iH2 



THE GENESEE PARMER 



June 11, 1831, 



vative against the cut-worm. This last na- 

 med insect is an ash colored worm, with a 

 stripe almost black on its back, which eats 

 off the stem of the young plants of cabba- 

 ges, cauliflowers, fkc. as well as of corn, near 

 the surface of the ground. This gentleman 

 is of opinion that the solution of copperas 

 is a perfect antidote against the wirt-worm, 

 but of no use against the cut-worm ; and 

 thus reconciles the apparent contradiction 

 relative to the solution of copperas preserv- 

 ing corn against insects. 



DESTRUCTION OF INSECTS. 



Forsyth says the, leaves of walnut, steeped 

 rn boiling water, and that infusion mixed 

 with lime water, soap suds, and urine, are 

 found very efficacious for destroying slugs 

 and worms in the ground and insects on 

 trees. 



TO PRESERVE INDIAN CORN AND POTATOES 

 AGAINST THE GRUB WORM. 



The farmers of Rensselaer county, N. Y. 

 jay that ashes or quick liine ought always 

 to be applied to the top of corn hills soon 

 after planting, if it follow sward, to prevent 

 grub larvx from destroying it. The same 

 amplications will have a similar effect, if ap- 

 plied to the top of potatoe hills ; but neither 

 un'eached ashes nor lime in its quick or 

 caustic state should in any case be allow- 

 ed to come in contact either with the- seed 

 corn or with the young plants. 



SOILING 



Is a term applied to the practice of cuf- 

 fing herbage crops green for feeding or fat- 

 tening live stock. On all farms, under cor 

 rect management, a part of this crop is cut 

 green, for the working horses, often for milk 

 cows, and, in some instances, both for grow- 

 ing and fattening cattle. There can be no 

 doubt of the advantages of this practice, in 

 regard to horses and cows ; but for young 

 and for fattening beasts, a sufficient number 

 of experiments are not known to have been 

 yet made with any great degree of accura- 

 cy. Young animals require exercise in the 

 open air, and probably will not be found to 

 thrive so well in houses or fold-yards during 

 summer, as in pastures j and though in ev- 

 ery case there is a great saving of food, the 

 long woody and comparatively naked stems 

 of the plants, with leaves more or less with- 

 ered, are perhaps not so valuable in the pro- 

 duction of beef or fattening stock as a much 

 smaller weight of herbage taken in by pas- 

 turage. Milch cows, however, are so impa- 

 tient of heat and insects, that this way off 

 feeding them at least for part of the day, in 

 warm weather, ought to be more generally 

 adopted ; and the convenience of having 

 working horses always at hand, besides that 

 they fill their stomachs speedily, is of not 

 less importance than economy. See Com- 

 munications to the Board of Agriculture, 

 vol. vii. Brown's Treatise on Rural Affairs, 

 vol. ii. General Report of Scotland, vol. ii. 

 and iii. ■■ 



CULTURE OF SILK. 



We are happy to learn that several public 

 spirited individuals in this vicinity are ma- 

 king exertions to introduce the culture of 

 silit into Massachusetts, One gentleman 

 1:1 Middlesex County intends to have under 

 culture next year one million of white 

 mulberry trees, which will be sold at the 

 Jyare nominal cost. He has now growing 

 a large number of trees, and is making 

 preparations to raise three hundred thousand 

 Mr. D'FIomergueof Philadel 



and invited to establish a silk Filature at 

 Lowell, which he is willing to do as soon as 

 cocoons are raised in this quarter in a suffi- 

 cient degree to justify it. The general in- 

 troduction of the culture of silk into New 

 England would justly be considered an aus- 

 picious era in the agricultural prosperity of 

 the country.— lb. 



es. We should be glad to obtain the flies' 

 for preservation ; and if they shall have pro- 

 duced eggs a few would be very acceptable 

 — American Farmer. 



ON REAPING WHEAT. 



To the Ediior of the Virginia Herald : 



Sip. — As the time of harvest is approach- 

 ing, I address, through your paper, my bro- 

 ther farmers, on the importance of allowing 

 wheat intended for sowing, to be entirely 

 ripe before reaping. Accident last year, 

 and eye-sight this year, have convinced me 

 of the propriety of this course. 



In the year 1829, having selected by hand 

 some ears of Mexican wheat, and sowed it 

 in the fall of the same year, it was forgotten 

 last year, until my little son reminded me 

 that it ought to be gathered. It was then 

 from seven to ten days after my other wheat 

 of the same kind had been cut. — This wheat 

 was then gathered and deposited in a bag. 

 Last Octobor, this wheat was seeded on the 

 same day, in the same manner, aud adjoin- 

 ing to other Mexican wheat. No selection 

 of land was made for it, as no experiment 

 was intended. It has survived the fly, and 

 the last severe winter, with little injury, but 

 not more than one third of the adjoining 

 wheat has been left alive. From its present 

 appearance, it will produce, I believe, two 

 thirds more than its adjacent neighbor. 



Can the keeping in the bag be the cause 

 of this superiority ? I believe not, because 

 in several previous years, seed wheat has 

 been kept by me in bags, and no similar re- 

 sult has taken place ; my inference thence, 

 is, that this difference must be owing to the 

 entire ripeness of the seed. Should any 

 reader of this communication have donbts 

 on this subject, it would give me great plea- 

 sure to show them the growing wheat, which 

 will convince, I should think, the most scep- 

 tical. 



From my twenty -four years experience as 

 a farmer, I am also satisfied, that the smut 

 is mainly attributable to unripe seed wheal. 

 My seed wheat has been always riper than 

 that of my neighbours, and during that pe- 

 riod,! have never seen but six smutted heads 

 in my own crops. In a conversation with 

 the late Mr. Isaac Williams, he confirmed 

 my opinion, by stating to me the same prac- 

 tice of one of his nearest neighbors, attend- 

 ed by the most entire success. 



In making this communication, 'he inter 

 est of wheat-growers is my sole object, and 

 if, by it, their crops should be incieased, it 

 will contribute to the happiness of vour o- 

 bedient servant, JOHN TAYLOR. 



Liberty Hill, Caroline. 



this season. 



phis has been consulted with on (he subject Itween the extremctiesof its wings six inch 



NATIVE SILKWORMS. 



We. are informed that a lady near George- 

 town, D. C. has a couple of cocoons of the 

 native silkworm, of so extraordinary n size 

 that a description of them and the fly that 

 has come out of them is deemed worthy of 

 publication. The cocoon is fully as large 

 as a turkey's egg, and resembles that of the 

 common silkwerm >u other respects, except 

 in the fibre, which looks like flax. The fly 

 isveiy beautiful, and very large, the size of 

 it wren. Its antenna: are black, legs and 

 jback red, body striped. It measures be- 



THE POTATO. 



We are aware, that we have given our 

 readers hitherto, several notices res_pectinp 

 the potato ; but, this being a root that ad- 

 ministers so extensively to the wants of the- 

 poor, and to the comforts of the rich, we a 

 vail ourselves of an extract from the Ad- 

 dress of Ben.i. Franklin Butler, Esq. 

 to the Albany Institute, April 23d, 1830, foi 

 a more particular history of this esculent, 

 than we have before seen : 



" As agriculture furnishes to all classes- of 

 society, the chief support of animal life, and 

 is the principal basis of national wealth, its 

 improvement has ever been considered, by 1 

 reflecting miiids, an object of primary im* 

 portance. Having no practical knowledge 

 of the art, I shall not enter into details; but 

 I will venture to say, that there is, in many 

 parts of the state, great room for improve' 

 ment, if not in the mode of cultivation, at 

 least in the quality of the articles produced. 

 On this latter point, these who have no 

 knowledge of husbandry, may yet be per 

 mitted to express an opinion. To illustrate 

 what is intended by these remarks, and at 

 the same time to avoid prolixity, a single ar- 

 ticle has been selected — it shall be an hum- 

 ble one- — THE POTATO. 



The value of this vegetable as an afticle 

 of food, not only for man, but for various 

 domestic animals, is well understood. It 

 must also be well known, that there are ma-' 

 ny varieties, differing greatly in flavor, in 

 nutrition, and in healthfulness. Indeed, 

 there is no article of food in which diverse 

 ties of this sort exist to so great a degree ; 

 as will readily be admitted by those wbc 

 have compared the kidney or pink-eye, (Va 

 rieties recently introduced) with the strong, 

 clammy, and indigestible roots, formerly 

 grown in such abundance in this vicinity. — 

 I do not know how it may be in other parts 

 of the state, but I am persuaded that in this 

 city, four-fifths of the potatoes that are 

 brought to market are of the old varieties 

 Here then is a subject for improvement- 

 one too of great importance. Probably 

 three-fourths of our population use the po- 

 tato as a part of their daily food ; and sure- 

 ly the supplying so many persons with the 

 article, in a form the most healthful, pala 

 table and nutritious, cannot be a small ques- 

 tion. 



This however is but a narrow view of the 

 subject. We are not to limit our reflections 

 to our present population. We are to look 

 forward to the time when even the sterile 

 mountainous regions which are now rarely- 

 trodden by the foot of man, will have their 

 thousands of human beings, whose suste- 

 nance is to spring almost exclusively from 

 the soil. On what are they to be subsisted ? 

 Doubtless a great proportion of them on the_ 

 potato ; for among the valuable qualities of" 

 this vegetable, may be enumerated the facts,, 

 that it may be grown where wheat and other 

 bread corns will not succeed ; that it may 

 be cultivated with success in almost cverjf 

 variety of soil ; and that it yields an abund- 

 ant return to the labors of the cultivator.and 

 i* almost alwa> ; a sure crop. Next there- 



