The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-08
Notes in Wheat.

of moths in wheat, Prof. H. A Sur
face, Economic Zoologist of the State
Department of Agriculture, writes as
follows:
1t is very important for you to
thresh your wheat just as soon as
possible. The longer you let it re-
main in the straw the longer will the
weevil and moth remain in it..
Thresh the wheat and put it into
barrels, boxes or bins, and then pour
over it one pound of carbon bisulfide
for each one hundred bushels of
wheat, and eover it with wet blan-
Rets or carpets, and let it remain a
day to fumigate, and the fumes will
kill the pests.
We have published in previous
bulletins and news letters to the ef-
feet that for the weevil and moth
the threshing should be done soon.
Your communication stating that
they are worse around the outer edge
of the NOW proves just what we have
said about it. They will gradually
work farther and farther into the
NOW, and then treatment will be USE
less, if you do not thresh it and save
that which you have"
Fruit Soils.
| The relative value of limestone soil
| as compared with shaley and sandy
soils for the purposes of fruit grow
| ing is often discussed. To an in
| quirer who writes asking whether
limestone soil is best for growing
peach and apple trees, H. A. Surface,
State Zoologist, Harrisburg, Pa,
gives the following Instructions:
Replying to your letter asking
If | would advise the planting of
peach and apple trees in limestone
soil in the Lebanon Valley, and using
the land for general truck purposes,
| beg to say that l would recommend
this for the apple and pear, but
fear 1t would be too fertile to grow
peach trees with the best results.
Limestone will produce a very
rank peach tree that will probably
give more of it's strength and energy
20 growth and not enough to bear
ing, and will not give fruits of the
best color. Limestone soil, is the
best soil for apples and pears, while
sandy or shaley soil is best for
peach. Also, another point depends
upon the elevation. If it is some
what low in the valley so that there
- iibbiS Ciuy dll vi IL WOulu
not be SO good for the peach. If it |
is elevated so that the cold air would
readily drain off in one direction or
another, it would be better. To an
swer your question in full one should J
see the entire condition.
DO Bees Injure Fruits?
The Secretary of the State Bee
Keepers Association sends a news
paper clipping to DR.. Surface, from
one of the leading county papers of
the state, which contains the state
ment that bees are responsible for
injury done to grape crop, and ask
ing whether such damage is ever
done by the honey bee.
The zoologist sets forth the facts
in the case in the following interest
ing letter which should forever set
at rest this unjust charge against the
bees. The letter is as follows:
My attention has been called to
a paragraph in the Middleburg Post,
OF Thursday, September 81, to the
effect that Keeping bees in town has
become nuisance, and a great an
noyance to everybody who raises
grapes, and further suggested spray
ing with white hellebore in sweeten-
ed water.
AS a student of natural history,
as well as from the standpoint of a
bee-keeper of many colonies and
years of experience, and also from
the official position of president of
the Pennsylvania State Bee Keepers
Association, and State Zoologist of
Pennsylvania, l feel it my duty to
write few words for publication
two errors expressed or
implied in this paragraph.
"(D The bees do not puncturs
nor directly damage the grapes.
Wasps and yellow jackets do pune
Lure them. The grape is thus open
ed and damaged, and would either
be sucked dry by other insects or it
would shrivel and decay. 1t is true =,
that after it is opened by the other
Insects, the honey bee will suck out
he sweet juices, but l have tried
several times placing punches of
sound and ripe grapes where the |
money bees could reach them, and
nave found them in each case to be
uninjured. Thus the bees
should not be blamed for the damage
% the grapes, as they are not re- 1
iponsible for it.
"(2) The second error is the in o
imation that they should be spray q
ID with white hellebore and sweeten- {
I'd water. Even if this would kill the y
'ees, it would be quite wrong to de-
troy creatures. which are so bene-
icial as these are, in carrying pollen
rom flower to flower, and in many
ases being the only method of in t
uring polarization in the flower, S
md the setting of the fruit bud. 1t
would also be decided moral wrong
o destroy the bees, as they are not .
'ublic property, but are the property
# individuals, and l am satisfied that
person who kills or destroys the
property of another can be held le-
ally responsible for so doing" 6