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1-12 



THE GENESEE FABMEK. 



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a soft, whitish body ; and a head small, scaly, and armed with strong and sharp cutting 

 mandibles. The maggot, when it reaches maturity, gnaws a circular hole to the husk 

 or skin of the pea, and even cuts round the inner surface which covers the aperture ; so 

 that, when changed to a beetle, by a slight dilation of its body it forces off the 

 lid, and emerges the new-born Bruchus, as represented in the figure. In many 

 of the peas the insect will be found dead. Whether this arises from a lower 

 temperature than they are accustomed to, not iniigorating them sufficiently to leave 

 their habitations, or whether they return to feed when they can not make their escape 

 readilv, which is the case when the peas are confined in sacks, or heaped up in a ware- 

 house, has not been determined. 



The vitality of the seed is not usually destroyed, as the (^gg is deposited in the side of 

 the pea, where the insect when hatched emerges, leaving the germ uninjured. It is 

 doubtful, however, whether the plants raised fi-om such peas are as strong and healthy as 

 those from perfect seed ; and they should not be used for seed when it can be avoided. 

 This insect, though common in all the older States, is almost wholly unknown in 

 Canada, owing perhaps to its not being able to withstand the severity of a Canadirm 

 winter. Hence thousands of bushels of peas are annually brought from Canada to the 

 United States, for seed. 



Remedies and Preventives. — Late sowing has often proved a successful preventive 

 against the ravages of the pea-bug. If sown the last of May, or first of June, the peas 

 will not blossom or form their pods until after the beetles have disappeared. But peas 

 sown so late often suffer from drouth, and rarely yield a very abundant crop. It is 

 recommended in lioveifs Magazine to subject the peas, immediately after they are gath- 

 ered to the action of boiling water for one minute ; by this means the larvae are destroyed, 

 which are at this time just below the integuments of the pea, without affecting the 

 vitality of the seeds. If the peas remain in the boiling water four minutes, most of 

 them will be killed. To kiln-dry the peas at a heat of 130 to 140 degrees, will answer 

 the same purpose, and does not destroy the germ. When they are intended for culinary 

 purposes, some such means should be taken to destroy the larvse. 



M^' 



Interesting Experiment. — In a recent lecture, Mr. Nesbit, Principal of the Agri- 

 cultural and Scientific Academy, Kensington, London, said : 



" A cnrioiis circumstance connected with the growth of clover is, tliat by cutting the clover twice 

 and removing all the hay, a much better wheat crop is obtained than by feeding it off by sheep, even 

 if some artificial food is used. This is owing to the fact that the growth of the i-oots of clover In the 

 land is in exact proportion to the growth of the leaves in the air. Each leaflet that shoots upward 

 sends a radicle or rootlet downward. Jf the leaflet be bitten off or drsfroi/ed, its radicle censes to grow. 

 It therefore follows that grazing clover by sheep materially diminishes the amount of vegetable mat- 

 ter accumulated in the soil by the roots, and consequently the produce of the succeeding crop." 



The above views are somewhat theoretical, but not improbable. They are sustained 



by the following experiiiT ,t : 



" A friend of mine in ^ .rtharaptonshire had a field of clover ; it was divided into two portions ; 

 both were cut at midsummer, and one part was then fed off with sheep, and the other left to grow 

 till September, when il was again cut and the hay removed. Equal portions of the several pieces 

 were then compared. Where the clover had been cut once and fed off, he got 35 cwt. of clover roots 

 per acre. Where he cut twice, he got 75 cwt; tliere being a difference of two tons of vegetable 

 matter per acre." 



If further experiments shall confirm the correctness of the above, it will lead to the 

 mowing of all clover fields, whether the crop cut is fed green or as hay. In wheat cul- 

 ture, a good supply of clover roots to decay and enrich the soil is important. ^ Indeed, 

 it is probable that the close pruning of plants by feeding animals, greatly diminishes the 

 yield of forage in the aggi-egate. 



