The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-03

neiehbors who thought the etudiea Of tts
properties Of ellipses and trienRles the sheer.
est waste OF time. but In that waste OF time lay
the groundwork Of astronomy aud the practi-
cal arts OF the engineer and navigator Az we
look at them In their long row OF cases. most
formidable are the grubs. files. and beetles
which enforce upon man their partnership in
the fruits OF the earth which he has improved
aud cultivated with so much pains. Here Ia
display after display Of the Mighty developed
ingenuity by which thoy maintain their foot
hold or widely extend their range OF destruc-
ton. Take the case OF the apple magRot.
which thrives In Maine to the dismay OF the
orchardlst. and you have typical example OF
the difficulties VI fight with an insect. and OF
the value OF careful observation before declar-
ing war. In studying the magg OTIS life history
Mr.. r. l.. Harvey. at the Orono experiment sta
ton. found that windfalls particularly abound
with the pest. and that soon after apple fal Is
60 the ground the msggot goes into the earth
there In due season to send forth a new brood
OF devastators The moral OF this to
the apple growers OF Maine is plain
enough: gather your windfalls promptly. aud
II you cannot feed them to hogs destroy
them. In series OF admirable colored draw
ings Mr.. Harvey presents the whole cycle OF
tho mig COTS activity and clearly brings out
tho weakest point for attack.
For the best example OF the usefulness OF
this kind OF research to fruit growing industry
we must djourn for Il nomentto the cases OF
the Department OF Agriculture In the Gov
eminent building. and there SEQ the futeh
scale insect which Ave years ago threatened
tho orange groves OF California with oxtinc-
ton. When In their extremity the orange
growers sought at Washington the advice Of
Mr. c. v. Riley. entomo!oglst to the depart-
ment. he asked: Where did the pest come
FROM" Australia" was the answer. rs 1t
much OF nuisance there?" Not particu-
lnrly" "Then what keeps It dowu: what
rreys upon 1t ?" Nothing specially" was tho
response Dissatisfied with this reply. Mr..
Riley sent to Australia trained entomologist
in the person OF Mr. Albert Koebele who gath
cred various species Of insects that were seen
TO prey upon tho futed scale. Distributing
those on his arrival in California he was for
tunate enough to find that one OF his assisted
emigrnnts. lady bird. known in the books as
Veddlia cardinals. fed raven usly on the
flnted scale as to extlrpate it Its orange
groves saved. California enlisted Mr.. Koebele
to do battle with other OF its insect plaques.
convinced that thoroughly informed student
and observer is the most valuable ally the far
msr and fruit grower can engage.
FIGHTING INJURIOUS FUNGI
To return to tho show OF the experiment
Beside arraying one insect az ainst
an other. the fight against vermln in the field
and garden is largely matter OF chemistry.
Here are scores OF preparations OF arsenic.
corrosive sublimate. and equally deadly pois-
ons to be applied with bellows. or pumps and
spraying machines. With valuable trees an
inclosing tent can be readily set up for the
In O simple apparatus Of hydro
nhl lv fota 20 I'M M In
sects are not tho only pests OF the farm and
orchard. Some the most baneful are. like GER
tain patent medlcines. purely vegetable Rusts.
for example. are fungi we'll nigh omnlvorous.
In their manifold kinds they attack crops as
diverse rs wheat, oats. barley. cotton. apples,
beets. celery. clover. oranges. plume. pears.
peaches. turnips, sugar canes. and straw
berries It 10. perhaps. as o wheat pest that
rust does most damage: as the air is its faith
full carrier and the fungus eats into tho very
heart OF the plant 1t feeds on tho task Of GUST
ing 1t has so far proved bathing. 1t is other
wise with smut. which. especially In its fetid
variety. has been In the past one OF the princl-
pal scourges OF the wheat field. To DR.. J. l.
Jensen. a Danish experimenter. 10 due sim
pie preventive for fettd smut: 1t Is soaking
the seed in water heated to 1899 Fahrenheit
for minutes. This kills the smut spore and
leaves the grain mono the worse. but rather
better. for its warm bath. Potato scab. O seri-
Gus nuisance has been traced by Mr. Fl. L.
Bolley OF the Fargo station. n. D.. as due to
bacteria. which can be destroyed by i'm
potato sections for 80 minutes
before planting In a solution OF ounces OF
sublimate in 10 gallons OF water.
Experience shows that the disease Affects the
soil which has borne a crop OF tainted tubers.
and how to combat that evil Mr.. Bolley Is now
InQuiring. The chinch bug. one OF the most
persistent pests OF wheat. corn. and grasses,
has boon abated materially since the introduce
ton OF the fungus disease due to micrococcus
insectorum. The leaders In this particular fight
have been Prof Snow OF the Kansas station at
Lawrence. and Prof. Forbes OF tho Illinois
station at Champaign.
PARASITES CAN BE HELPFUL.
One Of the most striking exhibits made by
tho men OF experiment In agriculture 10 q
small row OF phials in which are the roots OF
peas. beans. clover. and other plants. showing
The little warts or nodules which are the dwell
ing places Of certain bacteria. These bacteria
are known to be very profitable tenantry. for
while they consume little OF the root wherein
hoy lodge. they pay handsome rent in the
vital compounds OF nitrogen which they build
I'D out OF the air and pass on to the plant
,omp pounds which the plant could not easily
yet In any other way. Nitrogen thus obtained
10 a free gift Of nature, for it forms four-afths
of the volume OF the air: nitrogen as an ole
ment In artificial fertilizers Is u costly pur-
chase. That peas and other plants could de-
rive nitrogen from the atmosphere has long
been clear to Prof. W. o. Aviator OF Middle
town. Conn. and other Investigators. 1t was
reserved for Prof. HellrieCel OF the export
nent station at BernburG Germany, to dis
,over tho process. to trace the singular and
helpful partnership which can sub
sist between a plant and the bacteria at its
-oots. Prof. Aviator says that scarlet clover.
Alfalfa. serradela. peas. COW peas. beans
and lupne. all acquire large Quantt-
les Of nitrogen from the air during
growth through parasitic commissariat.
The inclusion OF the COW pea In this list is OF
special importa nee to the Southern farmer: in
Northern and Eastern States the scarlet clover.
under conditions that insure Its thorough in.
oculatlon." Ia being widely introduced. The
contrast between poas inorulatsd and not in
,culated Is plainly brought out In much en-
argeh photographs Of root systems sent to
he exhibit by Messrs. I,awes Il Gilbert from
heir famous farm at Rothamsted. in Eng |
and. These pictures explain what 30 long
puzzled observers. the fact that a crop Of peas |
l.a. kna I'll INF