1913. 
1223 
were also dead, and had been removed. I secured 
some of the wood of the old tree for a keepsake. 
It is my impression that the Belle of Georgia, an¬ 
other peach of the Elberta type but white and a 
little earlier, originated in a similar way in the same 
town, a few years later than the Elberta. 
New Haven, Conn. geo. p. plait. 
R. N.-Y.—Our information came from a reliable 
source that Mr. Rumph’s cook threw a pan of 
peaches and seeds into the backyard. From these 
grew a number of seedlings which were trans¬ 
planted later, and one of which was later named 
Elberta. 
WINTER HOMES OF COMMON INSECT 
PESTS. 
Probably everybody is familiar with the looks of 
our worst insect pests as they appear in Spring 
or Summer. But often many people do not know 
the RURAL NEW-VORKEK- 
to those of the Gypsy—the White-marked Tussock- 
moth. The eggs are covered with a thick white 
frothy substance, and are laid in a compact mass 
upon the trunk or limb of a tree. There is this dif¬ 
ference, however, between the eggs of the two in¬ 
sects. The egg mass of the Tussock-moth is pure 
white, while that of the Gypsy is yellowish, as 
described above, and the former does not have the 
hairy covering. Again, the Gypsy eggs are laid 
directly on the bark of the tree or on stones, etc., 
while those of the Tussock-moth are laid, as a rule, 
on the cocoon from which the female moth has 
hatched. Tussock-moth eggs are shown in Fig. 47S. 
I nlike most of our common pests, the Brown-tail 
does not pass the Winter in the egg stage, but as a 
young caterpillar. The eggs are laid late in July 
or early in August, and the young caterpillars hatch 
in a short time. They feed for a few weeks, until 
the nights begin to get cool, and then make their 
M inter nests. These nests, which are three or four 
inches long and composed of leaves drawn together 
and held by silk, are to be found on the tips of 
fruit and shade trees. They are very strongly made, 
and often shelter several hundred of the young 
caterpillars which are seldom over a quarter of an 
inch in length. It is not advisable to try to pick 
the nests open, even in the Winter, as there are 
numerous tine hairs from the bodies of the cater¬ 
pillars and they are quite apt to cause the “brown- 
tail itch.” Such a nest is shown in Fig. 477. 
There are not many insect nests which might be 
mistaken for Brown-tail nests. Old tent-caterpillar 
nests are sometimes taken to be them, but there is 
no similarity in appearance. The larval case of the 
bagworm is sometimes thought to be a Brown-tail 
nest and there is indeed a striking likeness in ap¬ 
pearance. The bagworm caterpillar makes a small 
what they look like or where they are to be found in 
Winter. Inasmuch as. in many instances, a little 
work applied at the right time and in the right way 
will lessen to a considerable degree the damage done 
the following season, it is well to have a clear idea 
as to what pests look like in Winter. 
Probably the “bug” of greatest interest to the 
New England States and their neighbors is the 
Gypsy moth. This is especially true in the case 
of those States as yet uninfested or only slightly 
infested, because, to use a slang expression, “what 
the Gypsy will do when it arrives is a plenty.” The 
eggs are found in a mass, each mass being oval in 
shape, from three-quarters to one and a half inches 
long, and light yellow or brown in color. The eggs 
are very effectively protected by a thick covering of 
hairs from the body of the female moth. In a 
single mass, there are from 200 to 500 eggs. The 
•gg masses may be found from early September 
to late in the Spring, on the bark of trees or on 
nearby objects, such as stone walls, old stumps 
•uul similar places. They are quite apt to be found 
m Weltered spots, in cracks, holes, and hollow 
tiees » they have been found on railroad ties and 
' ner out-of-the-way places. A typical egg mass is 
sl| °" n in Fig. 476. The empty chrysalis from which 
'he female moth has emerged is often found near the 
' ggs. Although the female moth has wings, she is 
unable to fly and seldom travels far to lay her eggs. 
There is an insect often found in New York and 
Southern New England whose eggs are very similar 
Gypsy Moth Egg Mass ox Bark. Fig. 476. 
hag for itself, shaped like a pear and composed c 
bits of twigs and leaves, all fastened together wit 
silk. See Fig. 474. The bag is hung suspended froi 
a small twig and swings slightly with the wim 
The eggs are then laid inside the bag by the adul 
female, which is wingless, and remain there ove 
Winter. 
The tent caterpillar is an insect whose cor 
spicuous Summer home is familiar to all. As i 
the case of the insect above described, the White 
is spent in the egg stage, but the eggs are not hi< 
den in any bag or nest. They are laid togethei 
forming a dark-colored knot-like band around th 
twig, about one-half or three-quarters of an inc 
long. Each mass contains 150 to 200 eggs, place 
on end, packed closely together, and,covered with ; 
layer of light brown substance which gives the mas 
a varnished appearance. Quite often several eg 
masses are found on the same twig, all close to 
getlier. See Fig. 475. 
The hired man might well spend some of hi 
spare time this Winter in painting the egg masse 
of the Gypsy moth with common creosote. Jus 
daub it on the eggs with an old paint brush, am 
don t scrape them off the tree. The creosote wil 
effectually kill the eggs without any further treat 
ment. In the case of the other insects mentioned 
collecting and burning the eggs will help material^ 
in reducing their numbers for the next season. I 
it best to cut them off when there is snow on tin 
ground, because they can be seen easily on tin 
ground against the white snow then, and nom 
missed. c. H . hadley, jr. 
CLOVER SEED IN THE SOIL. 
Some time ago I saw an item in The li. N.-Y. sa 
ing that Red clover or Alsike clover would not gro 
in any field unless the seed was sown for it. I t 
not remember who wrote it, but I believe it was s 
editor’s remark. Am I correct in this? I have h;i 
under my observation this year three lmyfields tin 
have Red clover and Alsike clover in them withoi 
the seed being sown for it. Field No. 1 was a pure 
Timothy meadow one year ago, cut for hay. This 
year it was cut again and had a heavy mixture of 
clover in it. No seed was sown. This field is on 
the south side of the farm I work. Fields No. 2 
and No. 2 are on the farm on the north side of 
me. One year ago they were both pure Timothy 
meadows cut for hay. This year they were cut for 
Timothy again. After the Timothy was taken off 
a growth of volunteer Red clover came on that 
was cut for hay in September. How would you 
Huron Co.. Ohio. 
R. N.-Y.—You are correct in saying that we claim 
that clover can only grow from seed. The fact is 
that clover seed will remain dormant for years in the 
soil. While it does not sprout it is alive, and when 
the' condition of soil and weather suit this seed will 
grow. (iO into any field that has ever been in 
meadow and collect samples of the surface soil 
here and there. Mix and put in a good-sized box. 
Water and add lime and fertilizer or manure. There 
will come from this soil a heavy growth of weeds 
and grasses. There will usually be dozens of dif¬ 
ferent kinds and clover will be found with the rest. 
We doubt if there ever was an absolutely pure 
Timothy meadow. Close examination will show 
some clover which would naturally make seed before 
the grass was cut. We have seeded Timothy and 
Red-top on acid soil. At the end of three years 
there seemed nothing but Red-top left, but the use 
of wood ashes or lime caused both Timothy and 
clover to “come back.” People often come and tell 
us that they sowed wood or even coal ashes on 
Egg Mass of Rusty Tussock Moth. Fig. 478. 
bare or barren ground and secured a fair stand of 
clover. They argue that because no clover grew 
before it must be that the seed was in the ashes. 
Our explanation is that the seed was dormant in 
the soil. The ashes made the soil fit and the seed 
sprouted and grew. 
V\ e arc now told that the best way to protect seed 
corn from the crows is to smear it with arsenate of 
lead paste. This does not seem to poison the crow, but 
he lets the seed alone. 
The Department of Agriculture goes on record in de¬ 
fense of the crow. Admitting that this black rascal 
pulls corn and kills young chickens, it is claimed that 
this is more than offset by the work of killing worms, 
grubs and grasshoppers. 
