1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



I4Q 



Another Kerardy for the Wire-Worm. 



We make the following extracts from a com- 

 munication recently received from Mr. S. Da- 

 viso.v, of Greece, Monroe county. After allu- 

 ding to the inquiry of our Clurkson corresion- 

 dent, and the answer by VV. H. M., of Wheatland, 

 (pul)!ishod in the February number of the Far- 

 mer,) Mr. S. says : — 



I have noticed for some years past that our 

 best wheat lands are more or less infested with 

 the wire-worm, which will be repdily conceded 

 by all who have observed their progress. The 

 remedy prescribed in the remarks to the inqui- 

 ries of I^ucius P. Clark, in the March number 

 of the Farmer is sure, but something like the 

 Yankee's celebrated (lea powder — " You must 

 catch him and pinch him until he opens his 

 mouth ; then put the powder in and it is sure 

 death "! 



But I have another remedy which I have tried 

 on a larger scale, and which has proved salutary. 

 The worm in question is well known to breed 

 only in mucky, loose land, covered with the fine 

 grasses, and then worAing near the surface of 

 the- soil so as to catch the teiider plant at its 

 most vital point. The eggs are deposited in the 

 small tufts or root of the grasses at the surface. 

 To destroy the wire-worm (and some other in- 

 sects which are about the surface,) I cover the 

 land two or three inches (or more if you please) 

 thick with straw, and let it lay two or three 

 weeks, in order that it may get settled to the 

 ground. During this time the worms will work 

 on the surface under the straw, by which they 

 are protected from the sun, and can move witli 

 ease to devour the tender grass. 1 then select a 

 dry day and set fire to the straw. This destroys 

 both worms and eggs, and also the parent in 

 sects, which are in a winged state and flying 

 over the surface [The same process will also 

 destroy grasshoppers.] 



The above remedy I applied to a piece of 

 meadow that was what we call full of wire- 

 worms. A part of the field was not burnt over; 

 and now mark the result of the experiment. 

 After harvest I plowed the lield three times and 

 sowed it to wheat. Where the fire went, tliere 

 has not been any appearance of the v)ire-worm — 

 but in the portion that was not burned they 

 were at work as in other fields of meadow 

 ground that were plowed and sowed to wheat. 



New Bee-IIhe. 



Messrs. Editors: — I have lately had exhib- 

 ited to me a bee hive of a new construction, 

 combining some new principles to avoid the dif- 

 ficulty of the entrance of cold air, and at the 

 same time securing a perfect ventilation — and to 

 get rid of that great annoyance and depredator, 

 the bee moth. 



It is a square box, with a tight bottom hinged 

 to fall-down — having a grated hole in the cen- 

 ter two inches square, over which a lube extends 

 to the top and through it a few inches, which is 

 again covered with an open cupalo to keej) tho 

 rain and snow out of the tube. The bees are 

 obliged to enter at the top througli the tube, 

 which is so constructed with openings and oar- 

 lit i<ins as to secure fresh air and direct the bees 

 to their proper a()artment. The proprietors, 

 Messrs. Isaac & Samijkl Ide, of Millville, Or- 

 leans county, asseil that the millers are not so 

 apt to find this entrance as through slats or holes, 

 and that the tube is warm and well aired during 

 the cool autumn evenings, when tiiey mostly act 

 and deposit their eggs — and where the bees are 

 fond of congrpgititig in the tube, whereby it 

 becomes guarded against the intrusion of all 

 enemies. 



If thf'se grand disederatums are secured, as is 

 anticipated and confidently asserteil by the pro- 

 prietors, it will entitle them to the p-»tronag© 

 and gratitude of apiarians. H. Y. 



Monroe Co., N. Y., 1848. 



Importance of Educating the Farmer. 



It is calculated that the division of the occu- 

 pations of men in the United States is nearly in 

 the following proportions : 



Number engaged in interni] Navignlion, -33,07G 



Ocenn... 58,021 



" " tlie learned prafessiuns, . 65.255 



" " CDintnerfe. 119,607 



" " miniifaeiures, _-. 791,749 



agriculuire, 3,719,951 



Thus it will be seen that those who are en- 

 gaged in agriculture are three and a half times 

 greater in number than those in all the other di- 

 visions. The agriculturists consequently have 

 the physical and numerical power, and can at 

 any time control every government in the United 

 States, and give tone to public opinion. But do 

 they ? No indeed ; for however powerful they 

 may be in number, they are weak in innuence, 

 and this arises from want of proper education. 

 The sixty-five thousand two hundred and fifty- 

 five, engaged in the-lesrjied professions, are in- 

 tellectually stronger than the three millions, 

 seven hundred and nineteen thousand, nine hun- 

 dred and fifty-one engaged in agriculture, and 

 therefore rule tiiem. If it were not so, seven- 

 eighths of the offices in the country would not be 

 held by lawyers and doctors ; nor would all the 

 colleges and high schools be endowed principally 

 for the benefit of the learned proflsssions. 



Farmers, when will you arouse youiselvesto 

 the dignity rtnd importance of your calling, and 

 educate yourselves to that heiglit of intelligence 

 whitth will make you the ru/crs instead of the 

 ruled of the other professions 1 There is surely 

 nothing to prevent this if y<in will only be true 

 to yourselves. — American Agricullurist. 



