VOL. XVIII.
forrcjjaniIenc
INSECTS AND Til EI R EN2MIE3.
The Relations of tho Former Theroto.Hotr
they Oiljlnato and How to Deposo Them.
UY V. S. MATTESOX.
Tho fourth, last, and most numerous
class of insects, which will bo treated of
la tlicso papers, nil undergo tho namo
transformations as tho butterflies and
moths. Hatched from tho egg a worm,
and after liviug for a longer or shorter
tinio in this condition, they go into tho
chrysalis form, from whonco in duo time
emerges tho pcrfoct insect, at) unliko its
former solf ns can woll bo conceived.
First on tho list of this class aro tho
wasps and hornets, own cousins to tho
domestic bee. Of thoso thcro aro quite
a number of vnriotios, all protty well
known and need no description hero.
Somo writors placo thorn among tho
usoful ones, but their usefulness is not
apocryphal, to say tho least. Thoir
stinging propensities roudcr thorn ob
noxious, and although tlioy catch ami
oat other insects, they also fcod upon
ripo fruits, and besides tho damago they
do in this way, their prcjcncco in tho
orchard or fruit room is n nuisance,
without compensation equivalent.
Tho mason wasp (mud-dauber) is pos
itively injurious; for, although hotter
naturcd than most others, especially tho
"yollow jacket," or tho "bold-hornet ;''
ho catches multitudes of spidors, which
ho stows away in his mortar cells ns
food for his larvra young. Tho spidor
boing a useful insect, it Mlo.va, there
fore, thnt tho mason wasp can only be
considered an injurious one.
Tho bumblo-bco desorves kindly men
tion. Ho is industrious, sociablo and
friondly, attends strictly to his own nf
fairs, and nover medilles with thoso of
others. Ho is quiet and tinnssuming,
although it is said that ho can mako
moro noiso than a whalo for his size.
Ho will fight whon ho is imposed upon,
but is novor aggressive Ho is usoful in
tho fertilization of flowora by distribu
ting tho pollen, in which, I bcliovo it is
a settled question that insects, especially
bees, play a very important part. And
I am ono who holds tho opinion that tho
domestic honoy-boo is quito ns usoful in
this direction as for tho honoy which ho
gathers.
In Europo tho gnats and intis quitos
aro callod by tho one nnmo, gnats. In
America wo mako a distinction, and call
tho largor insect n musquito. Tho school
dictionaries of thirty yoars ago define
tho musquito as "a small annoying in
sect." Correct. Butthognatisdofincd
as "a small insect that stings." Yet tho
gnat doos not sting as a bco or a wasp
does; noither doos oithor tho gnat or
musquito "bito" as animals having jaws
do ; but his probosis is a suction-tubo,
through which ho thrusts his barbed
dart into tho flesh of his victim, and
then pumps up tho cxtravasated blood
through his suction-hoso. Tho natural
food of theso insects is tho juices of
plants, obtained from tho tonder leaves
and stoma in tho samo mnnnor in which
ho phlobotonizos mankind, nut onco
having tasted blood, liko tho man-oating
tiger of tho East Indian jungle, ho for
sakes his insipid vcgetablo diot to glut
his insatiable oppetito on tho new-found
food.
Tho musquitos deposit their eggs in
shallow standing water, in pools and
ditches, any placo where the water is
warm and docs not runs and from theso
eggs hatch out tho well known "wig
gler." What tho wiggler' cats or what
ho does during his larvtu stage, other
than wiggle, I am not prepared to say,
but he does not stay in tho water long
before he comes to tho surface, bursts
open his skin upon his back, pops out
his head and shoulders, feola for tho
water (upon which ho can walk) with
his long leg', drags h;s abdomen out of
SALEM,
his skin and loaves it floating liko a tiny
canoo gono adrift, and flics off in Boarch
of something into which to thrust his
virgin probosis. Ho is both diurnal and
nocturnal, but ho avoids tho mid-day
sun, and a cool night places a "kiboosh"
upon his operations. But whon tho
tomperaturo is right tho festtvo mus
quito proceeds to onjoy himself. In
habitat ho is confined principally to cor
tain localities of country, as low, marshy
or swampy land, near whero ho can find
snitablo water to breed in. Ho is a cos
mopolitan, growing larger and moro vo
racious as ho approaches tho equator.
Oliver Goldsmith, a eelobrated Eng
lish naturalist, who flourished when our
American Statos woro only n fow baby
colonics of Great Britain, tells u?, in tho
quaint phraseology of tho long ago, that,
"Tho gnat of Europo gives but littlo un
easiness ; it is somotimos heard to hum
about our beds at night and keep oil tho
approach of sleep by tho apprehension it
causes ; but it is very different in tho ill
peopled regions of America, whero tho
waters stagnato and tho climato is warm,
and whero thoy aro produced in multi
tudes boyond expression. Tho wholo
nir is thcro lilted with clouds of thoso
famished insects, ami thoy aro found of
all sizes from six inches long to a mi
nuteness that oven requires tho micro
ecopo to havo a distinct perception of
them. Tho warmth of tho mid-day sun
is too powerful for thoir constitution,
but whon tho evening approaches nei
thor art nor flight can shield thowrotch
od inhabitants from thoir attacks;
though millions aro dostroyod, still mil
lions moro succeed nnd produce tho nec
essary torment."
Wo aro not to supposo that tho cred
ulity of this learned savant was imposed
upon by "tales of travelers," who for tho
wonderment of their readors "drew tho
long bow," when crcdiblo accounts como
to us that on tho Amazon river, in South
Amorica, unnumborod myriads of mus
quitos abound of a sizo and forocity
that challenges belief; that thoy swarm
in tho woods nnd light on tho trees and
bark as tho trnvolor passes by ; nnd no
old flat-boat man of tho ''brood-horn"
days on tho Mississippi river, whoso
musquito experiences rcudor him a com
petent judge, will question tho voracity
of this account; and I myself havo scon
in tho Snako river country, near Fort
Hall, when I crossod tho plains in ."3,
musquitos that I am satisfied would
have weighed half a (tound at loast.
Tho only remedy that I know of is to
live in a high and dry section of coun
try, or fend them off with musquito bar.
As to tho gnat, it only remains to say
of him, that ho is a diminutivo mus
quito, taking aptly after tho ways of his
big brothor.
To b. continued
To Kemovo Mou from Trees.
Dexter, On, March 25, 1830.
Editor Willamette Farmer :
Will somo of your readors bo so kind
as to tell mo what is tho best way to ro
movo tho moss that grows on our fruit
trees, nnd whioh is certainly vory injur
ious to tho trees, to say nothing of tho
shabby appoaronco it givos to an or
chard. I wish to plant somo corn this spring
and would bo thankful if somo ono who
has had experience would tell mo tho
best way to prevent crows from des
troying the samo just as it makes its
appearanco nbovo ground.
I would liko to correspond with somo
ono who has seed corn to sell which is
well adapted to our climato.
S. Handsakkr.
Personal.
Dear Bro. Meek, Ed. "Tho Central
Methodist," Catlettsburg, Ky.
I sco in tho last 'Central" that you
wont n sick heudache remedy. I suffer
ed from sick headache, almost from in
fancy, nnd tried ovory remedy I cou'd
get, but nover found anything to do me
good until I used Simmons Liver Regu
lator. I feel for anyoro that suffers with
that terrible disease, and I hopo you will
givo it a trial. 0. S. Mouitis, Browns
ville, W. Va.
IITTIB- ;
OREGON, FRIDAY,
BEE NOTES FOR APRIL.
UY K. Y. CHASE.
Races of Dees Continued.
Tho last twonty-flvo yonrs, which is
tho era of modern bco keeping, has boon
characterized by three important inven
tions, viz : movablo frames, foundation
comb, tho honoy extractor, nnd tho in
troduction and propagation of now races
of bees. Of theso it is difllcult to deter
mine which has had most to do in pla
cing boo-kceping among tho important
industries of our hind. It is certain,
however, that tho last-named, viz : in
troduction of now races, is not tho least
important. Theso aro chiefly Italians,
Cyprions, Holy Land or Syrian and Car
nolians. Of these, Italians havo boon
tho longest known nnd mostoxtonsivoly
used, thoy hold thoir own woll, and aro
first in tho estimation of bec-kocpors
generally. Cyprians nnd Holy Lands
possoss good qualities, and aro grcnt
honey gatherers, but their cross disposi
tion will provent them from becoming
favorites and in general use.
Carnolians aro said to bo prolific,
good honoy gathcrors, nud aro distin
guished tor thoir gontlonoss. Thoy como
frojn Oaruolia, n provlnco ofyItaly, situ
ato at tho hood of tho Gulf of Vonico.
Italian bees compnro with tho German
or common black bees ns follows: Thoy
aro bottor tempered, much mora prolific
nnd consequently cast largor swarms ;
thoy aro larger, heavier, moro onergotic,
hnvo longer tongues and will work on
rod clover, henco thoy aro belter honoy
gnlhercrs. Thoy begin to work carlior
in tho spring but quit breeding carlior in
tho fall. Thoir hives aro 'much less in
fested with moth, boing strong and
hardy thoy aro not apt to bo robbed,
will stand tho winter hotter and como out
stronger in tho spring. By hybrldziug
with blacks tho quality of tho latter is
vastly improved, in fact hybrids possess
all tho valuablo qualities of tho puro
Italians with tho singlo exception of
gentleness of disposition, though possi
bly aro not crossor than puro blacks.
During tho post tlireo years thoro have
been kept in my yard and subjoctod to
tho some treotrnont, puro Italians, hy
brids and blacks ; us tho result of oxpo
riunco thcro is no hesitancy in giving
preforenco to puro nnd hybrid bees. It is
my bolief th.it they excel in all valuablo
qualities, four to ono. Somo broedora
think that for making comb honoy
lila-'ks m.iko tho nicest and whitest ; this
is not my belief ; to mo thoro is no per
ceptibla difluronco in quality. Cortainly
Italians produco moro than twico tho
quantity.
It is when tho combs aro raised out of
tho hivo for tho various manipulations
necessary in changing from ono hivo to
unothor, in introducing qucons, divid
ing, and particularly whon using tho
honoy oxti actor that tho superior quali
ties or Italians becomo ovidont. Open a
hivo nf blacks, to find a quoon, so soon
as thoy feel tho smoko thoy becomo per
fectly demoralized. After filling with
honoy thoy lcavo tho combs and huddlo
in dense clusters, nnd it is a day's work
to find her. Italians remain perfectly
quiet on tho combs, tho beautiful yollow
queen conspicuous on account of hor
color and sizo, perhaps depositing her
eggs, apparently not in tho least con
cerned at your closo proximity.
Soma weeks siuco mention was mado
of largo honoy yields, and a statement
that 100 pounds surplus was 'not un
common. In support of that htatoment
let mo quoto from a letter to tho Glean
ings, a bco journal published byMr.
Hoot of Ohio. Tho ontiro lotter is too
long givo to horq :
"From fill colonies in tho spring of
1883 we extracted 22,087 pounds of
honoy, an averago of 101J pounds per
colony. Tho spring of 1881 wo had 291
colonies, from 287 colonics wo extracted
31,283 pounds of honoy; comb honoy
200 pounds, from four colonies, an aver
ago of 109 for tho 287 extracted nnd 51 J
APRIL i), 188(.
pounds of comb honoy from tho four
for comb honoy."
Tho gontlcman from whoso lotter I
quoto lives in Wisconsin, has had many
losses from sovero wiutors and othor
causes which do not affect us horo in
Oregon. If wo, in this Stato, will Blip
ply oureolvos with tho modorn nppli
nncos of bee-keeping thoro is no reason
why our honoy yield should not bo as
largo as that of any Stato, butjwo cannot
keep thorn in apple boxes, barrels, and
hives that cannot bo opened except with
a hammor and chisscl and expect such
great quantity. In tho hivo manufac
tured by mo it is possiblo to obtain tho
host results in tho yioldof both oxtractod
nnd comb honoy. Itoports havo been
mado to moot yields of 50 nnd GO pounds
box honoy mado by common black bees,
by thoso who purchosod hivos of mo
last year.
Thoro is no reason why Oregon honoy
should not only supply tho Oregon nmr
kot, but bo sent abroad, it our people
will tako proper measures thorofor.
Whito clover, from which tho finest
honoy in tho world is made, is found
generally throughout tho valloy, and is
tho best honey-producing plant in tho
north.
Lettor From the Red Hills.
Fair View, March 20, 1880.
Editor Willametto Farmer t
Not seeing any communications from
this section of tho country I thought I
would attoinpt tho task by saying that
our school mooting passed off as usual
nnd to tho satisfaction of tho majority.
Electing n lady director nnd a lady clerk,
and voting no tax for tho first timo in
cloven yoars. Wo hnvo boon having
considerable rain of lato, with somo four
inchos of snow on tho 10th, that lay on
ono day. Our hills can boast of ns fine n
prospect for tho coming crop ns nuy por
tion of Oregon. I novor saw whoi.t
looking bettor than now at this season
of tho year. I bollovo that all aro through
socding in tho hills. From horo tho
Santinm bottom looks ns though it would
bo somo timo beforo Hooding could bo
finished.
Tho prohibition party seems to hnvo
n goodly numbor of warm friends of
both tho old croeds in this part of tho
moral vineyard. I think thoy number
cqunl to cithor of tho othor two purtlos,
so you eoo somebody has got to whip
liko blazes to got out nhond, I think
thoy hnvo a splendid ticket, ono not
easily objoctod to by ovoryono. If this
meets your favor you can can uso it.
J. II. Euii.v.
Clark County (W. T.) Agricultural Society.
Vancouver, W. T., March 18, '80.
Editor Willamette Farmon
Plcaso notico in your paper that tho
Clark County, W. T., Agricultural
and Mechanical Society will hold thoir
annual fair this year on their grounds
at Vancouver, beginning Soptombor 7th
and continuing flvo days, closing Sep
tember 11th, 1880. Efforts aro nlrcody
boing mado to mako this yonrs fair
better than overbold. Respectfully,
Geo. C. Hitoiicook,
Sec. C. Co. A. and M. Society.
Attention is called to tho advertise
ment of 1. J. Armstrong it Co. in this is
sue This firm is successors to Androw
Kelly, who has beou long and favorably
known in Salom and vicinity. Wo woro
in tho carriago repository of this firm
last week and were surprised with tho
oxtensivo stock of homo mado buggies,
carriage and hacks they havo on hand.
Just at this timo n bargain ns well ns u
first-class vehicle can be had very cheap.
Apply nt onco and seo tho display. Im
pairing of all kinds dono with neatness
and dispatch.
By lack of open air exorcise, and tho
want of sufficient cam in tho mattor of
diet, tho wholo physical mechanism be
comes imparled during tho winter.
Ayer's Harsaparilla is tho proper remedy
to tako in tho spring of tho year to purify
tho blood, oxcito tho liver to action, anil
restore health and vigor.
NO. 9,
IN MBMORIAM.
A Tribute to the Memory of tho Late Danle
Clark.
It is not to doubt tho wisdom of na
All-wiso Creator thnt wo say, "Why is it
so, when from our midst is tnkon ono
who scorns most needed, most usoful nnd
necessary to nil. But, bolioving in tho
eternal blessings of nn hercaftor, wo
feel assured that his work was finishod,
and ho was called to his rownrd.
Many hoarts havo been stirred to givo
expressions of sympathy to tho boroaved
family, nud to testify to tho grandeur
and nobility of ono who was friend and
father to tho least nud wonkcat of nil
cronturos, and novor wns man or boast
turned from his door, for his hospitality
amounted to religion, bo generous nnd
humano it was. And with deaf cars to
censure, would nover hcarnught ngainst
friend or woman.
I was privileged to see tho numorous
pon tributes thnt enmo to comfort tho
widow in hor trial from tho States nnd
Territories, nnd whito rending I fully
realized how grcnt tho loss to frionds,
but found myself iucnpnblo of following
to tho depths of tho door companion's
sorrow. Companion sho had boon in tho
f til loot sense of tho word, for though (in
his sonsitivo appreciation of all that was
refined nnd gontle) ho could not tolorato
anything liko masculinity in woman, ht
took his young wifo to his confidcuco,
and, whilo shielding hor from immedi
ate contact with business, gavo hor tho
truo principles whioh constituto n man's
word, his bond. Just how koonly sho
feels already tho weight and rcsponsi
tics of both fathor and mother to hor
children nono can know oxcopt thoso
who hnvo had and lost tho trtiostfrlond
n woman can havo, a noblo husband.
His thrifty indopondonco nnd strong
determination t3 do, whon impelled by
his sonso of duty nnd right, is Inhoritod
by his children, who havo turnod to
bravely faoo tho futuro with eolf-roli-unco.
Although not a profo.wing Chris
tian, his ovory day lifo demonstrated it.
Tho practice of charity, whoso mantlo in
widespread, his lovo of music, birds, and
especially flowers, his nbhonnco of pro
fanity, which ho prohibited among his
men, prove tho prosonco of tho truo
spirit of godlin . It furring to flow
ins ng.nu, must add that when I wit
ni'"(J the gcntla toudnrnoss with whioh
ho linen g.ithorcd n fow littlo wild flow
er'', I said mon tally, horo is ono of tho
wonderful, priceless jewels to which God
somctimm gives tho rough, unpolished
settings. His last days woro full of un
told suffering, but bis chief thought was
for tho door ones about him. Ho pit
tied them so of ton saying, it is so much
harder for thoso who aro loft than tho
ono departing this lifo. Ho did not
droad it, was ovon willing to go, only re
gretting it for thoir sakes.
And now, with a fow paragraphs from
tho letters of loving frionds who valued
him ns fow mon aro valued, I must tako
leave of subject of which I could writo
much moro and still feel that words
woro inadequnto to express my apprecia
tion of tho qualities of mind and heart
which ho possessor).
Ono writes :
"I can hardly bring inysolf to realize,
that your dear husband, nnd my most
trusted nud valued earthly friond has
past beyond that mystic river, novor
moro to moot nnd mingle with us in
social converso in this lifo."
Another says:
"It was n privilogo to know him, and
how rich is yours and his childrons
horitugo, in having wulked so iutimato
ly with him, how sweet aro your
memories, and how procious tho in
lluenco ho over gavo out."
A third contains tho loving sontonco.
"His lifo has boon ono of usefulness
and his memory will bo hold sacred by
all who know him."
With n summing up of thoso superior
traits of manhood, ho scemod to have
lived us if ho thought.
"I expect to puss through this lifo but
once, if, therofore, thero bo any kindness
or good things I can show or do to my
fellow beings, lot mo do it now, let mo
not defer or neglect It, for I shall not
pass this way again." II. P.