The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-05-21
OF INTEREST 10 FARMERS.
Prof Riley Predicts . Locust Plague
Irrigation "A Bureau Of
Dairy Products

Washington tolcRram-l
According TO Prof. @. v. Riley. United
States Entomologist. we are to experience
this year very extended appearance Of the
insect known as the periodical cicada. alias
"the Icventeen-year locust" Prof. Riley,
who has made many original observations
on this insect. and who seventeen years
ago published an account of twenty two
distinct broods. and first announced TINT
there il thirteen-year race Of the species,
states that we shall witness this year the
conjunction Of two distinct broods-one
n seventeen-year and the other thir-
teen year brood. These two broods
have not appeared simultaneously since
the year 1864. The sixteen year brood
is located principally in the Misss-
sippi Valley, reaching up as far as the
mouth of the MISSOURI and having its
thickest centers in Union County. Southern
Illinois, and in Kansas. Missouri. Georgia,
Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi.
The seventeen-ye year brood is one of the
largest OF those known to occur and will
appear on Long Island in Kings and in
Monroe Counties, New York. at Fall River.
in the southeastern portion Of Massachu-
sets. in parts of Vermont, and very gen.
orally in Pennsylvania, Maryland, District
Of Columbia, Delaware. and Virginia. also
in Northwestern Ohio. in Southern Michi-
gan, in Indiana. and Kentucky. This Curl
Gus insect according to race, remains
either for thirteen or seventeen years un-
derground, developing slowly, and some
times burrowing far below the frost line.
Prof. Riley says that they will be-
gin to rise from the ground about the latter
part Of May in the more southern portion
of the country and early in June in the
northern portion, and the woods will re-
sound with the hoarse rafting noise which
the males make, the females being noise
less. The seventeen year brood that is to
occur this year has been we'll recorded for
Ills, 1872, 1749, 1865, 1888, 1900, 1917,
1884, 1851, and 1868. Prof Riley Witnessed
it himself in 1868, and while the under
ground life of the insect has been hitherto
inferred only from the periodical appear
ance of the perfect insect he has since then
been able to establish it by direct obserya-
ton Of the development of the larvae from
year to year.
IRRIGATION.
The Department Of Agriculture is about
to make an exhaustive inquiry into all mat
tiers relating to irrigation. The special OBJ
ject in view is to ascertain the best means
for the improvement of the arid-land re-
gion of the Western plains. The following
series of questions has been prepared. to
be submitted to all who have any knowledge
of the subject:
!. State your location, character Of enterprise,
whether corporate. community, or individual;
amount OF capital stock, amount invested, pres
ent value of works
:. Extent of works. length of main canal, OF
secondary bitches. capacity OF reservoir IN any;
sources of water supply. volume, It's variability.
seasons; distinguish between natural and artih-
cial sources, as rraning streams or wells.
3. State areaof land served by your works,
area now under water, area in your locality that
may b. reclaimed.
whether IL be one cubic inch per second or one
cubic foot per second State amount OF water
rate or rentsl, whether by acre, season. or year.
Also IL the service" of water is continuous for
season. II not, when and how IL Is served Also
If the service Is byuiooding, covering superficial
surface Of water, or whether by ''seepage" from
5. Are distributing regulations made by the
company or the community Are there general
laws In your state or Territory governing the
water supply and its distributioal
6. What Is the duty OF water-that is, how
much land per season Is irrigated by one cubic
foot per second, or by one cubic inch per SEQ
Z. What is the difference in the value of land.
IL any. before and after the construction Of your
works and consequent use of irrigation?
8. What is the average annual rainfall In your
region What effect, IL any. has irrigation had
on increase OF humidity. either in the earth or
by precipitation from the atmosphere?
BUREAU OF DAIRY PRODUCTS.
The Commissioner of Agriculture has de-
termined upon the establishment of bu-
reau which is to be devoted exclusively to
dairy products.
Prof. Taylor. the microscopic of the de-
partment, has already made the very i'm
portant discovery which he believes will
prove to be an absolute test to detect oleo-
margarine or any imitation of butter. He
has made a great many experiments. and
thinks that he has demonstrated the fact be-
yond any possibility of doubt that under the
microscope butter particles always as
sumo the form of a perfect gobule
upon which is distinctly marked q
St Andrews cross. He says every
other fatty substance presents very different
forms and has equally marked character
istics. Pure butter has been examined in
all its possible forms-sweet ancid, and
melted-and the result has always been the
same-a perfect globule with St. Andrews
cross. The process is said to be SO simple
that child, after one explanation. can AL
ways toll genuine butter. The experiments
are to be submitted to the other microscop-
lists and scientists In the different branches
of the Government service. Prof. Taylor
is much elated with his experiments, and is
confident that they have been sufficiently
numerous to prevent the possibility Of q
mistake. Commissioner Colman is satisfied
that this is an infallible means Of detecting