12 



KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



Fcr the New England Farmer. 

 MORE ABOUT THE WHEAT TADPOLE. 



After studying tlie habits of this curious little 

 fellow for two months, ho looks tremendous large 

 to me. As the wheat has been threshed, I find it 

 has suffered very much from the depredations of 

 the tadpole and other insects this season. In many 

 of the mountain towns, it is an enth-e failure, and 

 few have more than half a crop. If one of this 

 class, called the Aphis, has caused so much fear in 

 the cotton-growing States, and called out so much 

 talent to investigate its nature, why are Ave not 

 awake ? If he progresses as fast as pests general- 

 ly do, we shall have famine Avith our Avar, another 

 year, unless Ave are trying to head him oft". 



I am conversant Avith the ojiinions of many Avho 

 have devoted much time to the study of the Cot- 

 ton Apliis, his character, habits, etc., and consider 

 ToAvnsend Glover's description in the Patent Office 

 Report for 18a5, pages 68 and GO, the best of any — 

 still I am not satisfied Avith that even. I have seen 

 his lady-birds, lace-flies, syrphus and ichneumon on 

 many pieces of grain, before I ever saAV a Avheat 

 tadpole, and have seen that they were increasing 

 yearly. This year I saAV uncountable numbers 

 of tliem on the grain in various places, and Avatched 

 them closely for Aveeks, but I tliink only the lace- 

 fly preys upon the tadpole in any Avay. 



The other day I stroUed up to the stock farm of 



Gushing, of Belmont, situated in AVayland. 



His farmer told me they raised 200 bushels of Java 

 v/iieat tliis season, and Avliile talliing Avith him in re- 

 lation to it, I made the foUoAving discovery. Said 

 farmer told me the things came on to their Avheat 

 late, and did little, or no harm. That Avhen they cut 

 it, there Avas not one to be found on it ; that they put 

 it into a moAV overhead, and about tAvo Aveeks af- 

 ter, he AA-as up there after hen's eggs, and, as he 

 supposed at the time, got completely covered Avith 

 lien-licc. In another Aveek he Avas up there again, 

 and there AA-ere bushels of the same things all over 

 every tiling, of all sizes and colors, Avith Avings 

 £>jjd without Avings ; that he Avatclied them closely, 

 and found them SAvarming about the AvindoAVS trj'- 

 ing to get out as soon as they got their Avings ; 

 that in four Aveeks after he first saAV them, looking 

 like the smallest hen-lice, the bam and everytliing 

 in it, Avas literally covered Avith a small, greenish 

 vorm, and the tilings had turned into them ; that 

 the Avorras were crawHng everyAvhcre, homeless 

 and perfectly desperate, on a small scale, like Se- 

 ccssia at home ; that after aAvliile, they made co- 

 coons out of hay, &c., and Avere drying up in them. 

 He gave me some of these Avorms at home, and 

 some Avithout homes, and I Avill send you a sample 

 of both. I found, upon examining the dried up 

 ones, two very small Avliite, or yelloAvish Avhite 

 Avheat tadpoles to every dried up maggot, male and 

 female — the farmer's hen-hce. Tliis time the mag- 

 got changed to male and female Avheat aphis — be- 

 fore the eggs hatched one Avhich Ave see mated ac- 

 cording to mythology — though my microscope 

 ain't strong enough to see the Avorm's ribs, if it has 

 any. 



Now, Mr. Editor, arc these a secession element, 

 that can live and tlirive on nothing, and sent up 

 here to destroy oiu' "staff of life ?" I think here 

 is a chance for some of us "stay at home guards" 

 to malte ourselves useful. The farmer is backer to 

 all undertakint^s. thoufirh he may lie despised hy 



some because he will not turn his plow into a can- 

 non. He is needed at home, and should be aAvake 

 and doing. If any impediment appears to bat- 

 tle Avith, study well where to strike the surest 

 bloAV, and then strike as none but the farmer can. 

 I tliink Ave ought to be getting ready to do bat- 

 tle Avith some of the ncAvly anived, but trouble- 

 some guests. 



No doubt the Avheat tadpole is a relative of the 

 sugar maple destroyer, the apple tree leaf destroyer, 

 8zc., and that tlieir habits are not luioAvn, or the 

 extent of theii- depredations. I tliink them of dif- 

 ferent species from Mr. Glover's Apliis, though 

 they may belong to the secessia genera. 



There is no doubt that the larva Avas in tlie straAV 

 or head on the Cusliing farm, and carried into the 

 barn there, and that it Avas carried in Avith all grain 

 Avhere the tadpole appeared, whether he did dam- 

 age this season or not. That particular barn may 

 give Mr. Cuslmig's cattle the pleuro, and Iii'a 

 horses the glanders, or cribbing, or some other 

 horrible disease — but it has brought out the tad- 

 poles — as his farmer said — several months before 

 then- time. It is a perfect unventilated hot-house, 

 and these miscliievous pests, or any other, can 

 breed and thrive there. 



In most other barns the egs^ Avould have laid till 

 spring or early summer, and then hatched out. 

 NoAV, Avill anything but fire and SAVord exterminate 

 tliem ? 



Let us think about it directly, and act. Don't 

 appoint a Fast and Avait Avhiie the Lord destroys 

 them. Take hold right and strong 



Waijland, Nov. 4, 1861. k. 



For the New England Farmer. 



IS FARMnSTG PROFITABIiE P—GARGET — 

 BLIND STAGGERS. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have often noticed the 

 folloAving questions in your valuable paper : 



1. Is farming profitable ? 



2. What Avill cure the disease in cows, called 

 "garget ?" 



3. What Avill cure a SAvelled or tumefied bag, or 

 udder ? 



The affirmative to the first question depends on 

 three tilings ; the price jiaid for the land — quality 

 of soil tilled — and tliirdly,Z*?-a('«.'?, a very necessary 

 accompaniment to secure success in cmy business. 



I Avould call your attention to the folloAving re- 

 sults, from the cultivation of 3^ acres — a field no 

 better than fifty other acres of my farm, the Avliole 

 of Avhich had previously been pastured for forty 

 years. 



In the spring of 1857, ploAved and planted to po- 

 tatoes (Avithout manuring) 3:i acres, and harvested 

 a good, fair crop. In 1858, put on forty cart-loads 

 barn-yard manure, planted to com, and harvested 

 good, fair crops. In 1859, same quantity manure, 

 soAved broadcast three bushels of salt, planted 

 corn, putting on a handful of ashes on each 

 hill, and raised a large crop of corn. In 1860 

 soAved scA'en bushels of wheat, started to clover 

 and herdsgrass, and took off the same fall seventy 

 bushels of Avheat, and three tons of good hay. I 

 sold the Avheat at $1 75 per bushel for seed. In 

 1861 I have taken offtliirteen tons, by Aveight, of 

 good hay. Has it not been profitable ? Beat tliia 

 Avho can. I cannot speak for any other farmer, 



