42 



N 



EW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AccrsT 15, isss. 



had in August shelled out millions of these grubs 

 on the ground, sometime before the wheat was fit 

 to harvest. I observed also that large numbers fel 

 out in haiTCGling the wheat, so that the ground 

 then appeared to be seeded with a sufficient number 

 of grubs to destroy the whole wheat crop, should i 

 thev all remain in the ground and take wing. But , 

 according to the best observations I have been able 

 to make on the subject, I have come to the conclu- 

 Bion that nature has done more, from the last ot 

 July to t!ie first of October, to destroy these flies, 

 than all that human art could devise. To corrob- 

 orate this sf.tement, I observed tliat by tlie muldle 

 of July these grubs began to take wmg from the 

 heads of the early sown wheat in large numbers; 

 and about tlie time tliat the wheat was fit to harvest, 

 I noticed in some fields large numbers of heads 

 that were totally destroyed by the ily, and did not 

 contain a single grub in them. Those licads were 

 full of the shells or skins of tho-^e grubs trom which 

 the flies had escaped. Some of these heads con- 

 Uined from one up to seven shells in each husk, j 

 throMThout the whole head. I observed also tliat , 

 when'these grubs fell out of the wheat in August, 

 that the earth was quite moist, and remained so till 

 after the wheat was harvested,— the weather being I 

 quite warm, with heavy dews, for son.e time,— these j 

 circumstances were very favorable for the grubs to ' 

 take wing. This, together with the large number , 

 of flies that I observed after the wheat was harvest- 

 ed, led me to the belief that they had taken wing . 

 from the ground. Sliould this prove to be the case, 

 I am inclined to tliink that their ravages will not 

 be so extensive the next season as it has been the 

 past season. In my opinion the grubs that took 

 wing the past season will not injure tlie wheat crop 

 the next season. 



It will undoubtedly be recollected that a year 

 ago last fall it was extremely dry, and remained so 

 till the ground was frozen, and tlie snow fell on it. 

 This, in my opinion, entirely prevented the grubs 

 from taking wing. It. will also be recollected that 

 the last spring was very wet, and continued to be 

 through the month of June. This, in my opinion, 

 caused all the grubs that were in the ground, and 

 all that were sown with the seed wheat to take 

 wing ; and at the very time that they couUl do the 

 most injury to the wheat crop. These circumstan- 

 ces may account in part for the extensive ravages 

 of the tlv the past season. 



I have observed that tlie fly has been more inju- . 

 rious to the bearded wlieat, than they have been to 

 the beardless wheat. I am somewhat at a loss to ■ 

 ascertain the real cause of this. It may be that the 

 husk of tlie beardless wheat is more compact and 

 snug than the bearded kinds are, so that tlie fly • 

 cannot, perhaps, penetrate it so easily as they can 

 the bearded varieties. Some people think that the j 

 beardless wheat is inferior in quality to the bearded 

 varieties, and think that is the only reason why the 

 fly does not injure it as much. I have not had an 

 opportunity to satisfy myself on this point— having 

 always cultivated the bearded varieties in prefer- 

 ence to the other, on account of its being earlier ; 

 and it is said to bo less subject to blight. 



J will here state another instance which has come 

 under my observation. In the latter part of August, 

 1836, I sowed a small piece of winter wheat, which 

 was winter-killed quite down to the ground, except 

 a few small patches. In the spring following I 

 ' sowed a piece of Malaga wheat, adjoining the win- 

 ter wheat. That part of the winter wheat which 

 was winter-killed sprung up late in the season, and 



^-Tabout the sanie sta^7of for:;ar;ine^^ha^^ 



snrinff wheat was in ; so that both headed and was i head. Its neck is well adaptco lo j 



■rZ^aroneand'the same time. The -"4°""V':n'^lo':k'inT^ik: p. las' to^ uSolt'a 

 was that the part of the winter wheat which was are w.de apart, looking 1 ik _ p II ^.^_^^ ^PP^^^^^^ 



winter-killed, was totally destroyed; while the 

 spring wheat that adjoined it was about one-fourth 

 part destroyed by the fly- 



Those patches of winter wheat that were not 

 water-killed, were not in the least injured by the fly 

 —and the wheat was first rate. The kernel had 

 becun to harden about the time that tlie other part 

 of die piece and the spring wheat was in bloom. 

 This I suppose was the only reason why it was in- 

 jured by the fly. 



; The above instance seems to prove two things. 

 j First, that the fly cannot injure the wheat after the 

 ' kernel begins to harden. Second, it proves to dem- 

 onstration''that the ravages of the fly are more ex- 

 '■ tensive on the best varieties of wheat, when those 

 ', varieties are within roach of them, than on the oth- 

 ; ers. 



! Tu he continued. 



! I'roni the Gensee Farmor. 



I CATTLE.— DEVONSHIRE. 



While it may be affirmed with great truth, that 



the present beautiful and superior breed of Improved 

 Short Horns are strictly artificial, and while some 

 fears may be justly entertained lest tlie valuable 

 qualities "for which they are so distinguished, have 

 not become so fully constitutional as to be beyond 

 the possibility of lapse,— we here bring to the no- 

 tice of the farmer, a breed of cattle, scarcely mfe- 

 rior in quality to the Short Horns, and of which no 

 apprehensions can be entertained that the type of ear 



oreat weight Angular bony projections are never 

 found in a beast that carries much flesh and at. 

 A narrow chested animal can never be usetul either 

 for working or grazing. 



The skin of the Devon of the pure breed, not- 

 withstanding his curly hair, is very mellow, fine and 

 elastic. Graziers know there is not a more impor- 

 tant point tlian this. When tlie skin can be easily 

 raised from the hips it shows that there is room to 

 set fat below. The favorite color of the Devons 

 is a blood red. The hair in some is curicd, tlie 

 curls runuing like ripples on water, and wnen dark 

 triviucT a Mahouany appearance. If the hair is 

 smooth it should be fine and glossy. Few ol good 

 blood have any white upon them, and the pure 

 Devon is as uniformly red, as is the pure Short Horn 

 red and white. 



The comparative smallness of tl.e Devon cow, is 

 one of the most remarkable traits of their character. 

 The bull is much smaller than the ox, and the cow 

 proportionally smaller than eitlier. This is consid- 

 ered somewhat of a disadvantage, as it is almost 

 mipossible to procure large and serviceablg oxen, 

 except from a roomy cow. Owing to their peculiar 

 build, however, the Devon cow is more roomy than 

 most otlier breeds of cattle of the same size, wl_^ch 

 in a great measure obviates the objection. The 

 Devon cow is particularly distinguished for her full, 

 round, clear eye, the gold colored circle around .t 

 and the same color prevailing on the inside of the 

 The muzzle orange or yellow, but the rest o 



these distinguishing qualities are evanescent, and 

 not durably inaorporated in the constitution and 



The north of Devon has long been celebrated for 

 a beautiful breed of cattle, in activity of work, and 

 aptitude to fatten, unrivalled. The place where 

 they are found in the greatest perfection, is m the 

 vicinity of Portlock and Biddleford, along the Bris- 

 tol channel in the county of Devon. From the ear- 

 liest records the breed has here remained the same, 

 i or if not quite as perfect in general as at the present 

 I moment, yet altered in no essential point until the 

 last thirty years. No persevering successful at 



the face having nothing of black, or even of white | 



about it. , „ L- ! 



The peculiar excellence ef the Devonshire ox | 

 Is a quickness of action in working, which few hors 

 es exceed, and no other cattle can equal. Ihe; 

 have also a degree of docility and goodness ol tern 

 per, and stoutness and honesty of work, to whicl 

 many teams of horses cannot pretend. Mr louatt 

 wlio is trreat authority on the subject of cattle, Uiu 

 describes their usual mode of treatment and apti 

 tude to fatten. , ^ . 



The Devon steer is taken into work at about tw i 

 vears old; and they are worked until they are foul 



last thirty years. No persevering successtul at- -^t jj jhey are then grazed, or kept on hay, an 

 tempts to improve the general character of British to '^' ^ey "^ t -, , ^.^^^^^ 



cattle were made until within some fifty "--^^ "^^'^^^^l .re ^ fi^^^^^^^ If ^- S^- 



years; and the Devonshire farmers ^-^^^ ^° ■"?" T"", "' f '^ ' J, ^ake or turnips are requned fc 

 Ltisfied with their herds that they were about the ^^1^^°]^^^ I,,,, I a second wint. 



these must be added. The grazier likes this bree 

 best, at five years old, and they will usually, ^^he 

 taken from tlie plough, fetch as much money as : 

 six Lord SomerviUe .states, tliat after having beei 

 worked lightly on hill land for two years, at fov 

 years old they are brought into the heavy land . 

 the vales, and used in hard work till six ; and wh, 

 deserves consideration is, an ox must be thus workc 

 to attain his largest size. If he is kept idle unl 

 he is five or six, he will invariably be stinted nib 

 growth. Mr Youatt, adds-In their disposition 

 fatten very few cattle can rival them. 1 hey ( 

 not indeed, attain the groat weight of some breed 

 but in a given time acquire more flesh and with 

 less consumption of lood, and their flesh is beau' 

 ftd in its kind. It is of that mottled, marble cha 

 actor so pleasing to the eye, and to the taste. 



As to the value of the Devon cow for the dau 

 difteicnt and somewhat conflicting opmions a 

 entertained in England. Mr Youatt says : 



,ast to dream that their beautiful red cattle could 

 be improved, and they did not bestir themselves m 

 earnest until the high prices and improved forms of 

 the Collings Short Horns, convinced tliem that m 

 estimating their advantages they were behind the 



age. 



The most perfect specimens of the Devonshire 

 cattle are found among tlie North Devons, and it is 

 of tliese we shall speak. As the breed is of the 

 middle horns, the horns should be neither too high 

 or too low, those of the hull tapering to the points, 

 not very thick at the base, and of a yellow or wax- 

 en color. The eye should be clear, bright and 

 prominent, showing much of the wliite, and ought 

 to have a circle of a variable color, but usually ot a 

 dark <u-ange around it. The forehead should be 

 flat, indented and small, for by the smallness ot the 

 forehead the purity of the blood is much estimated. 

 The check should be small and the muzzle fine, and 

 the nose should bo of a clear yellow. The ox has 

 a small head, singulariy so relatively to the bulk 



