VOL. LX.
INDIANAPOLIS, APRIL 8,1905.
NO. 14
THE SAN JOSE SCALE.
The life history of the San Jose Scale,
the greatest insect pest of modern times,
is n most interesting romance of nature,
an-d a tragedy as well, says a writer in
The Garden Magazine. Commencing in
June for a period of approximately six
weeks the females continue to produce
young, each averaging nbout four hundred, or from nine to ten every twenty-
four hours.
The new-born wanders forth in search
of a favorable place to 'establish itself,
and within relatively few hours (on an
average a little over twenty-seven) settles
at some convenient point and works its
slender,   hair-like     beak ^IZ^^^ZZ
through the bark. If it
be a female, it never
moves from this spot,
and soon loses legs
antennae and eyes and
becomes virtually an animated pump drawing
the vital fluids from
the tree.
The female scale insect requires about
thirty days to attain
maturity, and the male
from twenty-four — to ■
twenty-six; thus the
round of life may be
completed in thirty-
three to forty days.
Detailed studies made
at Washington show
that four entire generations are normally developed in a year. The
fecundity of the insect,
in connection with its a-
liility to produce a number of generations annually, results in an e-
normous increase, and it
is estimated that a single individual may n
one reason become the
progenitor of over three
billion. It is no wonder   that   many      trees 	
succumb to the fearfiul drain.
The San Jose Scale has been recorded
upon a large number of food plants, but
is very injurious to comparatively few.
The fruit-trees—peach, pear, plum, cherry
and apple—are preferred in about the
order named. Currant-bushes are very
subject to injury, and among ornamentals
none are worse affected than Japanese
quince. Lilacs, snowberry, willows and
some other ornaments are also liable to
serious injury. Care is necessary to prevent damage to the trees.
the sides of frame should be G inches
high nt one end nnd five inches high nt
the other end, so the frame will be
straight nil the way around. On top
this frame may be in four separate pieces,
and held from pushing outward by means
of stakes. For partitions we will use
one inch boards, with pins in bottom edge,
one pin nt each end and one in the middle; the pins to go into holes bored in
platform. Now we have our molds ready
to fill with cement. Of course we will
use straight edge on top.. If we want to
put wires lengthwise in posts, which I
rhink is necessary, we will bore holes in
frame four holes for each end of each
post largeenough for number twelve wire;
with   up-to-date   ideas,   and   I   am   yours
truly
Forest Hill Farm.       Geo. II. .Tamos.
WANTS AN AUTOMOBILE.
Editors Indiana Famer:
If any of the Farmer readers have had
experience, iu the use of the automobile I
would like to hear from them, ns I nm
wanting to make a "study" as to their
merits in getting a "red devil," os "run
nbout," for the next outfit.
We hayseeds should not let the twentieth century progress gained irr the use of
motor cars and flying machines all be enjoyed by others, no less laudable in the
walks  of  life  than  the  common   wealer,
/
Farm  Home  in  the  Big  Bend   Country, State of Washington.
MOLDS FOR CEMENT TOSTS.
Editors Indlsna Farmer:
I noticed some inquiry in regard to
molds for cement posts we have not made
nny cement posts'but intend making some
this season as I think they are the cheapest posts that can he had. I have a plan for
making them, but it is to be tried yet.
We will first make a platform, the
length I want my posts, and as wide as
the number of posts I wish to make nt
<me time.If I make twelve posts at one
time, six inches square nt one end, nnd
holes should be one inch from bottoih and
lop and one inch from partition. Now
■vc are ready to make posts with wire
through them. We will fill in our cement
about one inch; then put iu two wires for
each post. These wires may be left in
one piece, draw them through so they will
be as near straight as possible, and fasten ends then fill within one inch of top,
and put in other two wires, and finish filling. Use straight edge top; cover them
over and let stand until cement is sufficiently set, then loosen wires, take out
one end and one side of frame, nnd take
posts out. If any one has a better plan,
or can add to this, would like to hear
him.
Tutnatn Co. L. A. Dobbs.
A  USEFtfL .MACHINE.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
P'ease eommeml to the Farmer family t' e use of the hydraulic tarn for farm
".*, where there is a spring on the premises. Two of my friends here have installed them the past year, and it seems
little short of wonderful what works the
fivq inches square at the other end, I will ; little machine, no larger than nn ordinary
make outside frame seven feet and nine ilea kettle, will do, and the whole plant
inches at one end and five feet eleven for a 1000 ft. system costing less than a
inches at the other end. That will in- ■ good pump would cost, and any constant
elude eleven one inch spaces for parti- i stream furnishing 5 gallons per minute
tions between posts. The outside frame I will operate one. They would save many
should be six inches high at the wide end ! a weary trudge in hundreds of situations j Of the 9,201,000 negroes in the United
and five inches high at the narrow end; j in the state,    Keep  the  farmers  in  line j States. 77 per cent work in the fields.
where he can afford them.
1 hope eventually to posess an air
motor, or at least take a few ffying trips
across the country, but just at this time
'tis a surface run' that I'm interested in.
So, if any one has "doing the grand
round" as opportunity offers, let him
light the gasoline and report results.
Grant Co. I. M.
—We fear that you will get but few
replies among our readers. We do not
know of any who have yet invested in an
auto. Try the city papers, or come to
this city and investigate. You will see
all styles here, any pleasant afternoon on
the street. Go up on the monument
in the circle, ami within an hour you may
count 100 of the machines traversing the
streets.—Ed.
IT KEErS HIM   HEALTHY.
E.lltors Indiana Farmer:
Have been reading the Fanner for 30
years and could not get along ami keep
healthy without it. The great wonder
with me is why so many Indiana farmers
do not receive it. Surely them are standing
in their own light. Success to you.
Edinburg.   Ind. John   Stirre.
STRING  TREPANATIONS AND
TOOLS.
This is the time of year to begin- to prepare for active business.    If you can do
so, buy your hives nnd supplies now, nnd
prepare them before the busy season begins.     If you need any considerable number of hives it is best to buy them in the
flat nnd trail and paint them yourself. Do
not try to cut them out yourself, unless
younre well fixed forit, nnd then don't try
it unless you get a model to work from.
The manufacturers and originators of the
hives hare spent a    great deal    of their
time in figuring out the exact space to
give, to each frame,    the    best style    of
the  various foee  spaces, and many other
fine  points    that    mean
a      great      deal,      but
if you do not have these
all just right   you   will
lose    time   and    money.
You     should     prepare
ns many hives    ns    you
expect to    get    swarms,
and it    you    intend    to
raise your own    queens,
you      should        prepare
several      extra       lower
stories complete.
As the weather becomes warmer you can-
prepare your sections
and foundations better
than in cold weather
If yon handle them
in the winter you must
have n real warm room
to work in.
The first tools you will
need will be a smoker
and veil. Y'ou can- usually procure these
at your hardware
store or you ean send
to a dealer in supplies.
Y'ou can get along
without a veil for a
while, but a smoker
is very essential.
  This is all    the    tools
you     will       need     fox
  some    time    to    produce
comb honey, except some device to fasten
foundation in your sections, and a swarm
catcher when you get several colonies.
The sections mostly used are the 4*4x414
square sections, open top and bottom, \\^
to 1% wide. They will work best in warm
damp weather.
Seasonable Hints.
Do not spray your fruit trees while they
are out in blossom, ns it injures you*
fruit and bees, and does not kill the codlin moth; wait a week or ten days and
you will kill the moth.
Bees have wintered rensonably well
this time, but most of them are not very
strong. Many bees died and fell down.
Clean these out.
The first pollen came in to-day, March,-
24.
Now is the time to select your stocks
to raise queens from. Always use your
strongest colony for that purpose.
I receive many letters without stamps
enclosed. I always enjoy answering* letters, but Uncle Sam insists on having his
pay for carrying them, and 15 or 20 a
week and sometimes more, soon counts
up.
Redkey, Ind. Geo. W. Williams.
The present population of Great Britain ami  Ireland  is  about 42.750,000.
Fruits grown in China are usually inferior in flavor, but superior to American
in keeping qualities.
Asparagus is said to be the oldest plant
used for food.