25-2 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4. 



sorption. In general, land that is "bom poor'' 

 cannot be manured to advantage, unlil something 

 is done to change its constitution, whether it be 

 lime, marl, burnt clay, ashes or other substances. 

 We all know that, the decomposition of vegetable 

 matter tends to improve the generality of soils: 

 yet there is laud in our country that has had 

 weed -, grass, leaves and other matter rotting on it 

 for hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years, 

 and is yet poor. There are lands in the neighbor- 

 hood of large cities which the skill of the chemist 

 and farmer combined, has not been able to render 

 fertile. I am informed there is land not many 

 miles from London itself, that has never been 

 made productive. It would certainly be a waste 

 of manure to put it on such stubborn soils. I am 

 aware, Mr. Editor, that some of your readers un- 

 derstand these things much better than I do, but 

 there are others wKo have paid little attention to 

 the subject, and you know that to impart informa- 

 tion, and correct bad habits of long standing in 

 many persons, requires "precept on precept, and 

 line upon line." 



M. D. 



EFFECT OF QUICKLIME ON THE MAGGOTS OF 

 HESSIAN FLY. CROPS OF WHEAT IN THE 

 VALLEY. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Augusta County, Va., July 16, 1835. 



You requested "a statement of some experi- 

 ments and observations on Hessian fly." I have 

 made, no experiments on that subject, but suppose 

 Mr. A. referred to some observations on that sub- 

 ject made by me when he was here sometime 

 since. It consists in sowing lime on the wheat at 

 the time it begins to shoot; the theory of the modus 

 operandi is, that the egg that produces the worm, 

 or small insect, is deposited through the blades of 

 the wheat, and ob^ins vitality about the time the 

 stem begins to shoot or rise up, and it begins then 

 to eat it, or by ils bulk prevent the growl h of the 

 etalk. The remedy is then to sow broadcast lime, 

 first made as fine as possible and dry; and it must 

 be sowed when there is a heavy dew, or during a 

 shower of rain. About a bushel of lime to an 

 acre is thought to be sufficient. I had last sum- 

 mer an opportunity of observing a piece of wheat 

 that was treated in this manner. It appeared to 

 become yellow and be on the decline; and after the 

 application of the lime, it changed color and ap- 

 peared recruited, and was at harvest almost as 

 good as the other part of the field, in which there 

 was not any fly. You can readily conceive the 

 manner of the water or dew on the wheat be- 

 coming impregnated with lime, which it must re- 

 ceive in the process of sowing, and running down 

 the stalk, and coming in contact with the young 

 fly, and destroying it by its caustic qualities. 



The apprehension of the most desponding is 

 realized, as to the product of the crops of wheat 

 in this region of country. It has been estimated 

 at one-fourth of an ordinary crop. Perhaps taking 

 Augusta County, it may turn out so — but in my 

 neighborhood, I think, it will not be so much. I 

 think that I will not have more than the seed sown, 

 if eo much — but some others will have half a crop, 

 and some Cew as good as ordinary. Wheat, does 

 not ripen as it generally does — it is now the 16ih 

 of July, and I have harvested none as yet, though 



some people are cutting now. The time of com- 

 mencing harvest here, is usually in the last of 

 June or first of July. Wheat is generally thin 

 on the ground, and we have had a late and cold 

 spring, and wheat is taken with mildew, scab, 

 smut, and almost every disease to which it is sub- 

 ject — and being so thin as not to cover the ground, 

 weeds and cheat, and all kinds of trash grow up 

 with the wheat. In Rockbridge, the county next 

 up the. Valley, the crops of wheat are much better 

 than in this county: in many parts of that county 

 I am told their crops of wheat are good — but down 

 the Valley to the Potomac, I believe the cropa 

 have in a great measure failed. 



\VM. M. TATE. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



ON THE BAD EFFECTS OF COLD ON SOILS AND 

 THEIR PRODUCTS. 



fVardsfork, Charlotte. 



In the first place, in those regions of the earth 

 where winter is most severe, the soil is the most 

 ♦ril ; and where warmth prevails, fertility 

 abounds. 



' Secondly. Nature provides against the bad ef- 

 fects of frost, by covering the earth with trees, 

 whose, leaves dropping in autumn, prepare a cover- 

 ing against winier. Where cold is so severe as to 

 benumb the vital principle of soil, there is nothing 

 but. barrenness. 



Thirdly. Land newly cleared, is most produc- 

 tive (if well broke) the first year, being long se- 

 cured from freezing by a bed of leaves. And 

 those parts of the clearing produce best which 

 have a southern exposure. 



Fourthly. Land produces better after being 

 covered during the winter by deep snows, as these 

 snows prevent freezing. 



Fifthly. Land is more productive where it is 

 covered during the winter by logs, brush, stacks, 

 and even frocks and clay, where there is no marl. 

 Soils brought up from below the reach of frost, will 

 also produce best. 



Sixthly. Land broke in the fall and exposed to 

 the winter freeze, does not produce eo kindly as 

 when broke in the spring: though the opposite 

 notion is held by most, but. it is neither agreeable 

 to reason nor to nature. Uncovering the earth in 

 the fall exposes it to all the disorganizing effects 

 of wet and cold. Forwarding business, is the 

 only thing that can be said in favor of fall plough- 

 ing. 



Seventhly. The method which nature takes to 

 restore exhausted soil, shows it is injured by cold. 

 There is a vis medicatrix in inanimate, as well as 

 animated nature. The way we are told to become 

 eminent in medicine, is to watch the movement of 

 the conservative principle ; and so I judge it is 

 in agricuhure. When exhausted land is thrown 

 out of cultivation, the conservative principle be- 

 gins to prepare a covering for the. soil. The broom- 

 straw is generally selected. This humble sedge 

 is only of negative advantage — nature only aims 

 at a piece of economy — a home dress to hide na- 

 kedness and keep oft" cold, and tie the soil together, 

 until she can prepare a better suit. The action of 

 frost without this covering, would be altogether 

 destructive. I have observed after a freeze suc- 

 ceeded by rains, the galls increase for want ot 



