76 Farmers' Miscellany. [Jan., 



tending to plant it to corn, but observed, when plowing, that the 

 ground was infested with worms, (the yellow cut, or wire-worms, 

 and black grubs;) as we had mostly lost our corn crop the year 

 previous, by having the first planting almost entirely destroyed by 

 the corn w^orm, (above described,) we expected a like calamity 

 would follow the present year, unless some preventive could be 

 used to destroy the worms. And having frequently and unsuc- 

 cessfully used all the recommended remedies to destroy the corn 

 worms, we were induced, at the suggestion of an English laborer, 

 to try salt. After the ground was thoroughly harrowed, five 

 bushels of salt per acre was sowed broadcast, leaving a strip of 

 near half an acre on each side of the field, to satisfactorily test 

 the experiment. The whole was then planted to corn and pota- 

 toes. The corn on the part where no salt was sown was mostly 

 eaten up by the worms, and was re-plowed and planted to pota- 

 toes. The potatoes on the whole lot were a good crop, but de- 

 cidedly better where the salt was applied. I regret that we did 

 not ascertain by measurement the actual result. There was a very 

 perceptible difference in the appearance of the vines during the 

 whole summer. On the part where the salt was sown, they grew 

 larger and were of a darker green color, and continued green 

 lono;er in the fall than the others." 



" In the spring of 1839, we spread on a good coat of manure, 

 and planted it all to corn, except about half an acre of the salted 

 land, which was planted to Rohan potatoes. The Rohans were 

 the best crop of potatoes I ever saw. Seed planted, 2\ bushels, 

 produced over 300 bushels. The largest potatoes weighed 4| lbs. 

 The corn was a heavy crop, but was not measured. The summer 

 was very dry and hot; but the corn on the salted land did not ap- 

 pear to suffer at all from the drouth, while the other was con- 

 siderably injured. The salted land appeared always moist, and 

 the growth of every thing upon it was very rapid. We found 

 great difficulty in keeping the weeds down. After three success- 

 ful hoeings, we were obliged in August to give it a hand weed- 

 ing. Spring of 1840, intended to have stocked the land down 

 for meadow; but thinking it too rich for oats, planted potatoes 



