296 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 5 



one of these apparent modes of destruction be- 

 comes an actual means of extending the spe- 

 cies. The eggs of the pike, the barbel, and many 

 other fish, says M. Virey, are rendered indigesti- 

 ble by an acrid oil which they contain, and in con- 

 sequence of which they are. passed in the same 

 condition as they were swallowed, the result of 

 which is, tha: being taken in by ducks, grebes, or 

 other water fowl, they are thus transported to situ- 

 ations, c jch as inland lakes, which, otherwise, 

 they could never have attained; and in this way 

 only can we account for the fact, now well ascer- 

 tained, that several lakes in the Alps, formed by 

 the thawing of tbe glaciers, are now abundantly 

 stocked with excellent fish. 



A METHOD FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 

 CUT WORM. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Ben Lomond, Jlug. 3, 1835. 



It is doubtless a subject of interest to the farm- 

 er to be informed on any subject relating to his ad- 

 vantage; and as your periodical has for its object 

 the improvement of agriculture in all its branches, 

 I willingly contribute my quota, hoping that what 

 I may say, may serve in a measure t^ aid that ob- 

 ject. 



There was a field brought into cultivation this 

 spring which had not been cultivated for several 

 years. The crop planted was corn. The corn 

 sprang up, and had begun to grow "pretty consid- 

 erably," when on examination a few days alter, it 

 was discovered that most of the corn was entirely 

 destroyed by the cut worm. Corn was again 

 planted, and still the same, case continued, until in 

 that field the corn was (I may say) planted en- 

 tirely three times. By accident, however, a small 

 portion of the grass had been burnt — and on ex- 

 amination it was observed that a very small por- 

 tion of the crop required "re-planting" (as the 

 farmers say.) from that cause, viz: cut worm. In 

 this case the cut worm was destroyed, doubtless 

 by the fire, as it was destructive to all parts of the 

 field, except the part burnt. Then, if you should 

 be troubled, or rather expect trouble from the cut 

 worm, if you will burn the grass on your lands, I 

 think I can safety guarantee to you, that the de- 

 struction of the worm will be sure. 



If any of your readers are willing to profit from 

 the experience oi^ others, let them when necessity 

 requires, try the remedy, and effect the cure. 



F. B. W ATKINS. 



SCARLET TREFOIL. SPECULATIONS ON THE 

 PECULIAR BENEFITS TO WHEAT OF A PRE- 

 CEDING CROP OF CLOVER. 



[The following extract is from a late English 

 pamphlet entitled Further observations on the cultiva- 

 tion of Scarlet Trefoil, $c. The facts stated are in- 

 teresting and important — and though the reasoning is 

 far from satisfactory, it may furnish subject for thought 

 and more successful deductions, on an important and 

 mysterious breach of husbandry, viz. the growth of 

 wheat after clover, and the peculiar benefits furnished 

 by the latter as a preceding crop.] 



Now turn to the scarlet trefoil; — whether cut 



green for the horses or cut for stover, it may be 

 clear from the land the first or second week in 

 June; then the first time the plough goes into the 

 earth it turns up like the finest garden mould, it is 

 like ploughing an ash heap, or diving into a bar- 

 rel of Hour. In the same field, one part of the 

 land is all powder, with only one ploughing, be- 

 fore the harrows have even touched it: and by or 

 before the first of Augustit will be in a better state 

 than the fa.low, where the fanner has been len- 

 ding and tearing to pieces his implements of hus- 

 bandry, and wearing his horses to skeletons. The 

 beuefir will not end here, lor where the scarlet tre- 

 foil has grown, the succession crops will be bet- 

 ter than on the fallow; J have invariably seen it. 



It is impossible io know and contemplate these 

 circumstances without being led into further re- 

 flections upon them; in hinting at causes that may 

 ■ tiiese effects, it is solely done to ask lor 

 information, trusting that this pamphlet may stray 

 into the hands of the scientific, as well as the ag- 

 riculturist. 



When we consider the living wonders contained 

 in a drop of water, which the microscope has lately 

 brought to view, have we nut reason io suppose 

 that a grain of earth may be equally teeming with 

 anima! life; and when sheltered and protected from 

 the sun's scorching rays by the scarlet trefoil, may 

 they not have produced the effects I have men- 

 tioned, and which absolutely hold up the boasted 

 arts and labor of man to derision ? 



It is well known to every farmer, that when he 

 has a field of clover, pari of which shall be a per- 

 fect f'uli plant, and part without a leaf upon it, and 

 thislast shall be keptfreefrom weedslhe wholesum- 

 mer, the other part mown twice, and all the produce 

 carried off the land and nothing returned, yet where 

 this land has been thus robbed without rest or ma- 

 nure, the farmer well knows that the following yeai 

 this very land will produce him from seven to eight 

 sacks of wheat per acre, and the part that has had 

 perfect rest will not produce three.* Ask a larmerthe 

 cause of this, and he will tell you because the 

 earth has been exhausted by the sun: ask, ex- 

 hausted of what? and after being posed for a time, 

 he will say — moisture: the farmer may be right; I 

 think exhausted of animal life. The farmer well 

 knows if this land is broken up by the plough — 

 the harrows and rolls set to work upon until it 

 is reduced to powder, the moisture will be still fur- 

 ther exhausted, yet it will be equally fertile with 

 the other for his crops in due season. 



Have not agents, unseen, been doing this work 

 beneath the shelter of the clover, which the farmer 

 knows he must do with his ploughs and teams, to 

 make his land productive? I could mention nu- 

 merous other circumstances which appear to point 

 the same way. 



* The first part of this sentence is either written or 

 printed very incorrectly, but the intended meaning is 

 easily gathered from the remainder of the passage. 

 The author evidently designed to compare the results 

 of wheat on clover lay (though after mowing,) which 

 in this country is called "fallow," with the very differ- 

 ent preparation for wheat called "fallow" in Eng- 

 land.— Ed. Far. Reg. 



