178 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cabbage plants. We can set tbem out late in the season, and 

 fill up any vacancies. It is very seldom we have a crop 

 destroyed by the cut-worm. They do come up and eat the 

 cabbages at the buts, but then we have always surplus plants, 

 and if we lose one, we put in another, and so secure a crop. 



Mr. Clement. Did you ever imagine that the use of salt 

 manure was beneficial in destroying them, or preventing their 

 ravages ? 



Mr. Ware. No, sir ; I don't think there is salt enough in 

 salt manure to have that effect. I shouldn't think it had any 

 effect in that way, because I have known pieces entirely cut off 

 by them, but not often. 



Mr. Clement. Then I would ask if you think autumn 

 ploughing is beneficial in the destruction of the larvae ? 



Mr. Ware. I think it is. I think it disturbs their arrange- 

 ments for the winter in such a way that they are not prepared 

 for the cold weather. I think that is one of the great advan- 

 tages of fall ploughing — that it destroys insects. I would avoid 

 fall ploughing on hillsides, where the rains are liable to wash 

 the soil away. It is not uncommon in the winter time, after 

 the ground is frozen on the surface of a hill, for the wind to 

 blow off any top dust that there may be ; and to avoid this blow- 

 ing away of the surface soil as much as possible, we drag it 

 down smooth. Instead of a roller, we use a drag in our vicinity 

 very much. 



Mr. Perkins. What do you call a drag ? 



Mr. Ware. The general idea of a drag is something to haul 

 rocks upon. We make one on purpose for this business. We 

 take three plank, about eight feet long, and have the inner side 

 of it bevelling a little ; nail on some cross-pieces, with one side 

 a little bevelling, — something like a sleigh runner, only not so 

 much, — and then we have a chain attached to each end, hitch a 

 team to the chain, and a man rides on the drag to drive, and 

 has a very nice time. That is the way we smooth off our land 

 after laying down to grass. It leaves the land very smooth, 

 and in fine order. If there is a stone, it will crowd it down ; if 

 there is a lump of dirt, it will grind it up, instead of pressing it 

 down, as a roller will. We think, therefore, the drag is much 

 better. The flat part I should have about two feet wide, and 

 the bevelled part need not be more than ten inches — just a slight 



