1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 65 



of greenness and full of sap. The opinion is, that if green it 

 creates an acidity in the soil prejudicial to the succeeding crop. 

 I do not know whether this theory be sound or not ; but I have 

 seen an experiment tried with a view to this point, in two 

 adjoining lots of ground in the same field ; and the result was 

 conclusive in favor of turning in the crop when dried. Mr. Colt's 

 opinion in favor of spring ploughing or against fall ploughing 

 bears on the same point. The conclusion, which seems to 

 follow from these premises, is against sowing wheat upon green 

 sward, on account of the wire worm. In such case, corn or 

 oats then should be taken as a first crop ; and corn may be 

 taken, as Mr. Phinney advises, on a late ploughed sward, as 

 the disadvantage, if there be any, in the comparison between 

 turning in the herbage in a green instead of a dried state, may 

 be more than compensated by the protection which it furnishes 

 against the worm ; but if wheat is to be sowed, on green sward 

 or stubble, on account of the results of Mr. Colt's expe- 

 rience, whether his notions be well or ill founded, it is to be 

 advised to plough in the spring ; but then as early as possible ; 

 because, as 1 am satisfied, of the expediency under all circum- 

 stances of sowing spring wheat as early as possible. In this 

 case, the chances of the worm must be encountered, unless the 

 mixture of salt with the compost, as mentioned above, may 

 afford a security against him. 



Hessian Fly. — The Hessian fly is another enemy from 

 which wheat has heretofore suffered a great deal. His ravages 

 constituted a principal reason many years since for relinquish- 

 ing the cultivation of wheat in several parts of the State. This 

 scourge was supposed to have been introduced into the country 

 in the baggage of the German soldiers, who came as the mer- 

 cenaries of the British, in the time of the American Revolution. 

 Yet no such insect was known in the province of Hesse, from 

 which these soldiers came. 



The maggot is found between the leaf and the culm in the 

 first joint of the plant ; and beds himself in the stalk at that 

 place, by which it is destroyed. At his first coming in the 

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