^34 Indian Corn, &fc. 



But if we have a favourable autumn many fields will be 

 productive ; as the second and third planting look thriv- 

 ing, and some very late planted (late in June) are very 

 promising. My tenant's field is rivalled, and it is said, 

 exceeded, by another in the neighbourhood ; but that 

 was fall ploughed and had no grubs ; though they were 

 ruinously plenty on adjacent farms. Some fields were 

 only in part fall ploughed. In such cases the grub mi- 

 grated from the part unploughed in the fall, and more or 

 less injured the corn on the other part. In one case, the 

 skirts or borders of a fall ploughed field were injured by 

 grubs migrating from unploughed fields adjoining ; tho' 

 in other instances this had not occurred. In such cases 

 (of ploughed fields surrounded by those in sod,) it was 

 proposed, that deep furrows, (the perpendicular sides 

 next the corn,) should be made round the corn field, to 

 obstruct the passage of the cut worms from other fields. 

 Several instances were given, wherein the grubs could 

 not scale such a wall of vertical earth, though only a few 

 inches high. 



My inquiries have been extended further than my own 

 vicinage, with the like results. In no instance when fall 

 ploughing has been accompanied by harrowing, and more 

 especially with liming, have I found a failure of effect on 

 the grubs. The extraordinary ravages of those reptiles 

 having caused much sensation this season, led me to aim 

 most at this object ; which is only one of the benefits of 

 this highly advantageous operation. I have found in some 

 instances, that fresh lime was efficacious even with spring 

 ploughing. As to the origin of the cut worm, I could 

 discover no general agreement, or certain data, on the 

 subject ; though many are endeavouring to fix the parent 

 of this destroyer. Those who allege that it produces a 



