FARMERS' REGISTER— TOBACCO— HESSIAN FLY, &c. 



723 



The soil ouo;ht to be sandy and light, though 

 moderately rich ; that is, if fine, mealy and dry 

 potatoes be required. It should not by any means 

 be glutted with manure, and need not be deep. 1 

 have found no particular advantage in trenching 

 for this crop; in fact, I am credibly informed by 

 an observant gentleman, who has travelled exten- 

 sively, that in North America, the finest potatoes 

 are produced in extraordinary quantities upon 

 grass meadows, by simjjly turning up the turf, 

 inserting the potatoes, and reversing the turf by 

 placing the grass surfiice downward upon them. 



With respect to the properties of this vegetable, 

 and the purposes to which it may be applied, the 

 following observations of an eminent physician 

 may not be deemed inappropriate. I extract them 

 from the " Pharmacologia" of Dr. Pare: — 

 " Potatoes are found to produce 

 " First — Cottony flax from the stalk. 

 " Second — Sugar from the root. 

 " Third — Potass by combustion. 

 " Fourth — Vinegar from the apples. 

 " Fifth — Soap, or a substitute for bleaching, 

 from the tubercles. 



" And finally — When cooked by steam, the 

 most farinaceous and economical of all vegetable 

 food." 



It is also known that much farina, or rather 

 amylum, or starch, is yielded by grinding and 

 washing the pulpy mass. My experiments in 

 1828 led me to ascertain, that a fine mealy sort 

 yielded from one-eighth to one-seventh of tiie total 

 weight of the potatoes. This starch may be em- 

 ployed as a substitute for that made from wheat; 

 and as an article of diet, prepared as Indian arrow- 

 root. It can also be introduced in making bread, 

 though there is some dffiiculty in the manipula- 

 tion. As food for all cattle of the farm — horses, 

 cows, pigs, and likewise for poultry— potatoes are 

 all but invaluable. Every creature apj)ears to 

 relish them ; particularly when they are steamed 

 or carefully boiled. It would be well worth the 

 intelligent former's while to pay great attention 

 to the use and effects of potatoes, raw and boiled. 

 It is asserted that a cow may safely eat them in a 

 raw state to the extent of, perhaps, fifty pounds 

 per day, provided the eyes have broken and began 

 to shoot. Whenever they be given raw, however, 

 they should be chopped into pieces to prevent ac- 

 cidents. The utility of raw potatoes is, however, 

 doubted by man)', and therefore, the experiment 

 requires close observation ; perhaps straw, hay and 

 chair, might be employed as a very proper adjunct, 

 with a few ounces of salt, added to each feed. 

 Whenever steaming in the large way can be pro- 

 fitably employed, it must be an advantage for pigs 

 and poultry particularly ; and in all cases it would 

 greatly tend to prevent the possibility of the dan- 

 ger of sutTocation, which has been known to result 

 from the hurry and greediness with which cattle 

 devour the raw roots. 



I am, Sir, yours, respectfully, 



G. I. T. 



December I8th, 1832. 



ANSWER TO QUERIES ON TOBACCO, &C. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



In the last Register, (No. 10) a correspondent 

 from Warren County, North Carolina, requests a 

 more detailed account of Mr. Old's plan of culti- 



vating tobacco, by which the general improve- 

 ment of his farm is reconciled with the growth of 

 that destructive crop. It is hoped that Mr. Old, 

 whose skill as a farmer is at least equalled i)y his 

 capacity to convey to others his ideas on any sub- 

 ject, will be induced lo furnish for the Register, a 

 full account of his system. In the meantime, as 

 I have called attention to his culture of tobacco, I 

 will gratify your Warren correspondent as far as 

 I am able. I did not state with sufficient clear- 

 ness, in the communication in No. 7 of the Regis- 

 ter, that the two lots designed for tobacco, must 

 first be made very rich, "if not naturally so. — 

 The oats are then sown after the tobacco crop is 

 taken off — and when ripe, are rolled down with a 

 heavy roller, or else ploughed in — the first having 

 been usually preferred. When rolled down, the 

 crop (being a heavy one) affords a good covering 

 to the land ; besides which, they sprout and come 

 up through the straw, forming a perfect covering 

 to the earth. This is permitted to remain until 

 the first favorable weather in the latter part of the 

 winter. The land is then ploughed, and put into 

 good tilth in the usual way. Mr. Old cultivates 

 the Blue Prior Tobacco — tops to 12, 10, and 8 

 leaves successively — and permits it to be as ripe 

 as possible before cutting. His lots are on low 

 land — which is best, because, on account of its 

 moisture, the plants live better when set out : 

 otherwise, level high land is just as good. I have 

 known Mr. Okl to make 30,000 lbs. of toi)acco 

 from about 82,000 hills, one year— and 11,000 lbs. 

 from 33,000 another )'ear. These were his i)est 

 crops — init they are uniformly good in quantity 

 and quality. Having enlarged his fiirm lately, he 

 has changed his plans, and has now three lots — in- 

 terposing a crop of wlieat and clover, between the 

 crops of tobacco. Time has not yet shown whether 

 this will do as well as the two lots with the oats — 

 I don't think it will. He, however, gets a fine crop of 

 wheat every third year, which may compensate 

 for a less crop of toliacco. I will add, that Mr. 

 Old's care of his tobacco, from the cutting to the 

 prizing of it, is remarkable — to which is to be at- 

 tributed, in part, the high prices he always 

 gets. He is, moreover, a good manager of every 

 thing he undertakes ; and thus it may be, that the 

 mere adoption of one of his plans, may not insure 

 similar results. I am his neighiior, and have the 

 benefit of observing his whole management, and 

 yet, I must confess, my farm exhibits no such ap- 

 pearance as his — nor do my crops fill my pockets 

 as well as do his. Yours, h. meade. 



March 31, 1834. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 

 HESSIAN FLY WEEVIL CHEAT. 



In page 351 of the 6th No. of the Register is 

 inserted, a "simple method of destroying the Hes- 

 sian fly," from the Canadian Courant. Many years 

 past, I cut out of a paper the piece enclosed in this 

 letter. This, with some desultory remarks of my 

 own, is subjected to your control, as you may pos- 

 sibly consider it proper for publicity. 



" The Hessian Fhj. — This destructive insect is 

 proj)agated from the eggs of the fly deposited on 

 the grains of wheat when ripening; the truth of 

 which I learned from actual observations. The 

 fly may be seen by the middle of June, and from 

 that time tdl wheat is cut, flying about and light- 

 ing upon ears of wheat. It deposits its eggs upon 



