Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-02-20
PUBLISHER
AGRICULTURE.
THE sECKEL PEAR-THE ORIGINAL
TREE.

The Seckel is a small pear, but il
stands at the head OF the long list OF
pears, as it is not e9ualed by any in
point Of quality-indeed it has long
been regarded by pomologists Is the
standard of excellence. Like the great
majority of fine pears. this is a chance
Seeding. The story Of its origin. as
related TO Downing by Bishop White
is, that in the boyhood Of the latter
(now over century ago), there was,
in Philadelphia, a well-known sport
ing character, one dutch Jacob"
who on his return from his autumnal
hunting expeditions, presented his
friends with some very choice pears,
but would never tell where they came
from. After a time, Dutch Jacob pur.
chased the land upon which the pear
tree stood. The tract soon afterwards
became q part of the farm of a Mr..
Seckel, who introduced the pear to
public notice, and il received his name.
The original tree still stands, and We
Q much pleased to receive not long
ago. from Nj. John G. Browne, OF
Philadelphia, a photograph he had
taken of the parent Seckel pear tree,
and the Secael house, The property
is situated in the southern part OF the
city of Philadelphia, in a locality
known as The Neck very close 10
Girard Point, where the Schuylkill
empties into the Delaware river. The
old tree is still bearing fruit, but in
small quantity. The trunk is much
decayed and cannot last many years
longer.
THE BEST LIGHTNING-RoD.
In general, lightning rods cost a
great deal too much, and are often
badly made and set up. They are not
things to play, or fool with, and q bad
rod is worse than none, for it may at
tract the lightning and then fail to
carry it off without damage. The best
rod is Of three quarter inch round iron,
drawn to q long, sharp point, which
should DO made smooth and gilded or
coppered. The sections must be fas.
tened together with screw ferules and
the ends should be filed smooth and
bright, and be fixed in contact. Il is
quite safe if fastened to a pole a few
feet higher than the building and set
near to it, and it should extend ten or
twelve feet above the pole. There is
no need for glass fittings as i~nsulators;
iron eyes screwed into the pole, or
hooks fixed to bands to fit around the
pole, are quiet as safe as glass holders,
which are useless when wet.
The chief point is the ground con-
nection. This should BIO carried into
permanently moist earth, or, better
still, into water. We might give rea-
sons for all this, but ii one wishes to
know the why and the wherefore ne
should study a hand book of e~lectri-
city, and he will learn enough to make
quite a match for the peripatetic light
ning-rod agents, who, as a rule, are not
desirable visitors. A perfectly safe
and effective rod may be put up in the
way above described for ten TO twenty
five dollars. and will be worth more
than any Of the patent fancy things,
in too common use.-American Agrl-
cu'tur"'iat for January.
THE WASTE or SEEDS AND EGGS BY
NATURE s METHODS.
1t is somewhat singular to note the
similarity with which nature has car
ried out her designs in tho seemingly
over-production of the millions OF
seeds of plants and trees, and the mil
lions of eggs fish are made to produce.
Many millions of which perish if left
to themselves, leaving comparatively
few to grow, and of these but a small
percentage ever reach maturity.
As with plants, SO with fish. A wise
Director has given them large quanti-
ties of eggs, knowing that with these
as with seeds, many are destined never
to reach maturity, and for causes,
though widely different in their nature,
yet comparatively the same. When
the eggs are first emitted ir ON the fe-
male fish, the chances are mere than
even that they will not be vitalized by
coming in contact with the living
germs of the male fish, and in case they
do not they are worthless, and if not
devoured by some other fish or insects,
they soon decay and are lost to sight.
II the egg has been properly vitalized,
let us follow it through and sec some
of the numerous dangers which beset
it, before it shall have changed its
form into a fish. In the first place, all
kinds Of fish are fond of spawn as food.
and consider it a great delicacy; hence
they are constantly on the lookout for
the tempting morsel. A large number
Of water-bugs, reptiles, and many
birds and quadrupeds also, look upon
spawn as a desirable food, so that the
eggs are in constant danger Of being
devoured by some one of their many
voracious enemies. We will suppose
the egg has escaped destruction. and
the little prisoner has broken through
the shell. With many kinds Of fish,
when the young fry first emerge from
the egg, il is encountered with a yolk
sac, larger in bulk than all the rest OF
it put together; this sac extends from
the gills to the vent, and as long as
this remains. the little fish does not
require food. The length of time the
sac remains on the fry varies with diff.
ferent kinds of fish. With the fall
spawning kinds of fresh water fish, as
the brook trout, salmon trout, salmon,
etc, it usually requires from thirty to
ferty-five days, before it is absorbed.
With the fish which cast their spawn
in the spring and summer, as the base.
shad, perch. etc., but a few days are
required before they arc relieved of ma
lures nursing bottle. This is one great
reason why a larger percentage OF the
spawn and yOunp fish of the spring