1883 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
225 
Hard Coal.—A Wonderful Provision. 
When one thinks of it, he will see a number of 
striking evidences of the wonderful provisions 
that have been made for the comfort and advance¬ 
ment of the human race, and quite likely many 
others will in due time be developed, which are 
not now even conceived of. When whales were 
becoming scarce, and the world wanted more light, 
vast deposits of petroleum were found. When the 
supply of potash, so necessary to plant growth, 
was becoming very limited, immense deposits 
were found deep down under Germany, and will 
doubtless be found elsewhere. When our soil be¬ 
gan to want more phosphoric acid than the bones 
of animals would supply, the opportune discovery 
of the singular deposits covering large areas just 
below the surface in South Carolina, and plios- 
phatic minerals elsewhere, turned up to meet the 
necessity. The same may be said of guano, etc. 
Just now electricity is proving to be one of the 
most potent agents in promoting human comfort 
and progress, aud we appear to be only upon fhe 
threshold of greater discoveries in this line. 
Perhaps the most notable of all, in this direction, 
is the discovery of mineral coal, and its uses, 
within the memory of all who are now past middle 
age. When fuel was becoming scarce, and cheap 
motive power was needed, it was found that the 
plant growth of untold centuries, away back in 
the earlier ages, had been condensed and packed 
away in the form of heat aud steam-producing 
coal—and this too in quantities that are absolutely 
startling, though it is probable that but little of 
the vast stores hidden away in the earth have yet 
been found. In every country, almost, coal seems 
to come to light as/ fast as it is actually needed. 
The amount of coal now dug out each year would 
supply every inhabitant of the globe wdth 540 lbs., 
or over li ton to every family of six persons, old 
and youug. And nearly half (43 per cent) is taken 
from below the limited area of the British Isles 
alone. The latest estimates give the annual out¬ 
put of coal in round numbers, and the area in 
square miles of underlying coal, so far as discov¬ 
ered, thus: 
Coal 
Tons Area. 
Countries. Mined. Sn’e 
1881. Miles. 
Gt. Britain.147.C00,000 11,900 
U. S. 70,000,000 192,000 
Germany.. 50,000,000 1,770 
France. 20,000,000 2,086 
Belgium.... 17,000,000 510 
Austria.... 16.500,000 1,800 
Japan. 9,000,000 5,000 
China. 4,000,000 
India. 4,000,000 2,004 
Coal 
Tons Area. 
Countries. Mined. Sg’e 
1881. t iles. 
Russia.3,000,000 30,000 
Australia.2,000,000 24,840 
Nova Scotia..1,000,000 18,000 
Spain. 800,000 3,500 
Vancouver’s I. 300,000 390 
Italy. 250,000 .... 
Sweden. 100,000 _ 
Chili. 50,000 
Total (1881)..345,000,000 tons. 
Marketing the Tomato. 
Bermuda no longer monopolizes the trade in 
early tomatoes ; those from Florida come in soon 
after, and these are followed by the crop from 
Georgia and more Northern States. Fortunately, 
the tomato, if picked when full grown and ripen¬ 
ing has commenced, will come to full ripeness 
after it is removed from the vine. Success with 
those who send the tomato from Southern locali¬ 
ties to Northern markets, largely depends upon 
picking at the proper time. The changes, as the 
fruit ripens, are gradual and well marked. As 
soon as it has reached its full size, the tomato 
'‘turns,” that is, it loses its dark-green color, and 
becomes a much lighter and whitish-green; then 
there ife a yellowish-red tinge, and after this the 
true red color appears, usually first upon that por¬ 
tion most exposed to the sun, and soon spreading 
over the whole surface. The fruit should be picked 
in such a state that it will be well colored by the 
time it reaches the market, or soon after. While 
the Florida grower must pick the fruit as soon as 
it “ turns,” or loses its dark-green color, the 
Georgia shipper can wait for the yellowish color, 
and those nearer the market can send them still 
further advanced in ripeness. The tomato, after it 
has become well colored, remains hard for a few 
days, then begins to soften, and becomes too ten¬ 
der to bear transportation, a fact that those who 
send to a near market should keep in mind, as an 
over-soft tomato, or a “ leaky” one, as the dealers 
term it, will spoil the appearance of all the others 
in the package. It is important that all in one 
package be of the same stage of ripeness, so that 
all will come to maturity at the same time. Ship¬ 
pers from Bermuda, Florida, and other far South¬ 
ern localities, now find it worth while to wrap each 
fruit in paper before packing. The stems are al¬ 
ways removed, as they would braise the other 
fruits, but in Southern localities, this allows of the 
discovery of the Boll-worm, which often enters 
the fruit and hides beneath it. 
The Natural 
Enemies 
Beetle. 
of the Potato 
Anumber of insects aid the farmer and gardener 
in keeping the greatest of potato pests, the Col¬ 
orado beetle, in cheek. The Lady-bugs or “ Lady¬ 
birds,” in their larval state, are among the most ef¬ 
fective enemies of the “ potato bug,” doing valu¬ 
able service in destroying both eggs and larvae. The 
mature lady-bugs are red, pinlaor bright color, with 
a valuable mite (Vropoda Americana). 
small black dots, and should be known and pro¬ 
tected by all farmers. 
Some of the tiger beetles do a good work against 
the potato beetle. The Lydella doryphora is an in¬ 
ternal parasite, closely resembling a common fly, 
and is one of the most efficient destroyers of the 
Colorado beetle. The female fly attaches a single 
egg to the body of the potato larva. The small 
footless maggot soon hatches, burrows into the 
body of its victim, and finally destroys it. This fly 
may be seen buzzing about in the summer, and at 
times is so abundant in potato fields, as to remind 
one of a swarm of bees. 
A species of mite (Uropoda Americana) attacks 
the beetle and sometimes so covers its host that no 
part of the beetle is visible. This external parasite 
is about the size of a small pin head, and is yel¬ 
lowish brown. In the engraving, a shows a beetle 
attacked by this enemy ; at 6, is given a highly 
magnified view of the underside of the mite, with 
the penetrating organs at c and d. 
Several birds feed upon the potato beetle, afnong 
which is the too much persecuted crow. This sable 
bird will even dig into the earth for the hiber¬ 
nating individuals. The services of the common 
quail are underrated in this respect. The rose¬ 
breasted grosbeak has a fondness for the potato 
beetle, and does much good by feeding upon it. 
Ducks and chickens have learned to eat the larvse, 
and some fowls have overcome the native dislike 
for the mature insect. Thirty or forty perfect 
beetles have been found in a chicken’s crop. 
Among quadrupeds the skunk sometimes eats 
the potato beetle, while the common toad and 
black snake feed freely upon this pest of the farm. 
The various poisons employed, among which 
Paris Green and London Purple take the lead, are 
effective and easily applied ; but every precaution 
should be taken to favor the natural enemies, and 
thus help to so adjust the system of nature that it 
will favor the healthful growth of all farm and gar¬ 
den crops. Spare the insect and other enemies of 
the potato beetle, and there will be less need of 
applying dangerous arsenical compounds. 
Birds as Friends and Enemies. 
Nearly every assembly of horticulturists discusses 
the bird question, and the Legislatures of the dif¬ 
ferent States, wheu a bill for the protection of 
game is considered, show that there is a wide dif¬ 
ference of opinion upon birds. Evidence as to par¬ 
ticular species of birds is often of the most opposite 
and contradictory character. One speaker declares 
that he has watched certain birds, and is sure that 
a pair of them will catch a given number of cater¬ 
pillars in an hour; another states that he has shot 
the same bird by dozens, and on examining the 
crops and gizzards, he found only the remains of 
fruits and grains and not a vestige of an insect. 
The discussions about birds by different gatherings 
of fruit-growers and farmers, seem to result in 
little besides the presentation of evidence which 
bears equally in favor of and 
against different birds. One 
important point seems to be 
left out of these discussions. 
Whatever may be the food of 
the adult birds themselves, 
they almost invariably feed 
their young upon insects, es¬ 
pecially soft-bodied ones, such 
as caterpillars. The capacity 
of unfledged birds for food of 
this kind, is something won¬ 
derful. Instead of discussing 
the question whether this or 
that bird is useful or injurious 
to the farmer or fruit-grower, 
the question should be, “Is it 
on the whole more useful than 
injurious ? ” In other words,, 
can we afford to pay the birds, 
when mature, in fruit and 
grain, for the service they 
have rendered in devouring- 
insects while young ? It will 
be seen that the character of a bird, no more 
than that of a man, can be properly judged 
from a brief acquaintance. We must know it “ by 
and large,” before we can come to a proper de¬ 
cision. That such an investigation is attended 
with many difficulties, is shown by the report of 
Prof. Forbes, of Illinois, on the Bluebird. He 
found on examining the stomachs of many birds, 
that they contained little else than the remains of 
insects. A superficial observer would at once as¬ 
sert that the Bluebird was among the most useful 
of birds, as it feeds almost entirely on insects. 
Prof. Forbes shows that the question is far from, 
being a simple one. When he ascertained what 
kinds of insects were eaten by the Bluebird, it was 
found that a large, but varying proportion of these 
were useful insects, that is insects which feed on 
other and injurious insects. It will be seen from 
this that the beneficial character of this bird be¬ 
comes a complex problem. In one month it des¬ 
troyed more useful than injurious insects. And 
had these useful insects been allowed to live, it is 
claimed that they would have destroyed many njore 
injurious species than the Bluebird did. We may 
state that observations in other months are more 
in favor of the bird, but cite this case to show the 
difficulties-that surround the question. All will 
agree, however, that a very bad case must be made 
against the Bluebird before we can be willing to 
dispense with its cheery spring notes. 
This aesthetic side of the question will be con¬ 
sidered by some, while others may look upon birds 
as robbers of grapes and other fruit, and to be shot 
on sight. A lover of nature, like George Husmann, 
writes : “ The Bedbird or Cardinal, the Thrush, and 
Catbird, also are very destructive, and it is still 
an open question with me, whether to feed them 
with sweet grapes, or kill them and go without 
their sweet songs in the future.” And it always 
will be an “ open question ” with those best fitted. 
