•292 



NEW ENGLAND FAR M K R , 



MARCH 1(^, )ii4'< 



Fur Ihe N. E. Farmer. 



FAILURE OF RUTA BAGAS— CAUSE OF. 



Mil Editor — I ugreo with your corresponilenl 

 R. K. P., in his coinniunicalion which wns publish- 

 ed in the N. E. Fanner of Jan 20ih, 1841— so far 

 at least as to bflieve with him that inucli "li^ht 

 may be elicited by farmers publishing their fail- 

 ures," provided that like your ingenuous correspon- 

 dent, tiicy give a detailed account of the circuni- 

 stancej wliich preceded and accompanied those 

 failures. 



Mr R. R. P. wislies to know why his crops of 

 ruta baga failed, and he says he will be very much 

 gratified, if you or some of your correspondents 

 can tell hir.i the cause of his failure, and the re- 

 medy. 



S'oine manures seem to be too much concentra- 

 ted and loo strong for the tender roots of vegeta- 

 bles, and thws seem to occasion the root to rot So 

 a diet which consisted wholly of fat meat and spi- 

 ces, without sauce, would sicken the human sto- 

 mach. And Professor Webster says, in the ap- 

 pendix to Liebig's Organic Chemistry of Agricul- 

 ture and Physiology, "that ammonia, in the state 

 of carbonate, and in solution with water, has a 

 great elTect in stimulating plants, has long been 

 known to gardeners, but they also well know, that 

 the plant so treated, soon perishes. It would 

 seem to be an analogous case to that of plants 

 stimulated by chlorine, but not supplied with a 

 proportion-'.lly increased allowance of food." Lie- 

 big, p. 411. 



1 have planted melons and some other vines in 

 hills, which were plentifully manured, sonic with 

 fish, and some with night soil, and have had the 

 plants come up remarkably large, and to appear- 

 ance, reiiinrkably thrifty ; but in a few days they 

 began to fail, unil ihey all died, and on examina- 

 tion I found that the roots had rotted off. In these 

 cases I found no remedy which would restore the 

 plants. I supposed they died from having the ma- 

 nure too strong. But afterwards I prevented the like 

 evil, when I used unmixed night soil in the hill as 

 a manure for my vines, in the following manner. 

 I dug a circular ditch, about 5 or C inches deep, 

 and which enclosed an area of about two feet in 

 diameter. Into tliid little ditch 1 put night ^oil, 

 and covered it with earth: I then planted a p-ity 

 of seeds in every part of the area, winch was en- 

 closed by the ditch, and when the plants came up, 

 I thinned lliem out, by taking those which were 

 tlie least vigorous, but still leaving a superabundant 

 supply in the hill. After a few days, I again 

 thinned out the plants in the tame manner, and in 

 this way I finally saved a full •ii|)ply of vigorous 

 plants in every hill. The strong manure was con- 

 tinually growing weaker, and the plants vierc at 

 liberty to send their roots and to draw from the 

 manure which was laid in the ditch, or to draw it 

 from other places, as best suited tliinn, and in this 

 way iho plants did well, and made good crops, 

 though we used manure which was very strong. 

 At other limes when I wished to use large quanti- 

 ties of very strong manure, I have succeeded in 

 growing good crops, by plowing the manure in, 

 very deep. And when I have plowed in large 

 qiiuntil(f3 offish, or other very strong and volatile 

 manures, very deep, the crops for a number of 

 years allerwards, always gave a satisfsclory ac 

 coiiiil of the deep burled manure. 'I'he amount of 

 very strong manure which a crop can bear, to ad- 

 vantage, will bo proportioned, not only to the deptl; 



at which it is plowed in, but also to the humidity \ would have been too expensive, we reply that th 

 or dryness of the season and of the soil. lor four casks of caustic lime wiiild probably i 



\Vc will not nitempt to show all the causes ' been sufficii-nt to destroy the worms on an acre.?,^ 

 which operate to make beets, turnips and potatoes ! he objects tliat il would have been a laborious i 

 grow hollow; but we liave generally found thai j ration, we admit that il would have been some.* 

 those which were planted in a rich soil and grow j laborious; but we think that saving half an acr^ 

 very thrifly, wore the most apt to rot, and grow j ruta bagas on land which was prepaied as R. " 

 hollow. I bad prepared his, would pay for some labor. 



In lb;39, Mr R. R. P. applied poudrette to his | it is Bon.elimes a gratification to know how a 1 

 land, and in 1840, he sny.s he found many of his jnui.v be done, even if we do not think propor ' 

 rula baga turnips punctured, and in some of them it. 

 he found while inagf^ols, about the size of the lar- 

 gest of those which we usually see in cheese. 



Now, Mr Editor, it is well known that there are 



If he objects to this explanation of the prod 

 lion of the worms, by saying that the worms, 

 not discovered in the rula bagas till the next 



orin^ 



several different kinds of worms, wliich Boinetimes j sftor the poudrette was put on to the land, we 

 attack the roots of vegetables, but we should not I ply ihat the skippers, maggots, larva or worinj 

 have room, ill this communication to describe the j which dies make in cheese, il is well known 

 whble of them, if we had the ability. Yet the main a long lime in the cheese, before they 

 worms which R. R. P. describes, seem to have had away, and- the worms which ate our cabbage n 

 a very near rcseinblanco to the worms which used did not do their work, till the next year after 

 to attack the roots of my cabbages, when I used a poudrelle was ipaiiufacturcd. If he says the liim | 

 kind of poudrette, the manufacture and use of which he had already used on the land, ought U 

 which is described in the N. E. Farmer, vol. xvi. ^havo preventeil the depredations of the worms, w( 

 No. 6, page 43, published Aug. Ifith,' 1837. In : reply that it is only on lime in its causlic state, tbtl 

 those cases, if the night soil which I used in mak- > we place any reliance for the destruction of tie 

 ing the poudrette, lay uncovured with earth for a j worms. The lims of R. R. P. was put on to ike 

 day or two in the summer season, so that it was | land before the poudrette ; and even caustic limt, 

 exposed to the action of a small kind of fly, wliich | when applied to land which was as highly maiiursd 

 seemed to delight in it. The roots of the cabba- ! as was the piece which R. R. P. describes, wt 

 ges which grew in the hills which were manured suppo.se would very soon acquire carbon enoui^hto 

 with this kind of poudrette, wore invariably attack- deprive the lime of its causticity, and to reiKUr r. 

 ed with a small while worm, of nearly or quite Ihe j mild, and consequently Ihe lime would nol then be 

 same shape and size of those which we usually in the condition which we have supposed wud ne- 

 see in cheese, and I have never seen cabbages cessary to destroy the worms. 



which were not manured wilh poudrelle, attacked , Other causes besides strong manures, and the 

 with this kind of worms. These worms, I supfios- ! worms, may have occasioned R. R. P.'s rula bagii 

 ed, were the larvie of the small flies before refer- [ to rot, but if il should appear that the poudrQ! 

 red to, and which may perhaps be the same kind ofj which he spread on his land, was manufuclured 

 fly which makes the maggots which we usually the year 1839,— especially if it was manufactui 

 see in cheese. A number of these worms, larva), : without causlic lime, we think it very iialiir;i 

 or maggots, would fix themselves to the root of a it should have been infested wilh the 1 n .,i uf tbi 

 cabbage and eat into il, on every side, and they J fly before mentioned. And also, tluil the lam 

 would frequently eat it quite off. And corn which ! which was contained in the poudrette, should be 

 was manured in the hlil, wilh poudrelle, which had productive of mischief in 1840. 

 been cxposerl to the action of these flies, geiiemlly I hope, Mr Editor, that these remarks, will Mj 

 had a smaller proportion of roots than other corn, deter farmers from giving poudrette a fair tifl 

 Perhaps this same kind of fl-ies, acting upon the Though my poudrette was very valuable, thfl 

 poudrette or other manures which were used by | who remember the manner iu which it was forniB^ 

 R. R. P., were the cause of the worms, which will recollect that it contained no lime. Porhaji 

 punctured and destroyed his rula baga turnips, the addition of sulphate of lime, Iplaster of Pari*,] 

 When the worms did nol prevent it, the poudrette to the night soil according lo the suggestion of Dl. 

 produced a growth of cabbages much more luxu- Licbig, would nol only remove its felor, but wouM 

 riant than we have produced by the use of any oth- : also increase its fertilizing power, Perhaps 

 or kind of manure. It theicforo seemed very i plaster would also prevent the fly from deposi 

 desirable that we should find a remedy for the mis- its larva, and would tliu.-f prevent the nii.schief, 

 chief which the worms occasioned us. And we I have never seen the fly attempt to dcposite ill 

 have repeatedly tried the following method, and larva in the poudrette after it had become iiiodof. 

 have always found it to be loii/orm/^ and compWe- , ous. But it is believed that the pondrctH' iiiij 

 ly successful. be effectually prevented from producing ilicworal 



First with a hoe moke a little ridge around the ; before mentioned, by covering with edrlii the mgkl 

 plant, and at a little distance from it, so that water soil which is used in its manufacture, before the 



igli 



T 



which wns poured on to the -plant, would be pre- 

 vented from running away, till it was absorbed by 

 the earth about the routs of the plants. Then 

 take causlic, iinslacked or recently slacked lime, 

 and mix il with water, at the rate of (i or 8 quarl.H 

 of lime to a barrel of water, and then pour from 

 half a pint to a pint of the lime and water on to 

 each plant. This has always destroyed the little 

 rebels, very circrtiially, and has saved the planls. 

 And we think this courss would probably hove de- 

 stroyed the worms in the ruta bsgas of your cor- 

 respondent. If R. R. P. objects that the remedy 



flies have had access to it. 



I remain, yours, very respectfully, 



ASA M. HOLT. 



East Haddam, Conn., Feb. 1841. 



P. S. — The foregoing was for a long lime mil- 

 laid, but perhaps it may not be thought altogetlill 

 useleM, I therefore forward it, though it sccitt 

 somewhat out of season. 



Yours, &c. A. M. H. 



East Haddam, Coun., Feb. 21»<, 184vi. 



1^ 



No two things difl'er more thon hurry and dcapaUk \ 



