Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-04

"DOODLE BUGS.o

1t is known fact that nearly everything
in nature likes music; snakes have danced
to it, mice have come from their holes and
listened with rapt attention, and even bugs
are not iDsensible.
"We call the Doodle bugs up any time we
have mind" said some little girls to me
one day when was teaching school in wes
tern Virginia.
Doodle bugs?" said I. 81 never heard Of
such things"
"Would you like to see them?' asked one
"Most assuredly,"1 answered.
Then the little girls led me forth to the
ruins of an old log school-house, roohess and
foorless, and joining hands, they squatted
upon the ground forming ring, and began
chanting in the most musical tones they
could command: ~.
"Uncle Doodle, Uncle Doodle, Uncle Doodle
bugs" :,
I looked on in astonishment, for 1 could
see nothing but hard-baked earth. There
seemed not living thing visible; but the
children kept up their chant some three or
four minutes, when I noticed that the ground
began to heave in little spots and tiny heads
peeped out, soon followed by half or the whole
body of dirt-colored beetle.
When the children stopped singing the lit
tie things scampered back into their holes.
This struck me as very singular. But then
we are constantly meeting with strange things
in bugdom. 1t is like fairy land if we only
become interested. There are many, many
kinds of beetles called colsopterous insects, be
cause they have wing cases that is. they
have shells or cases on their backs, under
which they hold their wings, some kinds using
them so very seldom that we would never
know that they had wings. A great many
live under the ground, and others on the
trees, flowers and grain. Indeed, there is
scarce place where you may not find them
All of you know that the ug gy caterpillar
becomes butterfly, but some of you may moi
know that nearly every worm you can find
turns out. some day to be creature with
wings.
Almost every child who has lived in the
country has noticed, and, perhaps, been very
much amused with the Bill Chafer, or tumble
bug, as we call it here in New Jersey. How
they seem to be playing with marbles right
in the middle of the road on hot, dusty days
How they push and tumble, and get their
Jackets all dusty in their efforts! Sometimes
it takes two or three beetles to roll their bali
up an elevation, or over some impediment in
the way.
Did you never wonder what IL such work
meant, or did you suppose it was just the
way those bugs have of amusing themselves
I can remember when Thought SO myself
But after became older began to wonder
where the bugs got the balls, what they were
made of, and what they were going to d.
with them. have since found it out, and
it is all very interesting.
They make balls out of the excretions OF
animals, in which they deposit an egg, leav
ing it in the sun until it is baked almost as
hard as marble; then begins their work.
They toll and struggle until they get the
balls three feet under ground. Then the lit
tie one is left in its spherical home from ear
ly September until the next spring, as warm
and cosy as you please, growing larger and
larger until it bursts from its shell, little
worm with six legs, and creeps up to the sur
face of the ground or, as some say, they re.
main in the balls until they become chrysa-
lids, and come out beetles or tumble bugs,
ready to begin tumbling and pushing like
their mothers before them.-A. G. ANDER-
SON, in Apra Wide A,oake.
Two GREAT CRoPs.-The United States
produced last year cotton crop worth $3.50,
100000, and corn crop worth about $685.
100000. Of total agricultural product OF
$4,OOO,O0O,OO0 the corn crop forms the larg
est item, being largely more than double the
value of the crop which used to be called the
King of American commerce. The Knight
has now laid aside his purple robe and crown
of jewels and become highly respectable citi.
zen, who is we'll received everywhere, but the
whole of his estate is far less than that Of his
plebian neighbor, Indian Corn, who enters in.
to the business of society in wonderful va,
riety of FORMS His guests sit down to a
homely bill of fare, offering hominy, griddle
cakes, egg bread, roasting ears, pudding,
Johnny cake, popcorn. He shows with pride
his well-flled stock.yards of corn.fed beeves
and porkers, which supply the home and for.
eign markets with the finest meat in the
grant sugar.cured ham, fit for the table of a
king. He has immense factories employed
making starch and syrup, consuming millions
of bushels. He runs great distilleries, which
send out alcohol enough to float a fleet Of
war vessels, furnishing material to the arts,
revenue to the government, rascality to the
whisky rings, and themes to the temperance
ecturers-Louisuille Commercial.
How TO RAISE COOP CALF-Which is
the best way to raise calf; by taking it
away from the COW soon after it is born, or
letting it run with the COW all the time
Would it do we'll if only allowed to suck
night and morning w L. c., Ohio.
If you want to see how large and fine a
calf you can raise, let it run with its mother
for three or four weeks; after which they
may be separated during the day, and put
together at night. When month old teach