ROOT CROPS— THE HESSIAN FLY AND THE WAEAT-HEAD FLY. 



27 



ry. Lime must also be within tlieir reach at all 

 times. Pepper has been found excellent to make 

 hens lay. A recent writer says: — " I was clearing; 

 out some red pepper seeds, and threw the shucks 

 promiscuously about I soon observed hens picking 

 them up and swallowing them with great avidity. 

 They soon commenced laying eggs, though they had 

 laid none for a month before. I fed regularly two 

 or three times a week since then with red pepper, 

 and they have never stopped laying summer or win- 

 ter, spring or fall, except while they were hatching 

 their chickens ; and I am confident that by this 

 method they may be made to lay the year round. 



We are much pleased to notice the attention given 

 by the farmers of this section to the cultivation of 

 root crops. On nearly every farm we notice a patch 

 of carrots, and our seedsmen say there never before 

 was such a demand for turnip seed. We wish now 

 to call attention to another most valuable root, espe- 

 cially so for milch cows; — we mean the 



Pars.N'IP. — The soil may be heavier for parsnips 

 than for carrots, and they will even thrive on a 

 strong clay, if rich, well pulverized and dry. Large 

 crops can only be obtained on deeply fertile and well 

 pulverized soil. They should be sown early, as frosts 

 do not aiFect them, and they require a long time to 

 come to maturity. Drilling, at a distance of 20 inches 

 apart, is the proper mode of planting, and they 

 should be thinned to a space of si-x; or eight inches. 

 It requires four or five pounds of seed per acre, which 

 must be of the previous year's growth, as older does 

 not readily vegetate. No preparation of the seed is 

 necessary. The subsequent cultivation is similar to 

 that of carrots, and they will generally yield more 

 under the same circumstances of soil and tillage. 

 They are little subject to di.-iease or. enemies. 



The best variety for field culture, is the Isle of 

 Jersey. The gathering should be deferred till the 

 following spring, unless wanted for winter's use; as 

 they keep best in the ground, where they are unin- 

 jured by the intfense frost. But particular care must 

 be observed in allowing no standing water on them, 

 or they will rot. When taken up in the fall, the 

 roots should neither be trimmed nor broken, nor 

 should the tops be cut too near the root. They must 

 be stored in a cool place and covered carefully with 

 earth, as exposure to ah- or even moderate heat wilts 

 tliem. 

 The parsnip is one of our most delicious table veg- 



etables. It is an excellent food for swine, either raw 

 or cooked, and for cattle, milch cows, and sheep, it is 

 highly prized. Qualey says, " it is not as valuable 

 for horses, for though it produces fat and a fine ap- 

 pearance, it causes them to sweat profusely; and if 

 eaten when the shoot starts in the spring, it produces 

 inflamation in the eyes and epiphora, or weeping." 

 The leaves of both carrots and parsnips are good for 

 cattle, either green or dried. 



THE HESSIAN FLY AND THE WHEAT-HEM) FLY, 



In the last volume on agriculture in the " Natural 

 History of New York," Dr. Emmo.ns has treated on 

 the " Insects injurious to Vegetation." This is a very 

 important subject to the cultivator of the earth, and 

 much knowledge of it has not before been accessible 

 by the people. Indeed, the description of insects is 

 in most cases in learned treatises, and thus not at- 

 tractive to most persons, so that the public needed a 

 volume of a more popular character, and yet ade- 

 quately scientific. Such is the volume already scat- 

 tered over our State. If it is not absolutely perfect, 

 it is important and full of interest. In the plates 

 are many figures of insects which are often occurring 

 in their season to the farmer, and which will com- 

 monly be recognized at once. Among these insects, 

 those destructive to the wheat crop have possessed 

 an especial interest this summer. Two of these are 

 well known — the Hessian Fly, of which in different 

 states are figures on plate IV., and the JViicat-Uead 

 Fly, readily known from its resemblance to the other, 

 and yet clearly to be distinguished as a fly, and by 

 its plan of depositing its eggs. Both of these are 

 fly-like, having two wings and small volaneus at- 

 tached, a body about the eighth of an inch long, and 

 and a head nearly half as long as the body, and the 

 wings spreading about one-fourth of an inch. So 

 minute is the animal which may carry desolation over 

 the country. " The very weakest among the tribes 

 of animals are the greatest destroyers of the pro- 

 ducts of man's industry." 



The Hessian fly, so called because it was intro- 

 duced from Europe in the baggage of the Hessian?,, 

 who were landed in 177G by the British on Staten. 

 Island and Long Island, may be far more formidable 

 and terrific in a country than an " army of Hessiaa 

 troops." Although this insect was known in Europe 

 long before our Revolution, it seems not to have- 

 been named till after its ravages had become great 

 in some parts of our country. This was done irt 

 1817 by our distinguished entomologist, Mr. Say- 



