124 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



after on the same field, I couid not trace the po- 

 eition of either the grecii-sand or the gyi'suni, 

 by any perceptible superiority of product. 



If other fiirniers in Virginia, besides Mr. Wil- 

 liam Carter and Dr. Braxion, who have slated 

 theirs, possess (acts in regard to the use ol' irreeii- 

 sand alone, I trust they will make them Iciiown. 

 And, what is slill mure desirable and imporiani, 

 for ihe elucidation of this sulijecl, (which has been 

 obscured rather than enlightened by ail that sciea- 

 tific investigators have done lor it,) it is requested 

 of all flirmers, who have it in their power, lo 

 try such accurate experiments as will fully test 

 the truth of the op[)opite opinions held in regard to 

 this manure. And if indeed I am mistaken as to 

 its value, and the much liiuher geological esti- 

 mate is more correct, I shall be rejoiced, not only 

 lor the general agricultural interest and tienefit, 

 but slill more lor my own private and individual 

 interest and profit, which will be greaily advan- 

 ced by establishing so great a value in this earth, 

 which Ibrms the inexhaustible substratum of 

 niy own, and all the npighboring lands along 

 James river. JMy personal interest is so deeply 

 concerned in the establishment of the truth of die 

 opinion opposed to that which I have long main- 

 tained, that I can scarcely be suspected of being 

 unwilling to be convinced of being in error. 



] remark, that I find it better to feed my land ttian 

 any stock, except so many as are necef^sary li^r 

 my comlort and that of iny servants. Lime. 



LIMING IN FAIKFAX COUXTV. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Farmers' Register. 



I told you in my last, that I had lost my crop ol 

 wheat from rust; I am now convinced that the 

 many and heavy rains, co-operating with the 

 lime I had given the earth, at the time of seeding 

 the crop, was the cause of failure. This, how- 

 ever, did not deter me from moving on in the 

 same line, and laying down the growing crop in 

 perlect confidence of success, with this diHerence, 

 that in place of the harrow lor seeding, I used a 

 two-horse plough, and turned in the seed and lime 

 a good depth ; it now looks well. 



I am thought a sort of mad fellow as regards 

 lime; but I am free to confess that after leaving 

 the mountains and its spurs, (except alluvial land,) 

 I would not lake as a gift, 500 acres, if it be lo- 

 cated where calcareous matter could not be had. 

 We are told that blood is the lile of animals ; so 1 

 believe lime is the li(e of such grain and grass as 

 the farmer desires. Most farmers seed less than 

 half the grass seed that their true interest requires. 

 Why is this? I am not surprised to hear that 

 man will cheat his (cllow man, and after it even go 

 to prayers ; but why should he cheat himself? I 

 shall seed not less than two gallons of clover seed 

 per acre, and pretty well of timothy besides, on 

 strong wet land, knowing that with grass as with 

 animals, the siroug will prevail over the weak, 

 where ihe struggle is for food. A good crop of 

 clover every third year turned into the earth, 

 wiih occasional dressings of lime and annual dress- 

 ings of plaster, will soon give us land as good as 

 any of the west, except their alluvials. 1 take it 

 as granted by till farmers, that wet land should 

 not be cultivated, and that his manure should be 

 applied where it will bring him the greatest re- 

 turn. I was going to say s»mething about catile, 

 ehcep and hogs, but I shall pass those, v\iih iliis 



: DIRECTIOKS FOR KILTING THE CHRYSALIDES 

 ANU PKKSIiUVlKG THK COCOOKS OF SILK- 

 I WORMS. 



I To llie Editor of the F;ttmeri' Register. 



I As ihe valuable productions of the silk -worn) may 

 I be rendered nearly worthless, alier the iniienious 

 insect has contpleted its work, I have su{)poscd I 

 might be useful lo some of your readers, by 

 furnishing for publication, some remarks, relaiive 

 to the curing of cocoons, and their subsequent 

 protection from the depredations ol niice. 



1. Of curin<^ cocoons. — This vvoik embraces, 

 not only killing the cliryealides, but also ilie pro- 

 per drying of the cccoon-^, to preserve them from 

 injury when stored away. Whaiever plan may 

 be adopted for killing the chrysalides, its applica- 

 tion must not be delayed too lonir. li'ihe chrysa- 

 lis is allowed to become a bulieiHy, (which occurs 

 Irom. 12 to 20 hours belbre it emerges from tho 

 cocoon,) it wi I be lound impracticable to kill them 

 with any ordinary degree of heat; and if that 

 should be etlected, it will avail us nothing, be- 

 cause the cocoon is rendered nearly worthless (or 

 reeling, as soon as the meiamopliosis from itie 

 chrysalis to ihe butterfly takes place. 



"The juices ol" the silk worm seem lo assume 

 an acid qaaliiy, when that insect changes Irom 

 the larva to the chrysalis state. At the moment 

 of its escape Irom the latter to the butterfly form, 

 it emits a reddish liquor, which reddens blue pa- 

 per, and which was first attentively observed by 

 M. Chaussier, of the Dijon Academy. He ob- 

 tained the acid by infusing silk-worm chrysalides 

 in alcohol, which dissolves their acid without be- 

 ing chariied with any of the gummy paris of the 

 insect ; and, by evaporaling the alcohol, tlie acid 

 remains tolerably pure." — See Lavoisier's Ele- 

 ments of Chemistry, page 340. 



The change, as l^elore noticed, from the chrysa- 

 lis to the butierfly form, occurs from 12 lo 20 hours 

 before the insect emerges from the cocoon ; and at 

 that time a poriion of this reddish or brown acid 

 is discharged, which penetrates the pellicle or 

 inner skin of the cocoon, and at different poinia 

 comes in contact with the external layers of silk 

 fibres— rols if, and renders the cocoon of little 

 value lor reeling. Some have deemed this liquor 

 to be an acid ; but that it has the effect of rotting 

 the fibres will not be questioned by persons hav- 

 ing much practical knowledge of reeling. 



The lollov/ing plan for killing the chrysalides, 

 I have paclised successfully for four years : About 

 seven days after a consiiierable number of the 

 worms begin to spin, all the tardy worms are re- 

 moved, and furnished with accommodations in 

 another place ; and three days thereafter the co- 

 coons are gathered, spread in layers of a single 

 cocoon, on fi-ames that will be presently described, 

 and exposed to the rays of the sun by placing 

 ihem on the ground. When the ground is dry, 

 and the thermometer rises to SO in the shade, I 

 have never failed to kill them efliectually in six 

 hours. Ijast summer they were killed in two 

 hours. If the ground is damp, it will require two 



