100 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



the corn crop, or the first green-plant that is pre- 

 sented to their gluttonous appelile. 



It is entirely gratuitous to say that fall or winter 

 ploughing will destroy them. 1 have Ibund a cut- 

 worm, nearly (iill grown, early in JMarch, at the 

 root of ripple grass ([)lantairo.) Aiter the extract, 

 which I shall presenily make li'om good auihority, 

 it is to be hoped that the desiruciion of the cut- 

 worm will never again be mentioned as an apolo- 

 gy lor the pernicious praciice of (iill or winter 

 ploughing — a practice tending equally lo impover- 

 ish tile soil with that oi' leaving it exposed, naked, 

 to the scorching rays of a vertical sun. 



In the 3(1 vol. of the old American Farmer, 

 pTgp 94, will be found the result of an expsiimenl 

 by Dabney Minor, lie had a field of 110 acres 

 of heavy clover stubble. 95 of which he had 

 ploughed with two yoke of oxen to a plough in 

 the fall of 1S20. Ten of ihe 15 he had listed the 

 next spring. Five he left slandmg in clover. The 

 whole field thus prepared, with the exception of 

 the five acres in clover, was planted in corn about 

 the middle oi Apiil. " The worms commenced 

 their depredations wiih the coming up of ihe corn. 

 A large portion of the corn on thut part of the 

 field ploughed in the /all has been destroyed, and 

 the remainder £0 crippled as to render ii doubt/tti 

 whether it will recover. Tlie corn in the ten acres 

 of ihe balk land, together with the clover in the 

 balks, has been destroyed root and branch, and 

 the five acres of clover adjoining have shared the 

 same fate, i have never seen an instance of so 

 entire and complete destruction. I have on this 

 day,May 22d,reploughedand replanted the whole 

 piece, with however but little hope of succeeding 

 in a crop from it, (or the worms are as nunaerous 

 as ever." After this, let no one advocate fall or 

 winter ploughing — to kill Ihe cul-worm! 



The only method to prevent this scourge is to 

 turn under the clover crop early in August, before 

 the eggs are deposited ; and if this were done tlie 

 second year after the clover is sown, it would be 

 the better method, as well for this purpose as to 

 prevent the blue grass from getting too much 

 ahead. The rotation of crops should be changed, 

 so as to let corn follow the wheat crop. 



A knowledge of the history and habits of in- 

 sects is useful to the farmer, that he may be the 

 better enabled to counteract their pernicious influ- 

 ence. Next to the Hessian fly, the cut-worm is 

 (he most destructive to the growing crops. When 

 clover stands three years they must destroy more 

 than half the crop ol' the third year; but as this 

 does not come so immediately under his cogni- 

 zance, it is overlooked by the farmer. 



The flight of the cut-worm moths is nocturnal, 

 and they are attracted by fire. J3y kindlioij fires, 

 a lew nights in August, in and about clover fields, 

 great numbers may he thus destroyed ; and it may 

 be observed, that lor every molli destroyed at that 

 time we prevent the probable increase of some 

 hundreds of their progeny. 



Last fall 1 spread on a clover field, intended for 

 corn next spring, sboui 20 bushels of slacked lime 

 to the acre, in the full belief that it will desiroy the 

 cut-worm ; if I should be disappointed in this ex- 

 pectation, it will not be labor lost, as the land will 

 be improved by the lime sufliciently to pay the 

 expense. 



The corn crop is so important to Ihe farmer that 

 he should not spare any reasonable exertion lo 



ensure a full one. Replanted corn never comes to 

 mucfi, and it is not only a loss of time but perplex- 

 mg to have our crop tlius mutilated. 



The rotation that appears most likely to succeed 

 is the lollovving — wheat, corn, oats, wheat, clover, 

 clover. This will bring two fields each in wheat, 

 one in corn, one in oats, and two in clover. Tliia 

 would serve for the six-fi Id system. For the 

 five field tiie Ibllowing : wheat, corn, wheat, clo- 

 ver, clover. Either, by letting the corn-crop follow 

 wheat, will be Ibund a sure protection from the 

 cul-vvorm, without lall ploughing, li is the clover 

 which serves us a harbor and nursery lor the cut- 

 worm, as well as other insects; and as belbre 

 observed, it t^hould not be permi'icd to remain 

 longer than two years. VV. Jj. Uouton. 



Wood- Lawn, Fib. 16, 1842. 



RKMARKS AND INQUIRIES OK MANURES, 



To the Editor of Ihc Fanners' Register. 



I have just read, in your January number, an 

 elaborate ''essay on the making, the preserving, 

 and the ap|)l}ing of manures." Tliis is evidently 

 from ihe pen of a sensible writer ; but to farmers, 

 who like myself are interested in acquiring prac- 

 tical agricultural inlbrmation, it is desirable to 

 know liovv liir the writer's theory has been sus- 

 tained by his practice. For my own instruction, 

 then, I beg leave respectfully to inquire ol him 

 as to portions of the system he reconmnends : — ' 



Firct, what is the number of his horned cattle ; 

 what number of acres he annually manures by 

 cow- penning, (commonly so called,) and whether 

 an equal degree of leriility is imparted to the land 

 by this mode as by manuring liom the stables 

 and farm-pen in the customary manner? 



Second, as to hogs. Can farmers generally af- 

 ford to keep them up in the way described by the 

 writer, and do they thrive through our long, hot 

 and dry summers in that stale of confinement? 

 What amount of labor is necessary to collect the 

 materials fbr rhera to work up into manure, and 

 what is the comparative value of that manure, 

 mixed, as it must be, with such immense propor- 

 tions of mud, dirt and litter? What will a far- 

 mer's pork cost him, raised in this way, out of the 

 immediate vicinity of a market? 



In my county, reapers and mowers are worth 

 one dollar per day. At this rate what will it cost, 

 per acre, to cut down the weeds, &c., for litter, as 

 recommended; and is not this practice injurious to 

 the land Irom which they are taken? 



The writer of the essay is, 1 take it for granted, 

 an amateur farmer, and consequently he will not 

 be offended by these questions, which have been 

 suggested to my mind on reading it. They are 

 put in a spirit of perlect respect Ibr the talents 

 and motives of the author. 



Feb. 21, 1S42. A Young Farmer. 



TO KILL LICE ON COAVS, HORSES OR HOGS. 



From tlic Central New York Farmer. 



Take the water ui which potatoes have been 

 boiled, rub it all over the skin. The lice will be 

 dead within two hours, and never will multiply 

 again. I have used ten kinds of the strongest 



