416 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
A 
Neglected Ornamental Tree. — The 
Kcelreuteria. 
It is curious to see how old and really meri¬ 
torious plants become crowded out by newer 
introductions, and are quite lost sight 
of. Amongst ornamental trees the Koel- 
reuteria affords an instance of this neglect. 
The tree was introduced into England 
from China, over a century ago, and has 
been for a long time in this country, yet it 
is only rarely that we meet with a speci¬ 
men. Some time ago Mr. Wm. L. Orange, 
of Edwards Co., Ill., sent us a specimen 
for a name, and in his accompanying 
letter of July 6th describes it so well 
that we quote his account of the tree. 
“ It certainly is one of the handsomest 
trees that I have ever seen. The largest 
one that I have is about 85 ft. high, and 
has been covered with bloom like a yel¬ 
low cloud for the last three weeks. The 
tree makes its growth by the first of 
June, and from the end of the new wood 
sends out the flower cluster, which is 
from 18 inches to 2 feet in length, which 
branches until each head is from 1 to 2 
feet across. The seed pods are shaped 
somewhat like a grain of buckwheat, and 
grow about 2 inches long, and become 
so thick that the stem cannot be seen. 
The pod is first red, then yellow, and then 
brown. The trees are very easily raised 
from seed, and bloom when 3 or 4 years 
old; they are among the first to put out 
in the spring, are very hardy, and I never 
knew anything to eat the leaves. I regard 
it as the best shade tree that I know of.” 
The engraving shows the leaf, flower, 
and fruit, all very much reduced in size. 
The leaves are of a deep brilliant green, 
which in autumn turns to a fine yellow. 
The trees are priced in the nursery catalogues at 
50 cents each. Seeds ripen abundantly, but we 
do not find them in the catalogues of dealers. 
A Useful Insect.—The Wheel-Bug. 
Some knowledge of insects is desirable for 
the farmer and gardener, if it be only to enable 
him to distinguish his friends from his enemies. 
There are many insects which are beneficial be¬ 
sides those yielding honey and silk, and they 
are useful from the fact that they are carnivo¬ 
rous. During a recent visit to a pomologist in 
Delaware, we saw numbers of the Wheel-bugs, 
Fig. 1. —WHEEL-BUG—MALE. 
JRedumus novenarius , which are so useful in de¬ 
stroying caterpillars, that our friend protects 
them with great care. The insect is striking in 
appearance, as will be seen from the engravings, 
of which figure 1 is the male, and fig. 2 is the 
female. The singular form of the insect, togeth¬ 
er with the curious semicircular ridge upon its 
back, will enable any one to recognize it. This 
ridge is marked with protuberances, and gives 
to the insect the common name of Wheel-bug. 
The eggs are deposited upon the bark of trees, 
fences, etc., in a more or less perfectly hexagon¬ 
al cluster, as shown in figure 3. The proboscis 
is long and sharp, and when not in use, is fold¬ 
ed, as seen in the figures. The movements of 
the insect are curious to watch; it moves its 
long legs and feelers with the greatest caution 
in approaching its prey, which it despatches 
with a thrust of its formidable weapon. It 
Fig.3. EGGS. 
KCELHEUTERIA. 
should be handled with caution, as upon provo¬ 
cation it will sting and produce more pain than 
a bee. Prof. Glover, of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment, says: “ It is constantly employed from 
the moment it hatches from the egg in destroy¬ 
ing caterpillars and other insects, 
by first piercing them and then jgMjgpsi 
sucking out the juices. * * The 
young ones when first hatched are 
of a red color, and while they are 
young their food is plant-lice and 
other small insects, and when they can find 
nothing else they destroy each other. As they 
grow larger, they shed their skin, and their food 
is then large caterpillars,or indeed any insect that 
they can overpower. A dozen of these insects, 
if placed near one of the web nests of the cater¬ 
pillar, so destructive to fruit and shade trees, 
will destroy almost every caterpillar in it, as 
each one is able to kill and devour several daily.” 
Having given the amiable qualities of the Wheel- 
bug, we must mention one very disagreeable 
one. When disturbed it gives off a most repul¬ 
sive odor, similar to, and quite as potent,-as that 
of the common squash-bug (Coreus tristis). For 
this, however, it may be excused, for though 
scientifically related to that disgusting insect, it is 
a vastly more useful one in orchards and gardens. 
■----=•«-->o--— 
Make Poudrette for the Garden. 
It is in the power of every family to supply 
its kitchen garden with a great abundance of 
manure, at the expense of a little attention and 
very little labor. The fact that dry earth is a 
complete deodorizer of the most offensive sub¬ 
stances has been known and employed practi¬ 
cally for hundreds of years. Of late great atten¬ 
tion has been given to the subject of dry earth 
closets in England, and to this allusion has been 
repeatedly made in these pages. This is a most 
valuable application of the disinfecting 
and absorbent qualities of well-dried 
earth, and is in this wise: Common soil 
is raked over, to pulverize it, run through 
a screen, to free it from stones, sticks, etc., 
then spread in the sun or under cover on 
boards to dry. In dry weather it is bar¬ 
relled or placed in bins, and stored for 
use. It is used thus: The privies or 
earth-closets are arranged in various 
ways, but all so as to admit of half a 
pound or more of the dry earth being 
thrown into them whenever used, and of 
all the contents being occasionally thor¬ 
oughly commingled. It requires about a 
pound and a half of earth per day for 
each individual who uses the closet, to 
cause complete disinfection and deodori- 
zation. The contents become slightly 
moist, and when the box, drawer, or other 
receptacle, becomes full, they are remov¬ 
ed, and exposed to the sun or dry air 
for desiccation. When dry the earth is 
again made use of, and so employed four 
or five times, or perhaps more, before it 
loses perceptibly its purifying qualities. 
We shall undoubtedly have, before long, 
any number of patented contrivances for 
eartli-closets to be used in dwellings, in 
sick chambers, and similar places. There 
is, however, no occasion for our readers 
to wait for these patented articles to be 
put upon the market before they avail 
themselves of the properties of dry earth. 
Nothing is simpler than to arrange a 
privy with a good-sized drawer, sixteen 
or eighteen inches deep, and to procure a 
supply of earth to last during the cold weather. 
Of course the earth need not be used twice if 
it is more convenient to provide a constantly 
fresh supply than to re-dry that once employed. 
If the contents be mingled by a hoe or shovel 
once a week or oftener, if the family be large, 
it will be all-sufficient; the poudrette will be 
made, and all offensiveness prevented, summer 
or winter. If the location be such that the con¬ 
tents of the drawer freeze solid in extreme 
Fig. 2.— WHEEL-BUG—FEMALE. 
weather, no harm will occur, though the com¬ 
mingling of the ingredients will be prevented. 
A great many village gardens languish from 
the lack of manure. Really good, well-rotted 
manure is hard to get, and it is often costly; so 
guano, superphosphate, and other commercial 
fertilizers are employed. At first they do well, 
but after a while things do not flourish as if they 
had good liberal dressings of barn-yard manure. 
Poudrette, saved in the way proposed, will take 
the place of the best stable or yard manure. 
