164 STATE BOARD OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Mr. Hayden. — I am always in favor of deep culture in the early stages of the 

 com crop. What I mean by that is deep plowing and deep cultivation. But 

 •when deep culture would interfere too much Avith the roots, say after harvest, the 

 cultivation should be upon the surface. 



CUT-WORMS. 



Mr. Hampton. — I wonld like to ask if there is any objection to plowing corn 

 grouTid in the fall, especially clay soils where the cut-worms are troublesome? 

 Would not fall plowing have a tendency to kill the worms? 



Prof. Cook. — I would like to ask Mr. Beckwith if he is troubled with cut- 

 worms ? 



Mr. Beckwith. — Yes, sir. 



Prof. Cook. — Do you think spring ploAving is best where cut-worms trouble? 



Mr. Beckwith. — I have seen a great many experiments tried, and I most 

 always let somebody else try them. There are two points which I have now in 

 mind. I passed by George W. Jones' place one day in the fall, and he said he 

 expected to kill the worms so they would not affect his corn crop. I told him if 

 lie had any other business he had better go about it, for it would have no efiect on 

 the worms. I had no chance of knowing anything more about it until the next 

 fall, when I met him, and he said he wished he had taken my advice, for the 

 grubs ate the corn as bad again on the ground he plowed in the fall as where he 

 plowed in the spring. I have seen these worms when you first commence plow- 

 ing in the spring, on a warm day, crawling around, and during the night there 

 would come a hard frost, and these worms would be frozen stiff. But when 

 they thawed out they were just as lively as ever. Last Avinter Mr. Jewell dug- 

 down almost three feet before he found any of these grubs. I know that freez- 

 ing them in the ground does not affect them. 



Prof. Cook. — I do not think that a majority of the farmers of this State, of 

 New York, or of the north generally, Avill sustain Mr. Beckwith' s opinion in 

 reference to fall plowing, but he is right in thinking that the cut-worms cannot 

 be frozen to death. I have exposed cut-worms to a temperature of thirty degrees 

 below zero, and then, after taking them into my study, in a short time they 

 were lively as ever. As I have already said in my lecture, if you will plow in 

 the fall, harroAV frequently, so as to give the robins and blackbirds a chance to- 

 pick up these worms, and then harroAV early in the spring in order to let them 

 repeat the work, I believe you will be practicing the most efficient mode of Avar- 

 fare against these i^ests. 



Mr. Beckwith. — There may be something in this bird matter : but it must be 

 borne in mind that there are millions of these cut-Avorms. We have been very 

 much troubled in our part of the country, and I don't belicA'e one man in ten 

 belicA'CS fall plowing has aiiy effect in lessening the number of Avorms. Now, in 

 regard to fall plowing, I belicA'e freezing and thawing all winter has a tendency 

 to injure the soil, especially the lighter and sandy soils. 



Prof. Cook. — Late fall ploAving would have no effect, because the birds would 

 all be gone. This last fall, Avhere a man Avas ploAving, I scared up a flock of 

 blackbirds that was folloAving him, and I found a number of Avhite grubs in 

 going a distance of three or four rods. The birds were picking up these worms. 



Mr. Beckwith. — If the gentleman Avill examine closely next spring, Avhen the 

 ground first settles, he will find these AA'orms craAvling all over the surface of the 

 ground, in good condition to be picked up by the birds. Tlie best thing I ever 

 did to beat these cut-worms Avas to turn in my hogs. I had a piece of about 20s 



