The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-06-01

bAO bOO6SNO WI AS6
injured every year by an insect known
as the tobacco worm. Another and
closely allied species, commonly known
as the potato worm, frequently attacks
the tobacco plant in the more Northern
States and extends to some distance
South, the two being frequently found
in the same field near what may be
termed the dividing line between the
natural domain of either.
These caterpillars-or worms, as they
are nor generally called-are the pro-
duct of "eggs" laid by moths belonging
to what e~ntomologists term the Sphinr
family. The first, or true tobacco worm,
is the larva of the Carolina Sphinx
(Sphinr Cdrolina), and the second, or
potato worm, that of the Fiye-Spotted
Sphinx (S-quinquemaculata).
These moths are of large size, the
wings spreading three to five inches, and
arc of a dull, grayish color, the body
marked with patches or spots of yellow.
The moths can do vegetation no direct
harm, as they do not possess mandibles
for eating solid food, but are provided
with a long, flexible tube for sucking
liquids, especially the sweet secretions
of flowers.
With this knowledge of their habits,
we are able to destroy them whenever
the number becomes so great as to re-
quire it. But few men will take the
trouble to kill off the moths, thereby saw
ing themselves the much more laborious
task of hand-gathering the worms.
Both the Sphinxes named frequent the
flowers of the common Stramonium
(Datura ~stramonium), also known as the
jamestown Weed, Thorn Apple, ETC.,
for the purpose of obtaining food from
its flowers. This coarse weed is probably
well known to all of our readers by some
one of the. above names.
Now, every farmer and planter who
desires to protect his tobacco, potatoes
or tomatoes from the rayages of the
large, ugly, green worms 50 frequently
found upon those plants in summer can
do SO by following our directions. Sow
in spring a small number of the Datura
seed in different places about the field to
be occupied with the crops named, and
then, when the plants come into bloom,
proceed to charge the flowers with the
following liquid poison:
Dissolve an ounce of cobalt Ito be had
at any drug store) in about a pint Of
water, adding enough strip to make the
mixture sweet. Now take a small bottle
and fill it with the liquid, and to aid in
distributing il put a goose-quill through
the cork and you are ready for work. &c
round among the Datura plants and drof
a little of the liquid into each open
flower. This should be done about sun
down, as the moths come at this time OF
a little later to feed, and every n suck
ing up a drop of this poisoned liquid
will be killed.
To some this may seem to be a SLOW
and impracticable way to rid a locality
of those pests, but when the fact thai
each female moth lays several hundred
eggs is taken into account, the p~racatic
bility of fighting this pest by poisoning
becomes apparent. A boy can charg,
the flowers as well as a man, and it viii
take but a few minutes every evening
while the moths are about to prepare 70
them their final feast.
We are assured by those who hav
tried this process of poisoning flowers, a
moth traps, that it works well, especial.
if all the planters in a neighborhood vii
: act together in the matter.
. Cows FOR THE FARM.-The Praird
Farmer thus sums up tine matter of wha
sort of cow to have on the farm: Tn
particular breed best suited for genera
farm purposes may bel matter ofopinioI
but whatever breed may be selected
!, there is still a material distinction to b
observed between the form of a COW to b
used for the dairy, and n intended fo
$ fatting. While the latter should posses
I as nearly as possible all the points of.th
a best oxen, the mich COW should, on th
contrary, be thin and hollow in the necl
. narrow in the breast and point of shou
II der, and altogether light in the for
quarters, with little dew-lap, and neithe
! full f1eshed along chine, nor showing i
any part much indication of a dispositio
9 to put on fat. The hide should be thin
/ the hair fine, and the tail small. Blu
r especially the udder should be flu
and round, yet thin to the touch, an
b should be of equal size and substans
e throughout. If it shows more benin
! ! than it does before, it is deemed a sig
of the milk falling off soon after calvinl
e and if it feels coarse snd lumpy the bs
! will be found not to contain a lare
n quantity; the teats should stand squal
at equal distances, and should Meth,
be very large nor very thick toward tt
udder, but nearly equal, yet ending in
point.
Is HEAvEs IN HORSES CONTAGIOUS
GA Subscriber writes to the Rmr
Mev Yorker, asking the above questio,
and says that he has a four-year-old col
l. which has been stabbed the past whit
/" with two other horses having the heaye
,e and now the colt, also, has this diseas
II and he can not account for it in ar
(. other way than that "heaves are cate
k ing"
Our own opinion is, that heaves is n
a contagious disease, but there is som
1t thing in the food, stable, or care of Il
l. animals named, which has produced Il
is disease in all these animals. MUS
cloves, or other hay, with close, unve
a tilated, or open, cold stables, and simili
II poor food and uncongenial circumstance
are believed by many to produce heav
j. in horses. OF course this is based upc
IF the %supposition that heaves is distin
is from what is termed "broken wind"
"pearing." We should be pleased