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290 



THE GENESEE FAKMEK. 



J^~ In the Horticulturist for August we find 

 the leading article on the destruction of the Ailan- 

 thu9, on account of its real and supposed bad 

 qualities. It is the last number issued before Mr. 

 Downing's death, and this was perhaps the last 

 article written by him, and has been read by his 

 friends with a peculiar and mournful interest. In 

 it we find the following remarkable paragraph, 

 which with a little superstition we may imagine 

 to be prophetic of his own untimely end : 



" We may take the opportunity to preach a fwneral ser- 

 mon over its remains that shall not, like so many fwneral 

 sermons, be a baih of oblivion-waters to wash out all 

 memory of its vices. For if the Tartar is not laid violent 

 hands upon, and kept under close, watch, even after the 

 spint has gone out of the old trunk, and the cokonek is 

 satisfied that he has come to a molent end—\o we shall 

 have him upon us tenfold in the shape of suckers innu- 

 merable." 



Oregon. — Oregon is destined to become one of 

 the greatest States of this Union. "We think there 

 is more intelligence and public spirit in Oregon, 

 in proportion to the population, than in any other 

 State or Territory. We receive orders for books 

 and papers by almost every arrival, in exchange 

 for which we have have had some of the product 

 of the territory-*— several interesting little bags of 

 gold dust. We have over fifty subscribers at 

 Salem, Marion Co., and large clubs at Lexington, 

 Rainer, Oregon City, and other offices. Large 

 numbers of fruit trees have been sent out from 

 the Rochester Nurseries. Success to the farmers 



of the Pacific. 



— ♦ 



MuLTiCAUL Rye. — Those who have inquired for 

 the Multicaul Rye are referred to the advertise- 

 ment of Mr. BiGELOW. Having procured some 

 for the purpose, we will furnish our distant friends 

 who may apply with smaU quantities through the 

 mail. 



Advektisements, to secure insertion in the Far- 

 mer, must be received as early as the 10th of the 

 previous month, and be of such a character as to 

 be of interest to farmers. We publish no other. 

 Tei-ms — $2.00 for every hundred words, each in- 

 aertion, paid in advance. ' 



Inqiilrica m^ ^nsiocrs. 



Ground Moles. — I noticed in the July number 

 of the Farmer an inquiry respecting the best 

 method of destroying moles. The mole is a great 

 scourge at the west, and annually destroys vast 

 quantities of corn, and no remedy I have ever 

 tried is entirely effectual. The plan that is adopt- 

 ed by many farmers, is to dissolve arsenic and 

 soak corn in the solution, and drop it in the hill ; 

 but this is not always effectual. Another plan is 

 to run a furrow between the rows. But I go 

 patiently to work and stamp down all the roads, 



and watch them ; and if a person is still, they will 

 soon commence digging, when it is an easy job to 

 catch them. The best time for this is in the 

 morning, at noon, and at evening, and directly 

 after a shower. I have often caught three or four 

 in a day, without losing much time. If farmers 

 would give a small reward for every mole caught 

 on their premises, I think it would be an excel- 

 lent way of getting rid of them. I know of some 

 who have adopted this plan with complete suc- 

 cess. J. W. Lewis. — Huntsville, Ind. 



There is much difference of opinion as to 

 whether moles do harm or good. We are inclined 

 to think that they do both. That they destroy a 

 great many insects and grubs which are injurious 

 to the crops, is certain ; while at the same time 

 they injure the plants by biting off the roots, 

 &c., in making their interminable network of bur- 

 rows. We have supposed they did not trouble 

 our farmers so much as our correspondents state. 

 There can be no doubt that they may be easily 

 destroyed, if it is desirable. A trap could be 

 made and placed in their burrows, which they 

 traverse very frequently, rarely appearing on the 

 surface. Or they may be poisoned by placing 

 some worms in a vessel with carbonate of barytes, 

 or arsenic, and letting them remain a few hours, 

 afterwards placing a few of themtfn the burrows, 

 and giving a fresh supply as soon as taken a^/ay. 

 This plan has been often tried, and effectually 



destroys them. 



. « 



TiTE ■Wh:eat "Weevil.— Our wheat the present season has 

 been injured by an insect. On exanlining the heads of 

 wheat affected, a number of small maggots of a yellow col- 

 or will be found preying on the grain, and in some heads it 

 will be nearly all destroyed. Most of our farmers call this 

 the weevil, but some say it is the effects of the Ilcasian fly. 

 Can you give us any light? G. S. — Caiiandaigtia, N. Y. 



While attending the trial of Reapers at Geneva, 

 we noticed that the wheat upon which the reap- 

 ers were testing their powers was very much in- 

 jured by the wheat fly, and as it became a matter 

 of conversation amoug the many their congrega- 

 ted, we noticed that it was generally attributed 

 to the weevil. As our correspondent requests, 

 we will endeavor to throw a little light on the 

 subject 



The Wheat Weevil is a beetle, and does its mis- 

 chief in the granary. The female depostits her 

 eggs upon wheat in granaries, and the young lar- 

 vae immediately burrows into the grain, of which 

 it eats the interior. It is sometimes very abund- 

 ant in old granaries. Perhaps the best way to 

 destroy them is to starve them out by putting no 

 wheat in the place infested by them for one season, 

 and in the mean time make extraordinary exer- 

 tions to ferret them out by cleaning, whitewasb- 

 inor, <tc. 



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