158 INDIAN CORN. 



cess of the defence was complete. The invaders crept 

 backward and forward until they tumbled into the 

 deep holes aforesaid. These were soon filled, and the 

 swarming myriads were shovelled out of them liter- 

 ally by wagon loads at the rate of thirty or forty 

 'bushels a dwy and buried up in other holes dug for 

 the purpose as required. This may seem incredible 

 to persons unacquainted with this little pest, but no 

 one who has seen the countless myriads which cover 

 the earth as harvest approaches will feel inclined to 

 dispute the statement. It is an unimpeachable fact. 

 The process was repeated, till only three or four bush- 

 els could be shovelled out of the holes, when it was 

 abandoned. The corn was completely protected, and 

 yielded bountifully." 



Broadcast applications to the land, as a means of 

 protection against insects in general, have been fre- 

 quently tried, and various substances have been em- 

 ployed for the purpose, in some cases with very con- 

 siderable success. But the results of all such trials 

 are necessarily affected by a variety of circumstances. 

 Some of the articles most employed and commended 

 are unleached ashes, lime, soot, nitrate of soda, com- 

 mon salt, etc. Many farmers have found advantage, 

 as mentioned by Mr. Colman, in his third report, by 

 mixing salt with their stable-manure before applying 

 the latter to the land. 



For the weevil and the Angoumois moth the best, 

 and perhaps the only reliable remedy, is, as stated by 

 Dr. Fitch, to subject the infested grain to the heat of 

 an oven, or of a very hot room. The grain, he says, 



