No. 9. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



133 



Salt for the Giiib Worm. 



Mr. Coi.man — In exauuning n nciglibar's liolJ of 

 corn, I perceived some of it cut oil" by the grub worms, 

 and decreed it best to examine my own. To my sur- 

 prise I found they h^l been destroying my own at a 

 great rate ; and had made Ihcir way into the garden and 

 were engaged in cutting otV the cabbages at the rate of 

 four or five every night. It appeared that Ihoy did not 

 touch them by day ; and when I went out in the morn- 

 ing I found m/ cabbages gnawed o(T close to the 

 ground. I first applied ashes to the hill, but without 

 oftcct; then soot, but it was like the w'inil and did not 

 afl'ect them. Scotch snuft' was then recnmmended to 

 nie, but it availed nothing against them. The June 

 number of the New Genesee Farmer, however, arrived 

 about this time, in which it was staled that salt was so 

 disagreeable to tile grub that it Would elTectually pro- 

 tect the corn and cabbages. I had tried every other 

 preventive which I could hear off, and determined to 

 make an experiment with salt. I applied, therefore, 

 about two table spoonsful of salt to each hill of corn or 

 cabbage, and laid it so as not to touch the stalk or 

 plant. Not one has been molested by the worms since, 

 though they have begun to eat the weeds in the vicin- 

 ity, to which I do not make any strong objection. 



I send you this statement for the benefit of (\l^.^lers. 

 Froiij a three years subscriber. 



Yours truly, R. H. Jr. 



Ensl BhomfieU, Aug. 6, 1842. 



We are much obliged to our correspondent for the 

 ^bove communication, and should be glad to hear from 

 hio), as he suggesu we may do, on other subjects. 

 The observations of plain practical men are of great 

 value ; and it is by the accumulation of sijch well estab- 

 lished facts as these tliat we may arrive at the most im- 

 portant and practical conclusions. The application of so 

 large a quantity as two table spoonsful of salt is proba- 

 bly much more than would be effectual ; but this can 

 only be determined by repeated experiments. The salt 

 in such case, beyond the destruction of the insect, is 

 probalily not lost, but its benefjis may be felt ip suc- 

 ceeding crops. As we have before said, we mean to go 

 fully into the subject of salt as a manure at a future 

 time — a present, however, we throw out only one or 

 two suggestions. 



Lands in the vicinity of the sea, where sea-weed and 

 sea-wreck are easily obtained, are, with few exceptions, 

 essentially benefitted by the application of sea-weed, 

 rock-weed and kelp, either simply spread upon the 

 grass land or spread and ploughed under. Much of 

 the benefit in these ca.ses is supposed to be due to the 

 salt with which these grasses are impregnated. We 

 have often applied them with the most decided advan- 

 tages. One of the best farmers of New Ensland, liv- 

 ing near the sea, assured us that he estimated the value 

 of salt hay, that is, hay cut upon lands customarily 

 flowed by the tides of the ocean, as equal to five dol- 

 lars per ton as a top-dressing for his grass jand. We 

 have known, likewise, upon six acres of land, dressed 

 chiefly and most liberally with rock- weed gathered on 

 the sea shore, a crop of upwards of twenty-njne tons 

 of hay, weighed, when well cured, at the town scales, 

 to be taken in one year; and we have been familiar 

 for years with a field of about forty acres, annually 

 manured with rock-weed, kelp and sea-wreck where 

 the ordinary yield was estimated at 120 tons upon the 

 forty acres; and as this hay was almost wholly carried 

 to the market, there could be no essential mistake in 

 the estimate. 



These facts present the subject of experiments with 

 salt as a manure as matter of great importance • and 

 as the cattle in the interior, remote from the sea influ- 

 ences and atmosphere, require frequently this condi- 

 ment or seasoning of their food to be given to them, 

 may it not be inferred from analogy, that lands remote 

 from the sea may be in some degree deficient in this 



element of fertility, and receive an equal benefit from 

 its application ) 



I'ho iisc of salt as a manure is pot new at all ; but 

 while it has been fully settled that a certain amount is 

 almost invariably bcnoricial, any excess is directly per- 

 nicious. To determine the safe medium is greatly to 

 be desired, and can only be ascertained by repeatid 

 experiments judiciously made; and in which all the 

 circimistances are carefully noted. — Bil. 



Salt for tlie Grub Worm. 



Since sending to the press the conmiunication of R. 

 H. Jr., on salt as a protection against the grub worm, 

 we have received the subjoined, confirmatory of the 

 foregoing, which we have much pleasure in inserting, 

 and beg that we may again and often hear from our 

 correspondent. — Ed. 



Extract.— iow<?i)«, Canada, \blh AvgusI, 18-12. 



I should lie glad, through your columns, to thank the 

 individual for his article on apjilying salt to plants to 

 kill the grub, (not the gentleman who recommended a 

 table spoonful to each plant, but the one who applied 

 it to the plants at the rate of a bush 'I to the acre). 

 Previous to reading this article, I had tried several 

 things and had planted over and over again and again, 

 but my plants were as quickly destroyed, and 1 was 

 about to give it up as a failure when your number came 

 to hand and I saw the article on salt. I immediately 

 put about a pinch to each plant, which I repeated a sec- 

 ond tiuie, and I had no more grubs. We had, howev- 

 er, at this time moist weather. 



On mentioning this remedy to a friend, he said he 

 could t len account for a fact, which before had to him 

 appeared a mystery. It was this, when he set out his 

 plants (cabbage) he watered them with water from a 

 salt-pork barrel daily, for about a fortnight, during 

 which he had no grubs; but thinking the cabbage 

 plant.s had sufficient root, he discontinued, and soon 

 after he found the grub attack his jilants as much as his 

 neighbors. The salt in season enabled me to have cab- 

 bages in season ; and should I receive no other bene- 

 fit from the perusal of your N. G. Farmer than tins 

 simple cure, I shall consider my half-dollar well laid 

 out. ^ X FARIVIER. 



Rust in tVheat. "Rusted Straw for Cattle; 

 an Inquiry. 



We hear many complaints from different parts of the 

 country of injury to the wheat from rust, and of short 

 and imperfectly filled heads. These complaints are 

 not extraordinary; but they are not wholly without 

 foundation. Ypt there is ample reason to think that the 

 crop of wheat throughout the country is unusually 

 large and fair. 



The inquiry of our correspondent in relation to the 

 effects of giving rusjed straw to cattle, are very impor- 

 tant. We request the particular attention of experi- 

 enced far.ners to them, and beg that we may hear from 

 them on the subject at an early date. For ourselves,we 

 have used it to some small extent, but always with great 

 misgivings, though with no ascertained injurious re- 

 sults; in these cases, however, we never used it alone 

 without hay ; and always felt that the litter yard was a 

 much more proper place for it than the crib. — Ed. 



Mr. Editor — The wheat in Tompkins county has 

 probably suffered more from the effects of the rust this 

 season, than any other county in the state; conse- 

 quently the produce will be considerably diminished. 

 It is confidently believed by many that it will fall 50 

 percent below an average crop. 



In some sections the yield is above an average one, 

 and the berry very plump and fine; while perhaps in 

 districts two miles distant, the failure is only partial, — 

 three miles, there are instances of a total failure. 



As is customary with us, and with farmers in all 

 places, many feed much of their wheat straw to their 

 cattle; but this season, the strawiso muchrusted that 



some are apprehensive that disease may be produced if 

 di'xascd straw is fed to them — instances being known, 

 it is said, of its having proved fatal. 



I am informed, indirectly, by Judge of this 



county, that some years since, he lost all his stock, and 

 many cattle of his neighbors also suffered much, in 

 consequence, he believes, of feeding rusty straw. 



Judge is known among us as a man of much 



discernment and discrimination, and I have never 

 known his integrity questioned. I will endeavor to 

 prove his statement of the matter, and will forward it 

 for pubUeation ; therefore, you need not receive it as 

 "all talk and no cider." Do you or any of your cor- 

 respondents know these things to be so; if you or they 

 can speak atfinuatively, please inform us. 



CHARLIE. 



.Agricultural Intelligence. 



The New York State Aoriclxtuhal Society 

 holds its annual Show at Albany, on the 27th, 28tb, 

 29th and 30th of September. It is designed to be a 

 great occasion for the farmers. Two thousand dollars 

 are to be distributed in premiums; and the competition 

 we have no doubt, on public as well as pecuniary 

 grounds, will be the most extensive and spirited that 

 has ever taken place in the country. No pains will be 

 spared to render the occasion worthy of the State. 

 Better than all other things, it will bring together many 

 of the most intelligent and best friends of agriculture 

 throughout the State and the United States, on an oc- 

 casion where no party and sectarian interests can dis- 

 turb the festivities ; where they may stimulate and as- 

 sist each other in their best of all improvements; where 

 reflecting minds will have occasion to contemplate with 

 the highest sentiments of religious gratitude the benefi- 

 cence of the Creator in his abundant provision for the 

 sustenance and comfort of his creatures; and find 

 stronger and stronger motives to make this provision 

 yet more abundant, that the comforts of life may be so 

 widely extended in our fertile and free country, that 

 not one of his great family shall be sent empty away 

 from the table of his infinite bounty. 



The Trial of Agricultural Implements will be on 

 Tuesday, ihe 27th. The General Exhibition on Wed- 

 nesday and Thursday, the 28th and 29th. The pub- 

 lic sale of stock, &c., on Friday, the 30th. 



Farmers disposed to contend for the premiums are 

 lemindedthat the regulations are absolute, and will be 

 strictly adhered to. 



Cattle Shows, Fail's, and Ploughing Matches. 



We subjoin a notice of the times of holding the 

 several Agricultural Fairs, which come within our 

 knowledge, within the district where our paper prin- 

 cipally circulates, and shall keep it in until the limes 

 arrive. We ehall be obliged to the Secretoriesof the 

 difietent Agricultural Societies in New York, Ohio, 

 New England and Conado, if they will give us (poei 

 paid) the notices of their respective fairs. 

 New York State Fair, Albany, Sept. 28 and 29. 



Monroe County " Rochester, Oct. 13 and 14. 

 Ontario " " Conandaigua, Oct. ]3and 13. 



Genesee " " Butavia, Oct. 20 and 21. 



Wayne " " Palmyra, Oct. Sand 6. 



Livingston" " Geneseo, Oct. 4 and 5. 



Oneida " " Rome, Oct. 11 ond 12. 



Seneca " " Waterloo, Oct. SO and 21. 



Tompkins" " Ithaca, Oct. 6 and 7. 



Onondaga" " Syracuse, Oct. 5 and 6. 



Jefferson " " Watertown, Sept. 15. 



Coyuga " " Auburn, Oct. 12andl3. 



Oswego " " Oswego, Oct. 5. 



Erie " " Buffalo, Oct. 5th & 6th 



Chemung" " Fairport, Oc. 19th. 



CANADA. 

 Durham, BowmanviUe, Oct. 18. 

 I Northumbeiland, Grafton, Oct. 12ih 



