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of elder, boiling water, &c. These assume the erroneous position 
that the eggs of the fly are deposited upon the grain; it is mani- 
fest therefore that they can be of no utility. 2d. To insure a quick 
and vigorous growth of the young plant. Where sowing is de- 
ferred until late in the season, it may be judicious to resort to some 
measure of this kind to stimulate the seed to a more speedy and 
rapid germination and growth. In Carey’s Musewm, (vol. xii., 
p. 182,) an experiment of a Poughkeepsie farmer is related, who 
had soaked his seed wheat in a solution of saltpetre, four ounces 
being dissolved in water sufficient to wet a bushel. After soaking 
twenty-four hours, it was spread out and dried twelve hours, and 
then sowed, so late as the first of November. Early in the following 
June, this crop is reported as being in advance of neighboring 
ones which had been sowed early. This experiment, and others 
of a similar character, strikingly indicate that it lies much within 
the compass of human instrumentality to accelerate the growth 
of vegetation, by measures of this kind. 
8. Oats as a decoy.—It has been recommended, to furnish a 
crop of young or of “volunteer” oats to the insect, on which to 
deposit its eggs; and when it has nearly or quite completed this 
operation, plowing the oats under, thus burying the eggs and lar- 
ye, and then sowing the wheat upon their graves. To us, this 
appears only as “a tub to amuse the whale;” or, in other words, 
an admirable project for wheedling honest “ Farmer John” into 
late sowing, upon an enriched, well pulverized soil. We have 
no clear evidence that the fly will deposite its eggs upon oats. It 
certainly will not be inclined to do so if there is any young wheat, 
barley, or rye in the vicinity to which it can resort. 
9. Wheat as a decoy.—The preceding measure suggests to us 
another, which is well worthy of the attention of the agriculturist. 
The facts recorded respecting this insect, clearly show that it is 
the earliest sowed and most forward fields of grain that are most 
infested. The fly is attracted to these fields, and finding a more 
luxuriant vegetation, and a more shady covert here than elsewhere, 
and meeting with all the accommodations which it desires, it here 
remains, even though adjoining fields separated only by an open 
