330 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MOTH-WEEVIL. 



lished in the Farmers' Register, (No. 3,) and the 

 first, I think, was in one of the early volumes of 

 the American Farmer. Perhaps many other 

 strong smelling vegetables mixed with the corn 

 when put away, would serve to kill the early brood 

 as fast as it was hatched. It is well known, that 

 strong odors of many kinds are insupportable to 

 some insects. Under my former opinion, that every 

 grain that could suffer, already contained an egg, 

 or a maggot, it seemed useless to kill the flying in- 

 sects, after they had ceased to eat, and could do no 

 more damage. But the case is very different, sup- 

 posing a continued and rapid renewal of broods to 

 go on. Upon this supposition it becomes import- 

 ant to try these, or other means, for killing every 

 fly, if possible, after its leaving the grain. 



3. But whether the winged weevil can be thus 

 killed or not, if the foregoing means of prevention 

 were used, we should be amply compensated by 

 the improved quality of our bread, and of quantity 

 as well as quality in all corn used after July. But 

 it seems likely that another important benefit would 

 be found, in saving the wheat. According to my 

 views of weevil, the corn must furnish the greater 

 part or all of the brood which afterwards fills the 

 tuheat with weevil eggs; and by preventing or de- 

 stroying the existence of a few in the corn, we 

 may prevent as many thousands reaching the 

 wheat. The feeble and awkward flight of the 

 weevil forbids the belief of its spreading rapidly, 

 or being able to travel far, without destruction. 



4. Early thrashing and cleaning wheat, (say by 

 the 20th of July, in Lower Virginia,) prevents 

 damage from weevil, even if the grain is kept 

 through the summer — most probably because the 

 first eggs are laid on the chaff, (as is supposed by 

 the writer referred to above,) and, if so, are sepa- 

 rated from the grain before they hatch. If the 

 clean grain be kept spread too thin to heat, there 

 will be very fev/ weevil — and those few, we may 

 suppose, proceed from parents furnished from the 

 adjacent corn-houses, or the grains of wheat left in 

 the straw. But, if they were a thousand times 

 more numerous, they could not (according to the 

 view taken,) affect early cleaned wheat, except 

 the grains on the surface of the heap, because the 

 flying weevil could not penetrate lower. This 

 shows, that the less the surface is changed, the bet- 

 ter ; and if all seed wheat was kept in small casks 

 (as flour barrels,) and the surface covered with a 

 tViin coat of quick lime, or some other dry jwwder, 

 it seems likely that not a grain could be weevil- 

 eaten. My seed wheat has never been better 

 guarded than by being early cleaned and spread 6 

 or 8 inches thick over a floor. In this way, some 

 slight damage from weevil may generally be 

 found, but none worth consideration as a loss of 

 value. 



Wheat is also preserved from weevil by being 

 bulked in the chaff — and this plan (of which I have 

 no personal experience,) is said to be equally effec- 

 tual. The security in this case proceeds from the 

 heat produced, whicli (especially in wheat trodden 

 out on the earth,) is sufficient to kill the eggs. 



But if wheat remains in the straw until Septem- 

 ber, and is then cleaned, whether it is placed in 

 large or small bulks, great injury from weevil is 

 generally sure. The number of insects, already 

 well advanced in growth, produce considerable 

 heat, even in small bulks of grain. I do not know 

 whether it is animal heat^ or the consequence of ani- 



mal putrefaction; but it certainly acts to forward 

 the hatching of other weevil, until, in some cases, 

 the heap is entirely mixed with living and dead in- 

 sects. In this state, all our wheat would be, if no 

 means were used to prevent it. 



5. It is probable that the exposure of corn to se- 

 vere cold, will destroy the first laying of weevil 

 eggs. I recollect having heard it stated, that early 

 gathered corn was most damaged by weevil, and 

 that leaving it in the field untd late in winter, was 

 almost a sure safeguard. Even if this was true, 

 as a matter of practice, the remedy would be worse 

 than the disease ; but the fact would serve as ano- 

 ther exemplification of the truth of the position 

 taken as to the origin and habits of weevil. It is 

 a remarkable fact, that last year, (1832) there was 

 no damage from weevil to wheat, even when thrash- 

 ed so late, that in other years it would have been 

 worthless. I first learned this of a particular crop 

 in my neighborhood, which the illness and death 

 of the owner prevented being thrashed until late 

 in September ; and I afterwards heard it stated that 

 the same absence of weevil was general. How 

 corn was affected, I do not know, not having my 

 attention drawn to it at the proper time. The pre- 

 ceding winter had been a very cold one for our 

 country, and the one still earlier (1830-31,) had 

 been severe, beyond precedent, for the previous 

 40 years. Possibly these two cold winters had 

 nearly destroyed the weevil eggs in the corn, leav- 

 ing almost none to infect the wheat. 



6. The universal practice of our country, is io 

 keep corn (in the ear) in open log cribs, through 

 which the air can easily pass; and it is the general 

 opinion, that such houses are necessary to keep the 

 corn in the best condition. This I believe to be 

 true, so far as it respects weevil, but not otherwise. 

 The corn which was spoken of, as being so well 

 kept, from two to three years, in the shuck, was 

 in a closely planked barn, 32 feet square, and the 

 lower story of which was nearly as full as it could 

 be packed. Weevil are disposed to fly out every 

 fair evening, which the open sides of our cribs per- 

 mit without impediment — and most of them are 

 destroyed by birds and bats. Where a few ears 

 of corn are kept in a close drawer or chest, the da- 

 mage from weevil is ten times as great, because 

 none of the breeders are destroyed. For the same 

 reason, if my corn in the close barn had not been 

 pi-otectetl by the shucks, every ear would, in the 

 first summer, have been as completely riddled as 

 are the few ears left in drawers. 



From all the facts which have been presented, 

 and the legitimate deductions therefrom, it seems 

 scarcely doubtful that the depredations of weevil 

 may be always easily, cheaply and effectually con- 

 trolled. But this important and most desirable 

 conclusion, depends on my facts and observations 

 not being mistaken. And, to decide that point, I 

 request the aid and corrections of others. How- 

 ever well assured I may feel, that my observations 

 are correct, it still may be that they are incorrect 

 in some important particulars. W hen we are mis- 

 taken as to causes, we are in great danger of also 

 being mistaken as to their most obvious effects ; — 

 and I am sensible of being somewhat exposed to 

 this danger, when all my observations of the effects 

 of weevil, until recently, were attended, and per- 

 haps affected, by totally mistaken views of the ori- 

 gin and propagation of these insects. 



E. R. 



