34 



NEW ENGLAND FAllMER. 



Augustas, Irtvtb-- 'i^ 



inference * as 1 «o also a similar one, which, three [ these to my wheat field, which at this time dis- 

 vears since, I heard the then President of the ! covers their good effects,— and this season a large 

 Hillsborough Agricultural Society undertake to ! growth of sorrel has taken exclusive possession ot 

 support in an address at their annual meeting. ] the coal bottom. 



He stated, that green manure was productive of Granting that green manure contains more acid 

 .sorrel ; and his argument in proof of it may, in I than old, it is an evidence of its aftording tlie more 

 substance, be correctly reduced to the following i nutriment to plants, not that it would be exclu- 

 svUocrism, or more properly, perhaps, sophism— | sively congenial to. sorrel; as the constituents of 

 Green manure is sour ; sorrel is acid : therefore ■ oxalic acid, the acid of sorrel, are the same as 

 tlie former will be productive of the latter. To j those of other vegetable acids, differing omy m 

 obviate this effect of green manure, he recOm- 1 the degree of acidification by oxygen. Grr.nting, 

 mended that it should be summered over and j too, that lime or ashes will neutrali.-e thxs ocid, it 

 treated largely with ashes, lime, &c. which would 1 does not follow that they would prevent its repro- 

 completely destroy its sourness ; and also give it '■ duction,* unless applied in so large qiuiutities as 

 a more absorbing quality, particukrly of nitre ' to prevent all vegetable growth. 

 from the atmosphere. You will agree with ine, that ; Logical reasomng on the subject of agriculture, 

 the above tlieory encourages a too common error ; without a due regard to verretab'.e economy will 

 in husbandry. i of^sn lead to incorrect conclusio.-is. 



We are often told by you, and other scientific ' I have above hinted at the use o? coal pit bottom 

 writers on agriculture, and we cannot be too often as a manure. So far as I am informed, finners 

 reminded of'the fact, that manure is greatlv wast- consider that these possess a quality poiscnous to 

 ed by exposure to sun and rain, or by suffering its vegetation, and the soil, whicii tiiey o.icupy as lost 

 .gasses to escape before it is committed to the earth, for some years. It i- true vegetables .vil! not 

 Such a practice is as absurd, as would be that grow on tr.em. till they have lost a sh>ire of their 

 of a cook who should keep the yeast till eftbrves- alkaline property, or bei'.ome i ..orpon-ted with 

 cence had ceased, or destroy its acidity by pearl- . more earthy matter, but this would be the case 

 ashes, and after the fi.xed air had escaped, attempt ' from an equal quantity of house ashes.^ They 

 to make lio-ht bread. ! probably contain more carbon in a holuble state 



That green manure will introduce more weeds; than any other manure, v\hich adds much to their 

 into the field than old, will not be denied, as the j value. For a top dressing of grass l.ind, for 

 heat generated by effervescence is wanting to des- l spreading on wheat fields, and for making com- 

 troy their seeds ; but this fact can scarcely be : post of materials, which are hard of solution or 

 considered an objection to its use, by the good decomposition, these bottoms are peculiarly adapt- 

 husbandnian, who knows the benefit of t!ie plough , ed. 

 and hoe, and is willino- to use them. I I will leave to others to estimate the saving which 



Sorrel may, undoubtedly, be introduced this would be made in every town and state, in which 

 way ; but do we find it the common weed of farm , they are in great numbers, by their proper use. 

 yards and manure heaps ? on the contrary is it , Jaffrey, (AT. H.) Aug. 18. H. 



1 



m 



■s 



not the common growth of newly burnt lands, 

 where grass seed had not taken .■ 



I have lately examined the spot on which char- 

 coal was made two years since. The burning of 



INSECT WHICH DESTROYS THE CO- 

 COONS OF SILK WORMS. 

 Mr Fessenden — The manufactory of silk in 

 the coal left so many ashes, mixed with tlie loam, this country has lately excited so much attention 

 by which the pit had been cov€red, as to prevent that a few remarks respecting an insect which in- 

 the germination of seed sown on them the sue- jures the cocoons, may be acceptable to some of 

 ceeding year. Last spring I carted a: portion of your readers, and particularly to the breeders of 



the silk worm. 



the anatoaiist and naturalist, and formidable ei) 

 mies to the peltry merchant. They attack the c 

 coons of silk worms for the sake of the dead chi 

 salis they contain, and, by their perforations, de 

 troy the continuity of the silken thread, and th 

 rcnJor it unfit for reeling. It is in the months 

 .Tune and July that they do the greatest injury. 

 During the period of their existence in the gr. 

 state they moult their skin ten times, and afl 

 ' each moulting increase in size and voracity. Tt 

 Ciist-off ."^kins appear much like the grubs the 

 selves, and will be found in great numbers whe 

 they irequent. After the last moult they cea 

 '. fef ding, and prepare to go into the chrysalis sta 

 1 This takes place among the spoils of the matpi 

 ah which have nourished them. The chrysalis 

 white, with the eyes and some transverse bai 

 on the back yellowish brown. The chrysalis sti 

 continues about one month, and then the perfi 

 insect bursts from its confinement, and procee 

 to fulfil its last, great function, that of providii 

 for a succession of the species. 



This Dermestes is about seven-twentieths 

 an inch in length, of a black colour, with the si 

 terior half of the wing cases of a dirty yellow. 

 is very common in houses ; is timid in its motioi 

 and when touched, contracts its feet and anteni 

 and simulates death. 



In order to destroy the chrysalis of the si| 

 worm the cocoons are either baked, or scalded 

 boiling water. Thus the moth is prevented frd 

 being disclosed, and perforating the cocoon 

 Either of these methods may be employed to del 

 troy the grubs of the Dermestes, when cocoot 

 are infested by them ; but scalding is to be ^ 

 ferrcd. It is said that, by baking, the gum wi 

 which the silken fibre is imbued is injured, aii 

 the gloss diminished. To prevent the Dermest* 

 from depositing its eggs on or near the cocooH 

 they should be enclosed in a tight bo\', into whi 

 a little camphor, from time to time, is to be stre 

 ed. This precaution will also be useful in rep. 

 ling the clothes-moth wliich sometimes attac 

 the cocoons. T. W. HARRIS.^ 



Milton, Aug. 10, 182G. 



* By the Editor. — Our correspondent is wel- 

 come to doubt or deny our positions, and we will 



In a parcel of cocoons which a few days since, 

 came under my observation, were many which 



i 



published in the Memoirs of the Philadelph 

 ricultural Society, attributed to the Hon. Richard 

 Peters, is the following passage'; " Over cropping 

 and shallow ploughing, with exhausting crops in 

 succossion,frequently cause overwhelming growths 

 o^ sorrel to infest ill managed fields. Lime is the 

 only remedy ; and you will see in Lord Dundon- 

 iild's "Connexion," &c. the good effects of lime ; 

 which destroys the sorrel, and produces the sor- 

 reline acid, highly friendly to wholesome and prof- 

 itable vegetation. Green sorrel grows on fertile 

 soils, but the red sorrel is a certain mark of ster- 

 ility." We suppose that by " sorreline acid," is 

 meant oxalate of lime, which is a neutral salt, com- 

 posed of lime and the acid of sorrel, [oxalic acid.] 



When any particular substance abounds in a veg- 1 * They will prevent its production as long as the 

 otable it may be presumed that that substance is alkaline principle predominates in the soil and 



Dermestes Cardnrius. The grub is of a dark 

 cliesnut-brown colour, thinly covered with hairs, 

 longest towards the tail. It has six legs, armed 

 with claws, near the head, and an unarmed, fleshy 

 projection beneath the tail, whicli serves as a sev- 

 enth foot. Above the tail are two minute horns 

 directed backwards, whicli probably assist the in- 

 sect in propelling itself within the substances on 

 which it feeds. It has twelve eyes, six on each 

 side of the head, and the mouth is furnished with 

 a pair of strong toothed jaws. These little grubs 

 devour all kinds of dead animal substances such 

 as skins, furs, feathers, horn, dried meats, lard, 

 &c. ; and are deplorable pests in the cabinets of 



ENQUIRY. 



Mr Fesse.nden — Having seen several articl 

 in your late papers respecting the injury the Pe 

 Trees are suffering, and also Quince Bushes, frc 

 a certain insect, apparently, and the mode of cu 

 by extirpation of the diseased limb, — a subscribe 

 requests information respecting the nature of t ' 

 insect resembling a caterpillar which preys von 

 ciously on the Quince Bush, the latter end of .lul 

 and during the month of August, — and the mot 

 suitable remedy. S. 



Brewster, August 9y, 1896. 



essential to the existence of tlie vegetable, and as 

 an acid is abundant in sorrel, and acids are des- 

 troyed by alkalies, it follows that .nlkalies will des- 

 troy sorrel. 



longer. Digging up sorrel by the roots will not 

 prevent its reproduction ; still no reasonable ob- 

 jection can be made to that mode of destroying 

 sorrel Editor. 



HARTFORD COUNTY AGRICULTURAl 

 SOCIETY. 



The Executive Committee of this Society ha 

 again offered premiums for the three best cultiva 

 edfarms. 



Since the establishment of the Society, the nun 

 bet of competitors for these premiums, has bee 

 respectable, and their exertions for improvement ll 

 meritorious. But as these are the highest and mosl 

 honorable premiums given by the Society, it hhl 

 been thought highly desirable, that the competlT 

 tion be increased ; — and it would seem, that w«| 

 are warranted to expect this, by the increased in 

 terest, which our substantial farmers manifest ii 



