624 
SEPT. 20 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SHROPSHIRE RAM MARBLE CUTTER. 
A picture of this ram is shown at Fig. 270. Marble Cut¬ 
ter is considered a first-class type of what a good Shrop¬ 
shire should be. He was bred in England and is now 
owned by a member of the English Parliament, who paid 
$800 for him. Shropshire sheep are prime favorites with 
farmers who are in the business of growing early lambs 
for market. In spite of the good points claimed for other 
breeds, the “ Shrops ” still lead in numbers imported and 
sold. 
among their numbers. The Hymenoptera—bees, wasps, 
ants, etc.—have both beneficial species, as do also the two¬ 
winged flies or Diptera. Among both beetles and bugs we 
find valuable predaceous species, while almost all of the 
Neuroptera are of this character. If we except the Mantis 
family, all of the order, including locusts, grasshoppers, 
etc., are, like the Lepidoptera, plant-destroyers, and there¬ 
fore enemies rather than friends. I hope that in these 
papers I have introduced to our farmers their insect friends 
sufficiently to insure that the latter shall be recognized 
and befriended upon all occasions. a. j. cook. 
BENEFICIAL INSECTS. 
VIII. 
The seventh of the Linnoean orders of insects consists of 
the Lace-wings or Neuroptera. These are well named, as 
all thf-ir four wings are marked by very numerous cross 
veins, making them look like lace. The name Neuroptera 
—Nerve-winged—is appropriate for a like 
reason. This net or lace-like condition of 
all their four wing3 (see Fig. 271) makes it 
easy to identify the members of this order. 
They all are mandibulate, like the beetles; 
that is, they have biting mouth-parts. 
They differ in their transformations. The 
transformations of some are complete: of 
others incomplete. The former are known 
as Neuroptera proper; the latter as Pseudo- 
Neuroptera. 
The Lace-wings are peculiar in the fact 
that they are all predaceous, and so bene¬ 
ficial. The only exception of note is the 
family of White Ants—Termites. These 
destroy plants, furniture, buildings and 
books. One species of White Ants—Tennis 
flavipes—is found in the United States. 
I have known it to work on the roots of 
potted plants in greenhouses, to tunnel the 
floors and sleepers of houses, and thus un¬ 
dermine them. It is also a “ book-worm,” 
as it occasionally bores through a whole 
row of books. But if we except these Ter¬ 
mites, we may say that the Neuroptera are 
nearly all beneficial. The insects that be¬ 
long in this order are the dragon-flies or 
darning-needles, the day-flies or May flies— 
Ephemerids—the stone flies; the hellgra- 
mites, our largest and most terrible-looking 
insects ; and aphis, ant lions, etc. Most of 
these live during the larval period in the 
water, and as they serve as food for the fish, and consume 
the larvae of mosquitoes and other aquatic forms, we 
can hardly class them as useful only in the predaceous 
sense, for they are even more so by furnishing food for 
the fish that are to grace our tables. Some have a 
double use, piscatorially considered, since we use them 
for bait for the capture of the fish, which have pre¬ 
viously fattened on them. There are two families of 
Neuroptera, which are especially beneficial as predaceous 
insects the mature dragon-flies and the larval aphis and 
ant lions. 
The Dragon Files. 
Every one knows the fierce, savage, predaceous dragon¬ 
flies or devil’s darning-needles (Fig. 271). We were told, 
when children, that these would sew up our ears. Hippy 
the boy, who, like the writer, had a mother who knew 
better, and told him that such stories were all nonsense. 
The larvae of these dragon-flies are aquatic, very fierce 
and strong, with great toothed jaws ; indeed they are the 
terrors of the pond. They are a sort of aquatic middlemen; 
they eat up the less fierce of the aquatic animals, and in 
turn are eaten up by the hungry fish. The mature dragon¬ 
flies or spindles are very quick, graceful flyers, and devour 
many of our insect pests. In the South they are known as 
bee-hawks, as they do not except the honey bee in their 
marauding expeditions. They do so much damage that 
boys are employed with whips to lash and kill them ; yet 
they as well as the mantis, the robber files and the bee¬ 
killing bugs, do more good, I think, than harm, and they 
are usually worthy of protection, and should be exempt 
from fright or slaughter. 
The Aphis Lions. 
The aphis lions are predaceous larvm of beautiful green 
lace-wing flies—Chrysopa—(Fig. 272). These handsome, 
delicate lace wings are very common in all the United 
States. They lay their eggs on twigs, leaves and even 
fruits. I have found them appended to cherries and apples, 
to which they attach themselves by means of long hairs 
(Fig. 272). The eggs are laid in the midst of colonies of 
plant-lice, on which the larvae feed as soon as they come 
from the eggs. Hence the name of aphis lion is no mis¬ 
nomer. The larva has strong, sharp jaws and is con¬ 
stantly hungry, if we may judge from its habits. It 
manages to suck all the blood of an astonishing number 
of plant-lice in a day. Indeed, it ranks with the Braconids, 
the Chalcid flies, the Syrphus flies and the Lady-bird 
beetles as an enemy of the plant-lice. In destroying the 
latter it grasps them one by one with its jaws, and seems 
able to hold them and suck them dry at the same time. 
The ant lions belong to the same family as do the aphis 
lions, which they strongly resemble; but their habits are 
different. They dig a large funnel in the light sand, and 
bury themselves at its apex, with only their large jaws ex¬ 
posed. When an insect—ant, caterpillar, etc —passes over 
the edge of this dead-fall, the falling sand warns the ant 
lion at the bottom, and at once it commences to hurl out 
the sand, which is almost sure to bring the luckless insect 
to the bottom of the funnel, and into the jaws of its ene¬ 
my. In this way these cunning trappers capture and de¬ 
vour large numbers of our worst insect pests. 
Thus we see that all orders of insects, except the butter¬ 
flies and moths, have parasitic or predaceous members 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
Industrious Iowa. —The Blue Grass Palace Exposition 
now going on at Creston, shows splendid products from all 
over southwest Iowa; and I predict that the Corn Palace 
at Sioux City, the Coal Palace of Ottumwa, and the Flax 
• V ry '*<V 
SHROPSHIRE RAM MARBLE CUTTER. Fig. 270. 
Palace of Forest City will show good exhibits of grains, 
fruits and garden vegetables. The wonderful drought- 
enduring capacity of our soil is not well understood, and 
many feared a total failure of crops, but wheat is as good 
as usual. Oats turn out 30 to 50 bushels per acre, and corn 
is a fair crop ; not so good as an average, but many fields 
will yield 60 bushels and over per acre, while few will fall 
below 30. Iowa will raise a surplus this year, and has 
never failed to do so since it was settled. Last year the 
State raised about one seventh of all the corn grown in the 
as 
The Dragon Fly. Fig. 27 1. 
1-nited States, and I predict that this year we will raise 
a greater proportion of a much smaller yield, and, except for 
the shipping demand, prices would rule very low here. 
Taylor County, la. GEORGE V. IIOUTEN. 
Corn in Denmark. —Maize has gone up in price 
every one seems to be using it as feed for horses and pigs 
I paid $1.06 for 100 pounds, and now it stands at $1.15. 
Nysted, Denmark. n. moulton. 
Breeding ^ oung Sows. —I have found it very unsatis 
factory to breed sows before they are eight months old. 
would be better if they were 10 or 12 months. One will 
realize more from them by waiting until they are that age. 
A sow hred when she is six months old stops growing. She 
does not start agaiu until she has farrowed and weaned 
her pigs. L had six very line youag sows ; two of them 
It 
Chrysopa Fly and Eggs. Fig. 272. 
were bred to farrow when 14 months old and four others 
when 9 and 10 months ; the two older ones gave me 12 fine 
pigs and the four young ones gave 11, all told. The older 
sows are large animals, weighing 400 pounds each, while 
the younger ones will not weigh over 250 pounds apiece, 
and will never be as large as if they had been bred to far¬ 
row three or four months later. One should not be in a 
hurry to breed young sows ; it is better to wait awhile as 
the results will be better. p, g, 
Warsaw, Missouri. 
Louisiana Notes.— Sugar cane, one of our most profit¬ 
able crops, yields 16 to 20 tons per acre aud sells for $4 per 
ton. The members of an Iowa colony, the majority of 
whom were old persons, came here to escape the cold winters 
of the Northwest—perhaps the best indication I can give 
in regard to the health of our prairie. There have not 
been more than 15 deaths in a population of 1,000 persons 
in six years, and several of those that have occurred were 
due to old chronic diseases. Land is cheap and the soil 
easily worked. We have excellent soft-water wells from 
16 to 20 feet deep, and a delightful breeze from the Gulf. 
There is not a healthier place in Uncle Sam’s broad 
dominion. r. r. s. 
Calsasieu Parish, La. 
Farmers to the Front. —The cartoon on page 559 is so 
suggestive of the victory we have just wou that I would 
like about one dozen papers for distribution, after which I 
will try to get up a club. We have won a “Waterloo” 
both in caucus and convention ; the ring which has held 
sway 20 years and is known both in State and national 
affairs as one of the most powerful of 
political machines, has been completely 
routed. We have nominated for member 
of Assembly Mr. W. C. Gifford, a farmer, 
and master of the N, Y. State Grange. It 
was claimed that five dollars apiece were 
paid for single votes at the caucuses. Money 
was as free as water. It was stated that 
that there was $10,000 against us in the 
convention if the politicians could have 
found a place to use it. With a very few 
exceptions the people were represented by 
the honest fl^rmers, and the politicians car¬ 
ried most of their boodle home. L. D G. 
Stedman, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—Good! Now elect him! 
A ‘‘Temperance Beer.”—I nTnE Rural 
of September 6th is an article on the con¬ 
sumption of beer by farm hands in the hay 
fields, and a good remedy for this necessary 
evil is asked. The following recipe for a 
temperance beer is obtained from an Eng¬ 
lish farmer, who has this beer brewed 
twice every year, under the direction of 
his good wife. It is refreshing, invigorat¬ 
ing, and an unequaled substitute for the 
rum fiend. One half pound of hops; nine 
gallons of water; 12 pounds of sugar; nine 
pounds of molasses, and a small quantity 
of yeast. Boil the hops in nine gallons of 
water, and add the sugar, etc. Set with 
yeast, and skim occasionally. A little 
whisky added afterward will make it very clear, and im¬ 
part a tone to it, aud make it keep better. To appreciate 
this fine beer it should be kept 12 months before it is used. 
AN ENGLISHMAN. 
R.N.-Y.—Leave out the whisky and the hops and add a 
little ginger, aud you have “switchell,” which we used to 
drink in the hay-field. With this temperance drink we 
did just as much work as the people who drank their fill 
of hard cider and beer. Farm workmen have no use for 
whisky or malt liquors, “Rum in the hay-field, hole in 
the home.” “ Big stomach, small head.” 
Watering Milk.—T here is nodoubtin my mind that the 
addition of pure cold water to fresh milk, delays putre¬ 
factive changes ; or, in other words, makes the milk keep 
sweet longer than it would otherwise do. To illustrate : 
25 or 30 years ago, when the subject of pure milk had not 
been discussed so much as of late years, in a dairying dis¬ 
trict in which I then resided, it was a prevailing belief 
that milk to which water had been added would keep 
sweet in hot, muggy weather, while without the water, it 
would turn sour. And I remember distinctly one mau 
affirming that when he made the mixture two-thirds milk 
and one-third water, it gave good satisfaction to the city 
retailer, but with less water the milk would not keep. To 
be sure, the sweet watered milk was better than musty 
milk without water, but we now know that by entire 
cleanliness, milk can be preserved so that it will keep a 
reasonable time. The great objection to watering milk is, 
that it is thereby so diluted that it fails to sustain the 
lives of the numerous infants, who in cities and towns 
depend upon milk almost entirely for food. 
In reference to the “ germs ” which water may convey to 
milk, and in answer to questions on page 5S6 of The 
Rural New-Yorker, I would say; l. That there is no 
danger at all in germs passing into butter, if pure spring 
water is added to the cream. By “ pure ” water, I mean 
such as can be used for drinking with impunity. 2. There 
are no germs in pure water. Well waters, however, are 
always considered suspicious by saultariaus; that is, in the 
hands of careless people. Well waters are usually con¬ 
taminated with filth, aud hence liable to contaiu disease 
germs. But, if water is become so fearfully daugerous, it 
will not do to use it to cleanse vessels used about the dairy, 
except it is boiled. 3. All germs can be killed by boiling 
the water 15 minutes. dr. g. g. groff. 
Four-Year Old Ewes. —We keep breeding ewes some¬ 
times till they are eight and nine years with success ; but 
as a rule we dispose of them when four years old and let 
the other fellows have the advantage of old age. We think 
three crops of lambs pay well, aud then we sell the ewes 
cheap and the other man gets a chance to start with good 
stock, which doesn’t cost much. We handle nothing but 
the best sheep we can get in England. 
Muncie, Ind. j. j. williams * sons. 
Barefooted Horses —How mauy farmers use their 
team barefoot f What is the use of having a team shod i f 
they will work as well not shod ? Nature will care for the 
hoofs in nine cases out of 10, so that the growth will al¬ 
ways equal the wear, aud a tough, springy hoof will grow 
where a hard, brittle one was. I had a road mare that in- 
erfered badly, and no shoeing or use of boots could keep 
her from being lame half the time. I too r shoes off, 
