1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June until the middle of July is the best time to dig 
out Peach borers in New York and similar latitudes. 
Why? The caterpillars mature about July 1 and, 
coming to the surface of the soil, they spin about 
themselves a cocoon, made of silk and sawdust from 
their borings ; this cocoon is usually attached to the 
bark of the tree at the entrance to their burrows. In 
this cocoon, the caterpillar soon transforms to a 
brown, apparently lifeless object, called a pupa. 
Two or three weeks alter the caterpillar spins its 
cocoon, the pupa pushes its way about half way 
out of its home and, its skin splitting open down 
the back, a beautiful wasp-like creature emerges ; it 
is the adult insect, one of our prettiest moths. The 
female moth looks very different from its mate. Their 
expanded wings measure nearly an inch from tip to 
tip, and they have considerable resemblance to the 
large, blue wasps common in our attics. Usually 
moths have their wings covered with scales, but 
there is one group or family known as the Clear¬ 
winged moths, and to this family our Peach borer 
(Sanmina exitiosa) belongs. In the male moth, all 
of its four wings are transparent, barring only a few 
blue scales around the margin, and in a narrow stripe 
running nearly across the front wing ; the body a 
dark, bluish black, with some narrow yellow stripes 
on the thorax and around the abdomen. The females, 
which are usually a little larger, ihave their front wings 
thickly covered with dark blue scales while their 
hind wings are clear ; their bodies are of the same 
dark blue color, but a broad, dark orange-colored 
band passes around the abdomen. The moths fly 
very swiftly during the hotter parts of the day, and 
frequent flowers, thus increasing their resemblance 
to wasps. Usually most moths that we breed emerge 
in our cages during the night, but the Peach borer 
moths invariably appear during the day. 
The adults of this peach pest begin to emerge from 
their cocoons at Ithaca, N. Y., about July 15, and most 
of them are out by August 1 ; but stragglers continue 
to appear for two or three weeks later. The females 
soon lay their small, brown, hard-shelled eggs on the 
bark at the base of the tree or, possibly, on the 
ground around the base. The young caterpillars, 
doubtless, hatch out in a week or 10 days, and begin 
their destructive work under the peach bark. Their 
work continues until cold weather sets in, when they 
ensconce themselves in a loose, cocoon-like home, and 
there remain all winter without feeding. They seem 
to begin work again in our latitude about May 15, 
varying, of course, with the forwardness of the sea¬ 
son. Prom this time on they feed much and grow 
fast; I have seen caterpillars not over one-fourth 
inch long on April 19, get their full growth and 
transform to the moth by July 20. Thus most of the 
damage is done by the borer in the spring, in May and 
June, when it gets most of its growth. 
This brief life-story of this insect shows that there 
is but one brood of the caterpillars each year, the 
one-fourth or one-third grown ones wintering over. 
The insect is destructive only in the caterpillar stage, 
as the borer, and, as it works beneath the surface, it 
is difficult to get at it with remedial measures. Sev¬ 
eral borers often work in the same tree. I have dug 
out 13 borers from a tree less than two inches in 
diameter. Fortunately, the peach tree heals quickly 
and will thus endure and recover quite rapidly from 
the attacks of several borers or from wounds made 
by a knife in digging out the pest. 
As to what is the best method of fighting this pest, 
I am not yet sure but that the “ digging-out” method 
will have to be our main reliance. There can be no 
question about its effectiveness, and it is the method 
now relied upon by our most successful peach grow¬ 
ers. Dozens of different washes have been recom¬ 
mended to prevent the borers from gaining entrance 
to the tree, or to dissuade the moth from laying her 
eggs near the trees. But after three years’ experi¬ 
ence with all of these washes on about 450 young and 
badly infested peach trees, I cannot yet feel safe in 
recommending any of them ; most of them are entirely 
useless. This experiment is still in progress, and is 
the only extensive, careful and scientific trial ever 
made of washes for Peach borers. We are trying 
everything recommended, and anything else that 
may suggest itself to us ; and we shall continue the 
experiment for a year or more longer. The German 
caterpillar lime (Raupenleim) and its American imita¬ 
tion, Dendrolene, are among the most promising sub¬ 
stances yet applied, so far as preventing the entrance 
of the borers is concerned ; but we have killed sev¬ 
eral trees and injured many others this year, with 
applications of these substances ; and similar reports 
from other experimenters have recently appeared in 
The R. N.-Y. Therefore, I can only advise, at pres¬ 
ent, the digging out of the borers between June 15 
and July 15, or earlier in the spring, and in Septem¬ 
ber or October in the fall, if one can then find the 
little caterpillars. Many of those who report suc¬ 
cess with washes against this insect, admit that they 
first dig out and kill the borers before applying the 
wash ; and then they confidently attribute their ex¬ 
emption from borers to the wash ! 
To be effective, a wash must have the qualities of 
forming a good, continuous coating over the bark 
from July 15 until September 1, and it must not con¬ 
tain anything that will injure the tree. We once 
killed several young trees within two weeks by an 
application of a mixture of Paris-green and glue. 
Washes containing lime usually crack and peel off in 
a week or two, and we have thus found them quite 
ineffectual. Dig out and kill the varmints for a year 
or two longer, when we may be able to tell you some 
easier way to get at this king of peach pests. 
The ‘'•Strawberry Barret” and “■ Black Bugs.” 
S. H. W., Weston, Mass.—In the directions for planting straw¬ 
berry plants in barrels, a linseed oil barrel was recommended. 
There must have been some mistake, or the barrel that was used 
was an uncommonly large one, for I used a common linseed oil 
barrel that was two feet in diameter in the center, making it 
about six feet in circumference. I followed the directions, and I 
could get in only 16 plants to the row, and five rows made 80 
plants. Some one asked how to get rid of the little black beetles 
that eat the strawberry leaves. I have grown strawberries 40 
years, and have had some experience with these bugs. I find 
nothing so effectual as small chickens. Shut up the mother hen 
in a coop and let the chicks run at large over the vines. Small 
chicks won’t hurt the vines, and they will eat lots of insects of all 
kinds, but are particularly fond of the little black beetles; 25 
chickens will soon clear an acre of strawberry plants. 
Ans. —The article on the barrel culture of straw¬ 
berries was written from the description given me by 
the man who introduced the method in our town. 
The mistake referred to was due to my not under¬ 
standing him, and not having in mind the size of the 
barrel. It should have read, “ Eight rows of plants 
around the barrel and 17 plants in a row,” thus mak¬ 
ing the plants about four inches apart each way ; but 
the arrangement of the plants may be varied to suit 
one’s pleasure. When the barrel is filled with plants, 
all that is then required is to put in sufficient water 
to keep the soil in it moist, and in winter some posts 
may be driven around it, and some straw put around 
it to protect it from too hard freezing. 
W. H. JENKINS. 
Strawberry Culture in Florida. 
F. J. W., Bartlett, Term. —What are the best points in Florida 
to raise strawberries for early shipments to northern markets ? 
Ans. —The strawberry grows well in nearly all 
parts of Florida. The climate and the soil are such 
that the management of a strawberry plantation here 
is quite different from the management in the north¬ 
ern States. Plants are set in the fall, in September 
and October, giving the largest crop in March and 
April following. New plants are grown during the 
summer, and new plantations are made during the 
fall. A good deal of fertilizer is used, as most of the 
land is somewhat sandy. 
At Starke and Lawtey, in Bradford County, in north 
Florida, there are, perhaps, more strawberry growers 
than in any other locality in the State. These grow¬ 
ers seem to do well. There are now so many of them, 
and they have so large a crop, that they have soma 
advantage in the way of transportation, which is, of 
course, a very important matter. One who intends to 
go into the strawberry business here should look 
carefully into the transportation before he buys land. 
There seems to be no doubt that knowledge and in¬ 
dustry will bring success in strawberry growing in 
this State. This has been abundantly proved. While 
I have mentioned Starke and Lawtey because of the 
prominence of this industry in that section, so far as 
climate and soil go, that section is no better than the 
whole of north Florida north of an east and west 
central line. Even south of that central line, straw¬ 
berries do well, the main drawback being the lack of 
transportation facilities, and the cost of getting the 
crop to market. o. clutk. 
Florida Experiment Station. 
‘‘Divining Rods” and Hidden Treasure. 
Subscriber, Delaware. —I inc'ose a circular and some testimon¬ 
ials received a few days ago of certain “ magnetic mineral rods ” 
for locating hidden treasure. I know a place where money is 
supposed to be buried. Will these rods locate the place as the 
circular claims ? 
Ans. —The circular contains pictures of these so- 
called “ rods ”, and states that they “ work like a com¬ 
pass.” They “ will not mislead the operator in the 
direction of water,” but will surely find “ the exact 
locality of the treasure.” We would not buy any so- 
called “magnetic mineral rod,” or “dip needle.” 
These divining rods are relics of a former age of 
superstition. They cannot in any manner reveal 
treasure, springs of water, or anything else. A short 
time ago, one was taken to a certain large geological 
museum, and the victim told to find gold with it. 
None was found; but gold was in considerable 
quantities in various parts of the room. It is true 
that the magnetic needle is deflected by certain 
agencies in and on the earth. Gold and silver are 
not among these agencies. In the Literary Digest, of 
June 8, 1895, an account is given of a vast bed of iron 
under the city of Moscow, Russia. This bed was 
8ol 
found by the magnetic needle and other instruments. 
It was calculated to be seven miles below the surface 
of the earth. In their circular, the company quotes 
an article entitled “ Minerals Located by Magnetic 
Needles.” Possibly the account is true, but it re¬ 
lates to iron, and iron only. No other mineral is 
mentioned, but the company apparently thought 
that the little word “ iron ” which appears only once 
would be overlooked by the prospective treasure 
hunter. Magnetic Mineral Rod and Spanish Dip 
Needle are two fine sounding names for the old 
witch hazel water and ore finders. The time spent 
on a wild goose treasure hunt could be more profit¬ 
ably spent tilling the soil. 
A Balanced Ration Worked Out, 
J. W., Springfield, III. —How shall I feed the following, and have 
a balanced ration: Corn ground cob and all, cost, *6 per ton; 
bran, $10; oats, 20 cents per bushel; oil meal, $25 per ton; clover 
hay, $6 per ton; Timothy, $8. 
Ans. —Let us see what average specimens of these 
foods contain for each 100 pounds : 
Pounds in One Ton. 
Muscle-makers. Fat-formers. Pure fat. 
Corn and cob. 130 1,125 56 
Bran. 240 825 56 
Oats. 180 960 80 
Oil meal. 560 640 140 
Clover hay. 135 700 32 
Timothy hay. 56 860 28 
This comparison is made on the basis of the average 
amounts of digestible matters in these foods. As 
between clover hay at $6 and Timothy at $8 per ton, 
there can be no choice. Good clover is always worth, 
weight for weight, 50 per cent more than Timothy 
for feeding cows. Clover at $6 per ton is the best 
roughage you can get, and we would feed to each 
cow, at least, 15 pounds per day. Of the grain foods, 
at the prices named, bran is the cheapest, but we 
would use a mixture made up of, say, one part oil 
meal, three parts cob meal and four parts bran. The 
clover and cob meal are constipating foods, while the 
oil meal and bran are laxative. We would take this 
mixture as a basis, and vary it somewhat after watch¬ 
ing its effect on the cows. The muscle-makers and 
pure fat are the most valuable parts of the food, and 
in making comparisons of value, these substances are 
the ones to consider. 
Strong Food for Poultry. 
J. R., Derby, Manitoba.—I am feeding my poultry dried blood in 
boiled wheat with bean soup in place of milk. Is this good 
feeding ? 
Ans. —We should consider this ration too strong, 
though we do not know how much of the blood you 
feed. Judging from our own experience and observa¬ 
tion, we should not feed more tnan one part of blood 
to five of wheat. The best use of blood is to balance 
some bulky food like potatoes, or some concentrated, 
starchy food like corn. As to bean soup as a substi¬ 
tute for milk, the following comparison is, probably, 
a fair one : 
POUNDS IN 100. 
Muscle-makers. Fat-formers. Pure fat. 
Milk. 3 V% 5 4 
Bean soup. 8 20 % 
This means a pretty fair sample of milk, and a thick 
bean soup, thicker than is generally used on the 
tabie. if a piece of fat beef were boiled with the 
beans, the per cent of pure fat would be increased, 
but though the bean soup is “stronger” than the 
milk, we do not think tnat it will prove a substitute 
for it. With ail the skill of chemistry, we are never 
able to make an artificial mixture that can equal milk 
as a food. 
Swelling on a Mare's Neck. 
,/. N., Newark, Del.— My mare has a lump about the size and 
shape of a dessert saucer, on the neck just back of the bridle 
head piece. Can I remove it by any application that will not 
cause a severe blister ? I had a good veterinarian about four 
years ago and blistered it, which removed it for, probably, two 
years. He said that it was not poll evil. Tne lump does not 
appear sore, or to cause any inconvenience, but it is a blemish 
and is growing, with a smaller one on the other side of the neck; 
that is, one on each side of the top of the neck about two inches 
back of the ear. The mare is eight years old and sound in every 
other respect. 
Ans —An active blister would, undoubtedly, give 
the best results. The compound tincture of iodine, 
applied two or three times a week, is often effectual, 
but requires longer time. Since you have already 
once removed the swelling by blistering, the wisest 
course, in my opinion, would be to repeat the same 
treatment. y. Ki 
Lumpy Jaw or Tuberculosis in Cattle ¥ 
H. W., Fennville, Mich.— A valuable cow of mine has a large 
lump, about the size of a man’s fist, under the lower jaw; it is 
not very hard yet, but as it has been there only a short time, it 
mav harden more. She eats well, and gives a good quantity of 
milk. I have read and heard a good deal of lumpy jaw in cattle, 
and am afraid that this may prove serious. 
Ans. —If not due to an injury, in which case it will 
be liable to go away without treatment, it is more 
likely to be an enlarged tuberculous gland, than 
lumpy jaw—actinomycosis. I would advise subject¬ 
ing the cow to the tuberculin test for tuberculosis, if 
there is a competent veterinarian near you, who can 
conduct the test. Should it prove not to be tubercu¬ 
losis, and its continued growth indicates lumpy jaw, 
give the iodide of potassium treatment. The dose of 
the iodide is one to two drams, to be given once daily 
in the feed and continued for a week or 10 days. Then 
omit for two or three days, and repeat as before until 
a cure is affected. If symptoms of iodism occur, as 
shown by loss of appetite, weeping eyes, and a gen¬ 
eral catarrhal condition of the mucous membrane of 
the nose and throat, the iodide is being given in 
excess and should be withheld for a few days. The 
bowels should be kept moving freely by a laxative 
diet, roots, bran mashes or other sloppy food, or an 
occasional dose of glauber salts if necessary, f. l. k. 
