﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  185 
  

  

  or 
  strew 
  the 
  berries 
  or 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  China 
  tree, 
  or 
  the 
  

   bark 
  and 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  sassafras, 
  through 
  the 
  mass 
  in 
  

   the 
  same 
  way. 
  

  

  None 
  of 
  these 
  expedients 
  have 
  proved 
  effectual, 
  and 
  I 
  

   am 
  inclined 
  to 
  think, 
  from 
  conversation 
  with 
  many 
  ju- 
  

   dicious, 
  practical 
  planters, 
  that 
  the 
  cribs 
  cannot 
  be 
  too 
  

   close 
  or 
  dark. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  their 
  experience, 
  also, 
  that 
  the 
  d&- 
  

   struction 
  of 
  the 
  weevil, 
  which 
  is 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  

   is 
  best 
  accomplished 
  by 
  gathering 
  the 
  corn 
  when 
  quite 
  

   wet, 
  immediately 
  after 
  a 
  rain, 
  and 
  housing 
  it 
  in 
  that 
  

   state. 
  Sufficient 
  moisture 
  is 
  retained 
  to 
  occasion 
  a 
  de- 
  

   gree 
  of 
  heat 
  in 
  the 
  mass, 
  adequate 
  to 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  

   the 
  weevil, 
  either 
  in 
  its 
  mature 
  or 
  larva 
  state, 
  without 
  

   at 
  all 
  damaging 
  the 
  corn. 
  The 
  close, 
  dark 
  crib 
  secures 
  

   it 
  then 
  from 
  further 
  damage, 
  as 
  very 
  few 
  weevil 
  will 
  

   find 
  access 
  to 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  must 
  be 
  understood, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  corn 
  is 
  not 
  

   to 
  be 
  exposed 
  to 
  rain 
  after 
  being 
  pulled 
  from 
  the 
  stalk, 
  

   or 
  when 
  lying 
  in 
  heaps 
  on 
  the 
  ground. 
  If 
  so, 
  it 
  be- 
  

   comes 
  saturated, 
  and, 
  if 
  put 
  up 
  in 
  that 
  state, 
  would 
  in- 
  

   fallibly 
  mildew 
  and 
  spoil. 
  

  

  In 
  gathering 
  corn 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  it 
  is 
  sUi^shuched, 
  as 
  it 
  

   is 
  termed 
  ; 
  that 
  is, 
  the 
  footstalk 
  is 
  broken 
  off 
  within 
  

   the 
  shuck, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  outer 
  coarse 
  and 
  weathered 
  

   folds 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  stalk, 
  the 
  ear 
  remaining 
  enveloped 
  

   in 
  two-thirds 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  sound 
  and 
  softer 
  folds 
  or 
  

   layers, 
  which 
  serve 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  corn 
  from 
  

   shelling 
  off 
  and 
  wasting 
  in 
  the 
  hauling 
  and 
  housing, 
  but 
  

   supply 
  a 
  large 
  store 
  of 
  valuable 
  forage 
  for 
  mules 
  and 
  

   cattle, 
  even 
  more 
  nutritious, 
  when 
  properly 
  treated, 
  than 
  

   the 
  blades 
  themselves. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  estimate 
  the 
  average 
  production 
  per 
  

   acre, 
  throughout 
  the 
  State. 
  Perhaps 
  it 
  is 
  as 
  low 
  as 
  

  

  