboro, N. J. 
The “large worm’’ proved to be rather a “rare bird’’ 
among the caterpillars. It seemed willing to pose for 
its photo, and I think many readers of The R. N.-Y. 
will be interested in the result, as shown in Fig. 334. 
Is it not a formidable looking creature? And yet it 
is perfectly harmless to man, but it can eat a large 
number of leaves of various trees and shrubs, its fa¬ 
vorite food being hickory and walnut. However, it 
has so many enemies among the parasitic Insects and 
the various insect diseases that it rarely multiplies 
in sufficient numbers in any locality to be considered 
a pest; it usually only defoliates a shrub or small tree . 
here and there. The general color of this frightful 
caterpillar is light green, with the black and white 
spots shown in the figure; the long horns are brown 
tipped with black. C. tJ. D.’s caterpillar was full- 
grown, and would have soon burrowed into the ground 
and in a few days transformed into a brown, lifeless- 
looking object called the pupa stage. This pupa 
would have wintered over, and some time in June next 
one of the most magnificent of our moths would have 
emerged. This moth has a wing expanse of five to 
six inches. Its front wings are of an olive-gray color, 
adorned with several yellow spots, and veined with 
broad red lines; the hind wings are orange-red with 
large patches of yellow. This truly regal insect was 
aptly named the “Regal^ moth” (Citheronia regalis). 
But its ferocious-looking caterpillar is popularly 
known by the expressive name of “Hickory horned 
devil.” It is a “rare bird” in New York, but more 
common southward and eastward. 
M. V. SLINQERLAND. 
NEW MARKET FOR APPLES. 
There are some faint-hearted people yet who do not 
understand what can be done by an organization like 
the American Apple Consumers’ League. We wish to 
call their attention to the following letter from the 
proprietor of Dorlon’s Restaurant in this city: 
“I have been told that my father once ate 18 apples 
in a day. Hence my daily average of three or four is 
not too much, if there is anything in heredity. I have 
been in the restaurant business over 26 years, and 
never (strange as it may seem) sold an apple on my 
tables until about two years ago, when I commenced 
to read The R. N.-Y., and was particularly attracted 
by your articles on apples. A friend of mine, a clergy¬ 
man, said to me at that time: ‘Why can’t I get some 
apple sauce here?’ The R. N.-Y. and the clergyman 
decided the question. I told the steward to buy a 
barrel of apples, and I have never been without them 
since, and I made my friend a member of the Baked 
Apple and Apple Sauce Association. 
“I have great difficulty in buying the kind of apples 
I want. Except the Long Island Newtown Pippins, 
which we have great difficulty in getting, the Spitzen- 
burg, I think, is the best for baking; the Rhode Isl¬ 
and Greening, the best for cooking and apple sauce. 
(Oh, how good it is!) I think packing in boxes is a 
very great improvement on barrels, and while the 
cost is a little more the waste is less. For my table 
I must have quality and uniformity. I can afford to 
pay a good price, for I gel 15 cents for two baked 
apples and a pitcher of cream, and my customers pay 
it willingly, in competition with a Ben Davis at 10 
cents for two great big apples. When people do make 
a comparison I simply tell them that I pay $7 a bar¬ 
rel, and can buy the Ben Davis for $3. Of course, up 
to this time it has not become a very large part of 
the business, but it certainly is increasing. I think 
we use for baking and eating raw about a barrel a 
week, and for sauce and stewing another barrel. 1 
expect this Winter to use more. I am using now for 
eating apples, what is called a Spitz, for which I am 
paying 15 cents a dozen. Go ahead, brother, give us 
a good flavored apple, uniform in size, and convenient 
packages, and you will have done more for pros¬ 
perity than many men with their millions.” 
W. H. CAPEN. 
There I« only one inetance of what a few words will 
do, yet it means 108 barrels a year extra. Not only 
that, but every dish of those fine baked apples is an 
educator. People eat them, and then go to other res¬ 
taurants, or go home, and demand the same quality. 
All this surely increases ihe trade in fine fruit. It is 
only a hint at what may be accomplished if those who 
are interested will only make apple eating popular. 
We must educate those who live in town and city to 
eat apples as freely as the fruit is eaten in the farm¬ 
er’s own family. The way to do this is to talk it up, 
and thus create the impression that apple eating is 
fashionable. In the southeastern corner of New York 
State there are nearly 5,000,000 people, most of whom 
do not know a good apple when they see it. 
DEER VS. FARMERS IN VERMONT. 
Which Does the State Prefer ? 
The R. N.-Y. feels somewhat responsible for the 
following case. Several years ago we were asked for 
an opinion regarding the chances for apple growing 
in Vermont. We collected the best information we 
could find regarding markets, varieties and culture. 
The inquirer went ahead with his orchard, but now 
it seems that a new enemy appears upon the scene— 
one that cannot be fought successfully wMth spray 
pump or gun! 
Deer Worse than San Jose Scale. 
I have purchased a farm about one-eighth mile 
from quite a village, and directly on a stage road. I 
purchased it for the purpose of raising fruit, particu¬ 
larly apples, plums and cherries. I supposed all I 
THE WELL-NAMED HICKORY HORNED DEVIL. Fie. 334. 
would have to fight would be bugs, weeds and such 
vermin. I set out a lot of trees two years ago. Last 
year they grew finely, and put on nice tops. This year 
the deer came in in droves when the new growth had 
pushed out about a foot, young and tender, and liter¬ 
ally cleaned it up. I then tied some colored cloths 
to the trees, and that kept them off until now. Now 
they are eating last year’s and this year’s growth, 
and I expect next they will bark the trunks. There 
is a good chance for fruit growing here; the quality 
is of the best, and the market close by. I wrote the 
Fish and Game League, an association run in the 
interests of the railroads and sportsmen, and they 
replied that they would prosecute me if I touched one 
of their deer out of season. The “season” is one male 
deer to each hunter in the last 10 days of October. 
This is not an isolated case, but is happening all over 
this part of the State (Windsor Co.). Only the old 
timers know enough not to try to raise fruit trees. 
They eat one’s corn, turnips, beans and lodge down 
the farmer’s clover. They eat all the apples they can 
reach, and they can stand on their hind legs and 
reach 10 feet, as I have seen them do while sitting 
on my front porch. As a deer preserve Vermont is 
becoming a grand success, but an enterprising farmer 
would better keep away. Now I cannot protect my 
crops without calling down all the powers of the 
State on my head. frank Howard. 
The Vermont Law Expounded. 
That is what we call pretty dear experience. Mr. 
Howard wrote to the Fish and Game Commissioner 
of Vermont, and received the following enlightening 
letter. The man who would not write forcibly when 
he saw his trees being pruned in this way has no 
business ever to raisq an apple: 
"I am not much of a farmer, but supposed that if 
the country yeu named was good for farming and 
especially for fruit growing, it would not be allowed 
to go to waste. Of course, one must adjust himself 
to the conditions and laws of the State, both natural 
and legislative. The last paragraph of your letter, 
while not explicitly so stating, intimates that the 
deer law is not favorable for your business, and, 
therefore, you propose to get rid of the deer. Before 
reading that paragraph, your letter intimated too 
much common sense to make any threats. I have 
no doubt that the deer damaged your crops, and that 
it will not be a favorable place for raising fruit in 
the vicinity where you have set out your trees. The 
Vermont Legislature is supposed to represent the will 
of the majority of the people. To violate one of the 
acts of the Legislature because you disapprove of it 
is not good citizenship. I, of course, so far as I am 
concerned must see that you do not violate the law 
protecting deer, and if you do violate it must see that 
you are prosecuted. I suggest that the better way 
is to be a law-abiding citizen, and if your crops have 
been damaged appeal to the Legislature to reimburse 
you.” JOHN W. TITCOMR. 
The Facts in the Case. 
We have been at pains to investigate this matter. 
Our reports show that deer certainly do considerable 
damage—especially in the hill towns in the northeast 
part of the State. In the thickly settled parts little 
if any damage is reported. The majority of those 
who have ritten us do not think the present fish and 
game laws of Vermont are fair or helpful. One man 
writes that the greatest nuisance comes from the 
danger of being shot by the hunters in the open sea¬ 
son. Cows and other stock, and even children, have 
been hurt in this way. The following statement is 
sent us from Rutland County: 
“Deer and other game do no perceptible damage to 
crops in this part of the valley of the Otter Creek, 
which is at the western base of the Green Mountains. 
I am informed, however, that deer do destroy crops 
on the heights, where there are smaller cleared lands 
adjoining dense forests, and the owners of such tilled 
lands do complain bitterly of their depredations. No 
other game is complained of. There is no particular 
increase of any game except deer, and I think fish is 
even more scarce since the fish and game laws were 
enacted than before. The law operates like the pro¬ 
hibitory liquor law, which makes every boy and young 
man want whisky. Every man or boy who ever 
handles rod or gun goes as wild as the game when 
the open season commences.” 
On the other hand, a good farmer well acquainted 
with the central part of the State, says: 
“Some farmers kick about the deer because it is an 
easy thing to kick about. The Potato rot has done 
something over $100,000 damage this year, most of 
which might have been prevented without any change 
in the game laws. But most of the farmers prefer 
to let the QuacK grass and rot fight it out in the 
potato patch. It is easier. They don’t kick about 
that, because they can’t blame anybody else. The deer 
will not do one five-hundredth the damage this year 
that the Potato rot does. Further than this it seems 
to me that the agitation for a change in game laws 
is largely a waste of energy, simply because the pres¬ 
ent game law is practically a dead letter as regards 
deer. A farmer can go and shoot all the deer he wants 
to, and there isn’t a police officer in the State who can 
get a case against him. What sort of a game law 
would help keep the deer out of the farmer’s orchard?” 
SOME NOTES FROM OHIO. 
There is practically no clover seed grown in this 
county, and I might say the whole Western Reserve. 
Cow peas are gaining in favor every year. In 1895 I 
was the first to try them, and now they are to be seen 
on nearly half the farms. The large firm of Storrs & 
Harrison Company plowed under 60 acres of them last 
year, and I notice many other smaller nurseries are 
using them also. They had never used any, but had 
tried Crimson clover with only partial success, and 
were using millet largely to plow under. Now the 
cow peas have taken its place. I am interested in the 
articles on chemicals and clover in The R. N.-Y. Crim¬ 
son clover, though, is a most uncertain crop, although 
I have never sown it in corn as described. I think if 
we were sure of good northern-grown seed perhaps 
our efforts would be more successful. This section is 
largely devoted to onions, grapes and this year an 
immense peach crop; the first to amount to anything, 
as there have been many peach orchards set along the 
lake in Lake County. Last week we got off the last 
of 2,500 bushels. I doubt whether there will be many 
set next year, as the prices have been so extremely 
low, and many orchards proved to be untrue to name. 
Quite a number of farmers bought of an Ohio nur¬ 
sery and orchard company exposed in The R. N.-Y. 
They are surely very unreliable. I could furnish any 
amount of evidence against them. It’s a pity grow¬ 
ers can’t get some satisfactory damages from nursery¬ 
men. When one buys from 1,000 to 2,000 trees for the 
best yellow stock, and after four or five years of care 
and tending finds that they are 95 per cent white ones, 
with 50 per cent of those a miserable cling at that, 
it is enough to fill one with murderous feelings. In a 
block of trees If a few should be off in name it is 
overlooked, but to have them all like these it is 
clearly fraud and intentional. L. w. k. 
North Madison, 0. 
