236 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 4 
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" Tumble-Bugs" and Their Curious Habits. 
J. It., Burr Oak, la .—Last spring, I plowed about one-half acre 
quite early, on which I had spread during the winter a coating of 
manure. After plowing I harrowed it thoroughly, planted about 
one-half of it to beaus, and left the rest for late cabbages. When 
I was ready to set out the cabbages in early June, the weeds and 
pigeon grass had started so that I gave it a thorough cultivation 
with a Planet Jr. cultivator, and as I neared one end of the piece, 
I noticed a small hole at the bottom of thefurrow made by a tooth 
of the cultivator. My curiosity being aroused to know what made 
that hole, I dug down about an inch further, when I found the 
hole enlarged forming a pocket about two inches in diameter, 
which was packed full of what appeared to belittle balls of earth 
about five-eighths of an inch in diameter, some, however, being 
larger than others. On opening these balls, I found that they 
were composed, mostly, of manure, and in the center of each was 
either an egg about a quarter of an inch long, or a white grub. I 
found in this cluster of balls, white grubs in various stages of 
development, the largest being about an inch long, or two-thirds 
grown. Were those balls deposited there after the ground was 
plowed in the spring? It seems almost impossible that they 
could have been there when I plowed the ground, without having 
that hole disturbed by the plow. A little later in the season, I 
saw scores, I may safely say, hundreds, of beetles in the road 
near here in the early evening, rolling similar balls made from 
the manure of passing teams. Where they deposited them I do 
not know. Were they deposited in the ground like the ones I 
found, or in some manure pile to hatch out the same or the fol¬ 
lowing season ? 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLING ERL AND. 
The insect is our most common kind of “Tumble- 
bug,” or “ Tumbledung beetle,” its scientific name is 
Canthon he vis. There are many different kinds of 
these “tumble-bugs,” and their peculiar habits have 
attracted much attention from the earliest times. 
The one so common all over our country, is black in 
color, and resembles the two shown at Fig 76, but it 
is a little larger. The name “ tumble-bug,” or 
“tumbledung,” refers to their habit of forming round 
balls of dung, which they often roll long distances. 
The rolling of these balls is an exceedingly interesting 
operation to one who cares to study Nature’s ways. 
Usually a male and female beetle work together, 
and this is one of the instances, rare among insects, 
where the male realizes that he has some responsi¬ 
bility as a father, and assists the female in providing 
for the young. One observer states that he often saw 
the male (distinguished by his smaller size) resting or 
clinging *to the ball, and endeavoring to preserve his 
position on the upper side thereof, possibly acting as 
a sort of balance to change the center of gravity of 
the ball, and thus assist in moving it. Not infre¬ 
quently, the ball was rolled completely over him by a 
hasty push of his partner, and the favorable nature of 
the ground. If the male were carefully and quickly 
removed, the “ widowed survivor” did not realize his 
absence for several seconds. When she discovered it, 
she stopped pushing the ball, looked all around it 
and under it, and often deserted it entirely, some¬ 
times moving away a few feet and pushing her head 
beneath a clod of earth, remained perfectly still as if 
lost in hopeless grief for many minutes. 
Another observer saw a female rolling her ball 
single-handed, when it accidentally tumbled into a 
deep depression made in soft clay by a horse’s hoof. 
After a momentary pause, she recovered from her sur¬ 
prise, and tumbled down into the pit to reconnoitre. 
She made strenuous efforts to push the ball up and 
out, but after five or six vain attempts, she gave it up 
and escaped from the pit on the shallowest side hav¬ 
ing, apparently, abandoned the ball. But what was 
the observer’s surprise a few minutes later to see her 
coming back with an assistant. They toiled and 
tugged to push the coveted ball out of the pit. After 
three or four trials, they at last raised it to the verge, 
poised it, and out it came, and they trundled it off in 
triumph to its destination. Well may the observer 
have asked, “ Can a beetle reason ?” 
The beetles form their balls by working small pieces 
of dung into irregular shapes with their legs ; they 
then begin the rolling process. The balls are often 
rolled several yards to a hole, previously dug by the 
beetles for their reception. The females push the 
balls by seizing them with their hind legs, peculiarly 
fitted for the purpose, and with lowered heads, mov¬ 
ing backwards. When first formed, the balls are often 
irregular in form, but the rolling solidifies and rounds 
them. What are these balls for ? If the beetles be 
closely watched, they will be seen to make a hole in 
one side of a ball, and lay an egg therein, so that each 
ball contains an egg when it is finally buried. As 
each female lays many eggs, their industry is some¬ 
thing remarkable. What happens within the buried 
balls? The eggs hatch, and each grub finds *its food 
supply right at hand in the ball of dung so carefully 
stored away by its parents. Doubtless, each ball 
suffices for the food of one grub, which, when it be¬ 
comes full grown, pupates, and the next spring 
emerges as a “ Tumble-bug.” 
The strange habit of rolling these balls has occa¬ 
sioned much speculation as to its object, and has been 
the source of many superstitions, especially in ancient 
times. The only reasonable theory thus far advanced 
is that, as many predaceous insects frequent the masses 
cf dung from which the balls are obtained, in order 
to prey upon the grubs which live there, the more in¬ 
telligent Tumble-bugs remove their food for their 
young to a safe distance. 
The most noted Tumble-bug is the Sacred beetle of 
the Egyptians. This insect, represented less than 
half natural size at Fig. 76, was held in high venera¬ 
tion by this ancient people. It was placed by them 
in the tombs with their dead, and is now often found 
with mummies ; its picture was painted on sarcoph¬ 
agi, and its image was carved in stone and precious 
gems, see Fig. 76. These sculptured beetles may be 
found in almost any collection of Egyptian antiquities. 
The Egyptians evolved a remarkable symbolism from 
the structure and habits of this Sacred Tumble-bug. 
The ball, which the beetles were supposed to roll 
from sunrise to sunset, represented the earth ; the 
beetle itself personified the sun, because of the sharp 
projections on its head, which extend out like rays of 
light; while the 30 segments of its six tarsi, repre¬ 
sented the days of the month. All individuals of this 
Sacred beetle were thought to be males, and a race of 
males symbolized a race of warriors. This latter 
superstition was carried over to Rome, and the Roman 
soldiers wore images of the beetle set in rings. 
Probably the balls J. R. found were deposited in 
the hole after the ground was plowed. Although this 
Tumble-bug is so common in many parts of our 
country, there is but little accessible information 
about its life. I wish that the next time J. R., or any 
iTHE TUMBLE-BUG AND ITS INTERESTING HABITS. FlG. 76. 
one else who reads this, finds any of these curious 
balls, he would send me all he can get ; send the 
beetles, also, if possible. It is such an interesting in¬ 
sect that we should know more about its life story. 
So far as I can learn, the balls are always deposited 
in the ground, and not in manure. Thus, although 
the grubs are dung-feeders, they are not dung-worms 
in the sense that they inhabit manure piles. The in¬ 
sect, in any stage, does not injure living vegetation. 
The Scurfy Bark Louse. 
J. G. S., East Milton , Mass .—What kind of a scale is on the 
specimen that I inclose you? lent it from a cnabapple tree. 
Does it injure the tree, and what will remove it ? 
ANSWERED BY M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
The white scales, scarcely an eighth of an inch in 
diameter, closely adhering to the bark of the branch 
sent, ai*e commonly known as the Scurfy Bark lice. 
They resemble a small fish scale adhering to the bark. 
In the winter, most of the scales, or, rather, the in¬ 
sects that secreted them, are dead. But if J. G. S. 
will carefully lift some of the scales with a pin or 
knife, and examine the spots closely with a small 
microscope or pocket lens (an instrument that every 
fruit grower ought to own), he will find many minute, 
purplish eggs just underneath the white scale. The 
body of the mother insect which secreted the scale, 
will be found all shriveled up at one end of the scale. 
She has fulfilled her destiny, and her scale affords a 
winter home for her progeny. In early spring, usually 
in May, the eggs hatch out minute, purplish lice which 
crawl from under the scale, and scatter over the 
tree. When a suitable place is found, they insert their 
little beaks in the bark and there remain, sucking the 
juices of the tree. They rarely move after once estab¬ 
lishing themselves. The white scales soon begin to 
be secreted, and by midsummer they render the insect 
quite conspicuous. Hundreds of them often occur on 
a small branch. All parts of the trunk and branches 
may be infested, and the thousands of little beaks 
pumping out the life blood of the tree, may seriously 
weaken, and cause the death of the affected portion. 
Although this scale is widely distributed and quite 
common, it is not often reported as killing the trees 
it infests. In short, it is not considered a very serious 
insect pest. Of course, where very numerous, it must 
greatly weaken a tree, and should, therefore, be 
checked as soon as possible. Its scale-like covering 
under which the insect itself lives, renders it hard to 
reach with insecticides. Poisonous applications would, 
of course, have no effect, as the insect sucks and does 
not bite its food. I would advise brushing off, with 
a stiff wire brush, all the scales practicable in the fall 
or winter, and early in the spring as soon as the 
young lice are seen crawling about the tree, spray 
thoroughly with kerosene emulsion diluted with from 
five to eight parts of water. The young lice will begin 
to appear in May, and for a few days, will be unpro¬ 
tected by scales ; they are thus easily reached by the 
spray, and the emulsion is death to every one it hits. 
Spray thoroughly and in time. Probably a good wash¬ 
ing of the bark of the tree with whale-oil soap, one 
pound to three gallons of water, in the fall, winter or 
early spring, would also kill the eggs under the scales. 
How to Kill Quack Grass. 
W. M. II., Ellsworth, Me. —What is the quickest and surest way 
to exterminate Quack grass ? 
ANSWERED BY E. C. GILLETT. 
In 1893, a four-acre field which was full of Quack, 
was planted to beans. By frequent cultivation, and 
a large amount of hand hoeing, we succeeded in keep¬ 
ing the beans from being smothered by the Quack, 
and made a fair crop. Late in the fall, just before 
the ground became frozen, it was plowed about six 
inches deep. The next spring it was plowed again 
after the Quack had started to grow, the field was 
thoroughly harrowed and planted to potatoes, quite 
deep in trenches or furrows, and the field was har¬ 
rowed several times before the potato showed through 
the ground ; then the cultivator was kept going till 
the tops were too large to admit of further cultiva¬ 
tion. No hand work was done. Not a Quack root 
was found when the crop was dug, or the next spring 
when the field was plowed. 
Again, in 1894, another four acres were in oats ; the 
Quack took possession to such an extent that the crop 
was nearly ruined, yielding less than 30 bushels per 
acre, and the straw had more the semblance of hay. 
The field was plowed as soon as the oats were taken 
off, and I intended to give thorough cultivation 
through the fall ; but rains were frequent, and the 
Quack got the start of us, so in December the field 
was plowed again. In the spring, it was cultivated 
twice, then plowed again, thoroughly worked and 
planted to potatoes, giving them the same treatment 
the other field had received the previous year. The 
harrow and cultivator were used early and often, 
with the same result—total annihilation of the Quack. 
A third field having been in cabbage in 1894, fall- 
plowed and re-plowed in the spring of 1895, was 
planted to cabbage again and gave nearly as good re¬ 
sults. A very few roots of Quack were to be seen in 
the soil this past fall, when it was plowed; but I am 
confident that another spring plowing, and a crop of 
potatoes will finish them. Ilence, from this experi¬ 
ence, I conclude that shallow, late fall-plowing, fol¬ 
lowed by deeper spring plowing and the planting of 
some cultivated crop, preferably potatoes, because 
they can be planted deep, and be harrowed for three 
weeks before coming up, will kill Quack. The late 
fall plowing leaves the soil open and loose, and the 
roots exposed to the action of the frost, which kills 
some and weakens the vitality of others which, in the 
spring, are turned under and smothered. The roots 
which were not turned up in the fall, are now brought 
up on the surface, and the harrow and cultivator 
finish them. 
Potash, Subsoiling and Winter Pears. 
./. R. T., Long Island. —1. Is potash in the form of carbonate, as 
good for fertilizing purposes as muriate ? What is the difference 
between the shell marl, advertised in The R. N.-Y., and the green 
New Jersey marls? Are both as good as, or better than, air- 
slaked lime for sour land ? 2. I have a field of about three acres 
whicli I wish to use for a pear orchard ; it is a sandy loam, under¬ 
laid with gravelly clay, and has not been plowed for years. The 
sod is poor and weedy. I wish to break it up, and prepare it this 
year for planting next spring. I wish to fertilize it and plow 
under as many green crops as possible. What shall I plant? 
Shall I subsoil it ? The land is naturally good, but run down and 
pastured to death. 3. I wish to plant winter pears, not more than 
two or three varieties. Which are best for profit, standard or 
dwarf? The farm is on the north side of Long Island, and no 
fruit except apples grow anywhere within five miles or more, so 
I can’t ask local advice. Apples seem to do well without any 
care. Trees of all kinds flourish. What do you know of the new 
varieties, such as Dorset, Directeur Alphande, P. Barry etc. ? 
What do you think of Anjou, Bose and Winter Nelis? What are 
the weak points of any or all of them ? Shall I plant dwarfs be¬ 
tween the standards ? 
Ans.—1. Carbonate of potash is, probably, the best 
form for agricultural use, especially on acid soils. 
The potash in wood ashes is in the form of carbonate. 
The shell marl has been heated to a high tempera¬ 
ture. It is finer than the green marl, contains more 
lime, and is more available. Airslaked lime is quicker 
in its action on the soil than either of the marls. On 
very sour lands, we would use*.the airslaked lime. 2. 
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