118 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Oct. 81, 1826. 



margin. Elytral slrise inipunctuied, submnrginal 

 series of punctures indistinct ; apex of tiie elytra ] 

 sinuate. Body beneath and thighs black, polisli- 

 isheU; tibiiB and tarsi, reddish brown or bay. 



This insect is very connnon on grass during the 

 warm days of summer. It somewhat resembles 

 11. hcrhwagus, and probably also h. fauntis, Say ; 

 but is easily recognized by being entirely punc- 

 tured, and sericeous above, by its more rounded 

 thorax, its dark thighs, and annulated antennae. 



hrrata in the First Nuwher. — Pao;e 90, column 2, line 32, for 

 reprovut rcuA reproach — line 34 for drscription, reati descriptiojis 

 — column 3, line '10, foi /3//^a, recid pupa — line 4-3, for /'/v/Wi, 

 read lujiule — line 68, alter bthinil, iusrrt with — pape 91 . column 

 1, line '20, for siibsaterat, read siihsiilural — line 41, for tips, read 

 lip — line 62, (vr punctuliuta, read punctulata. 



Remarks. — It may happen that some may ob- 

 ject to the technical language of descriptions. For 

 brevit}', as well as to answer other purposes of 

 science, this is unavoidable, and to those, (and we 

 trust they are many) who make Entomology a 

 study it can be no disadvantage. The terms are 

 explained in Samouelle's " Compendium" before 

 mentioned, in Kirby & Spence's " Outlines to En- 

 tomology," and in the " Glossary to Say's Ento- 

 mology." 



No popular names of species are given because 

 none are known, and because a scientific name is 

 more appropriate and as easily remembered. — 

 The advantage of a vame is obvious, and has the 

 authority of Linnaeus, who says that, without one, 

 a knowledge of facts is lost. " Si noniina nescis 

 perit et cognitio reruin." The supposed new in- ' 

 sects have an asterisk prefixed. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 1828. 



GATHERING and PRESERVING POTATOS. 



With regard to the time in which potatos should 

 be gathered, we find some diflTerence of opinion 

 among practical farmers. It is, however, acknowl- 

 edged by all, that w hen intended for consumption 

 and not for seed, they should not be gathered till 

 they are ripe. The ripeness of the potato may be 

 perceived by the appearance of the tops, which 

 will begin to decay as soon as the roots have at- 

 tained to maturity. After that period, we are 

 told by some cultivators it is important that the 

 ]iotatos should be gathered and housed as soon 

 as convenient, or immediately after the tops are 

 decayed, either by ripeness or frost. Others say 

 they will keep best in their native beds till the 

 ground is frozen. But, at any rate, it is best not 

 to defer digging till very late lest cold weather 

 should destroy or lock them in the ground till 

 spring. The old fashioned mode of harvesting 

 potatos, was to dry them in the sun as you vvoidd 

 grass for hay. Rees' Cyclopedia says, "as soon 

 as potatos are gathered they should be allowed to 

 remain some days to dry before they are stored." 

 This we believe to be wrong, for in our climate, 

 an exposure of two or three days to a cloudless 

 sun, in September or October, would cause pota- 

 tos to turn green, to taste strong and bitter and 

 become in some degree poisonous. It is now 

 said by practical farmers that the less the roots 

 are exposed to sun or air, after being taken from 

 the ground the better, and that it is advisable to 

 permit some part of the soil in which they have 

 grown to adhere to and mix with them, when 

 they are deposited in their winter quarters. It 



may be best, however, not to dig and house pota- 

 tos immediately after a "soaking" rain, but to let 

 them remain a few days in the hills, to get rid of 

 their superfluous moisture, which w ill in <lue time 

 say some ])lilosophers, be exiielled by the vital en- 

 ergies of the roots, unless the ground is very wet, 

 which might cause them to rot. 



Mr. Buel, of Albany, who is a practical as well '• 

 as a scientific cultivator, says, "it were better that 

 the sun never should shine upon ])otatos — that J 

 they should be housed with all the dirt that ad- 1 

 heres to them — that it is beneficial to add more I 

 dirt in the bin or cask, to exclude external air as 

 muchas possible ; and that their surface should be 

 kept moist, and the atmosphere, which surrounds 

 them as little above the freezing point as possible. 



The Hon. O. Fiske, in an address to the Wor- 

 cester Agricultural Society, in speaking of the po- 

 tato, observes that "nature has not accomplish- 

 its maturation at the period in which the vines 

 decay, and the farmer believes it to be ripe. It 

 seems probable that the eaith by some unknown 

 process, perfects its qualities after it has attained 

 its growth. That potatos, which have remained 

 the whole season in the earth, are more farina- 

 ceous and pleasant has been ascertained. A farm- 

 er in this town, who was in the practice of plant- 

 ing a large quantity, took his family supply from 

 a .spacious field, early in autumn. As the residue 

 was intended for his stock, he deferred harvesting 

 them till a late and more convenient period. Dur- 

 ing their consumption, his table, by mistake was 

 furnished with some which had been destined for 

 the barn. The quality was so obviously superior 

 as to lead to an investigation of the cause. From 

 that time the two parcels received an exchange 

 of destination. Another fact illustrative of this 

 position was stated to me by an eminent farmer 

 in the vicinity of Boston. A distinguished agri- 

 culturist, from Scotland, who had dined at the 

 best tables in the city and its neighborhood re- 

 marked, at the liospitable board of my informant, 

 that he had not seen in this country, what, in 

 Scotland would be considered a good potato. He 

 imputed their difference to the different mode of 

 cultivation. There they plant early and dig late." 



The most expeditious way of gathering a pota- 

 to crop, is, first to run furrows on each side of the 

 rows, and then a deep one in the middle, which 

 turns up most of the roots to the surface. In this 

 way, however, we should apprehend some waste, 

 and should not recommend it, except where pota- 

 tos are plenty and labor scarce. A hoe with 

 prong.s, such as is sold at J. R. Newell's establish- 

 ment, 52 Noi'th Market-street, Boston, we believe 

 to be the best implement for digging potatos. 



mainder a few days since. Those last dug yield- 

 ed one bushel to Jive hills, size like those I send 

 you. The Common Potato, planted side by side, 

 took thirty hills to the bushel." 



CATTLE SHOW AT MANSFIELD. 



The annual Show of the Bristol County Agri- 

 cultural Society, took place yesterday at Mans- 

 field. The unfavorable state of the weather in the 

 morning probably prevented the attendance of 

 some, and lessened to some extent the Exhibition. 

 It was nevertheless, numerously attended, and al- M 

 together was a respectable exhibition. At the ■ 

 Ploughing Match in the morning 9 teams were 

 entered, which executed their work in a manner 

 creditable to the competitors. The show of neat 

 cattle was equal probably to those of past years. 

 The pens, which were the same which have here- 

 tofore been used for this puipose, were all filled, 

 several of them with fine animals of foreign and 

 mixed as well as domestic breeds. There was a 

 variety of manufactured articles exhibited, al- 

 though not a very large quantity. The show of 

 cloths was small. Among the rare productions 

 exhibited were specimens of sw^et potatoes rais- 

 ed by Rufus Bacon, Esq. and by Dr. Green. At 

 twelve o'clock the Society moved in procession es- A 

 corted by a band of music, from Maj. Bates' to the * 

 Meeting-house. A prayer was ofJ'ered by Rev. 

 Mr. Briggs ; after which the Society were enter- 

 tained for upwards of half an hour by an address 

 eloquently delivered by A. A. Locke, Esq. — The 

 Society returned to Maj. Bates' where an excel- 

 lent dinner was provided. Toasts were drank 

 with very good wine manufactured and presented 

 for the occasion, by Noah Claflin Esq. of Attlebo- 

 rough and Dr. Roland Green of Mansfield. The 

 reports of the Committees &c. will be published 

 in a future paper. — Taunton Register. 



SWEET POTATOS. 



Since our notice of Mr Pond's success in rais- 

 ing the Carolina Potato, we have received several 

 specimens from diflerent cultivators in this vicini- 

 ty, among others, some very superior ones from 

 Mr J. TiDD, of Roxbury, and Mr A. Houghton, 

 .Fr. of Lynn. One of our marketmen informs us 

 they were never known to be so abundant in this 

 part of the countrj'. Mr Houghton accompanied 

 his with the following remarks. " The Carolina 

 Potato slips purchased at the New England Farm- 

 er Seed Store liave done finely. The largest of 

 those now sent you, when first dug, weighed 2^ 

 pounds. I purchased four quarts of slips with 

 which I planted 60 liills — began to use them in 

 my family the last of September. I dug the re- 



MANURES 



Assist plants, by destroying predatory vermin 

 and weeds. This, however, is not a property of 

 animal and vegetable manures ; they foster both 

 those enemies of our crops. Salt and lime are 

 very efficient destroyers of slugs, snails, grubs, &;c. 

 It is astonishing bow ignorantly neglectful are the 

 cultivators of the soil, when their crops are devas- 

 tated by the slug, not to dress them so as to ren- 

 der the surface of the soil quite white, during a 

 promise of a few days dry weather, with caustic 

 lime. It is instant destruction to every slug it 

 falls upon, and those whom it misses are destroy- 

 ed by their coming in contact with it, when mov- 

 ing ill search of food. It is a common practice to 

 burn couch-grass, docks, gorse, and other vegeta- 

 bles which are very retentive of life, or slow in 

 decay; a more uneconomical, unscientific method 

 of reducing them to a state more beneficial to the 

 land of which they were the refuse, cannot be de- 

 vised. In breaking up heaths, such exuvife are 

 very abundant ; but, in all cases, if the weed.s, 

 leaves, &c. were conveyed to a hole or pit, ami 

 with every single horse-load, and with barrow- ' 

 loads in proportion, a bushel of salt and half a 

 bushel of lime were incorporated, it would in a i 

 few months, form a mass of decayed compost of I 

 the most fertilizing quality ; the lime retaining 

 many of the gases evolved during the putrefaction 

 of the vegetable matter, and the salt and it com- 

 bining to destroy noxious animals, which might 

 form a nidus in the mass. By this plan, nearly 

 all the carbonaceous matters of the refuse vege- 

 tables are retained ; by burning nearly all of them 



