200 Season of 1816. 



which will be about the middle of April, burn your ground 

 in any way you can : — where there is no furzy grass, it 

 would be worth while to have straw or leaves : be care- 

 ful not to burn it too soon in the spring, before the worm 

 makes its appearance. As to the Hessian fly, we know 

 nothing about them, only that they are eating the wheat 

 in my neighbourhood.* I think about one half will be 

 destroyed by them. 



* The wheat so much injured has probably been badly farmed ; 

 or some uncommon circumstance has occurred to that so ruinous- 

 ly attacked by the fly ; for we are authorized to say, without 

 doubting our worthy correspondent's statement, that there is as 

 o-ood wheat now growing in that neighbourhood, as any in the 

 county ; and very little, if at all, injured by the fly. As to plough- 

 ing in grain, to prevent the stunt, its efficacy is not found in the 

 parts most subject to this malady; for where it prevails most, it 

 is a common practice to plough in the grain. W. Graham, Esq. 

 of Chester, has a corn field uninjured by the cut worms ; (which 

 are in great plenty in his field,) owing to an accidental growth 

 of buckwheat, which he suffers to remain till the grub has passed 

 away. The worms are found among the buckwheat, and ia tufts 

 of sorrel, in great numbers ; whilst the corn hills are entirely free 

 from them. This seems to show, that they have no predilection 

 for Indian corn, but prefer other plants. If this should really be 

 the case, they will be a greater scourge than they are by being 

 occasional destroyers of corn : for they will seduce people wish- 

 ing to save trouble, into slovenly farming, to guard against the 

 grub ; whose visits may cease, but bad habits endure. Mr. Gib- 

 bons has furnished another proof of the " salutary effects of fire 

 on soils;" and it will be found, the more it is attended to, that 

 proofs without number can be afforded ; not only as it regards 

 the destruction of vermin, but as it respects the melioration of 

 the soil. See Vol. III. Agric. Mem. pages 214, 15, &c. See Mr. 

 Poole's account of burning the wood grass on a field, having pre- 

 vented injuries by grubs. ^" Peters. 



