THE SOUTHERN PLANTER; 



23cbotc& to &grfcttttttre, Wtovtlmituv^ utt% tin $j%mMtbolH girts. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. 



Xenoplwn. 



Vol. IV. 



For the Southern Planter. 



A NEW REMEDY TO PREVENT THE DE- 

 STRUCTION OP TOBACCO PLANTS BY 

 THE FLY, AND MELON VINES BY THE 

 BUG. 



Mr. Editor,— There was organized last win- 

 ter in this neighborhood, " The Central Hole 

 and Corner Club of Lunenburg County," of 

 which I am a member. It is one of our rules 

 at each regular monthly meeting to appoint 

 committees to make observations and experi- 

 ments on any subject, or subjects, which may 

 be suggested by a member ; each member of 

 which committee is required to report the results 

 to the Club, with all the concomitant circum- 

 stances as soon as they can be ascertained. — 

 Last spring I was appointed on a committee 

 with three others " to make experiments on the 

 best mode of Raising Tobacco Plants — the 

 kind of manure best suited to them — the proper 

 time for its application, and the expedients to 

 prevent the ravages of the fly amongst them." 

 This subject has occupied my particular atten- 

 tion for several j/ears, and I have been endeavor- 

 ing especially to devise some means to prevent 

 the destructive ravages of the fly. My object 

 in this communication is to give you the result 

 of my experiments on this branch of the sub- 

 ject, as reported to the Club. 



I had this spring three plant patches on which 

 I experimented, which I shall designate by the 

 Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Nos. 1 and 2 were standing 

 patches, on different branches, both of which 

 have been burned and underlaid every year for 

 several years. They are in the open field, and 

 both this year surrounded by crops. The soil 

 as far as I can see is the same. No. 1 was 

 burned and sowed about Christmas, and No. 2 

 on the 16th of February. About half of each 

 was underlaid at the time of burning and sow- 

 ing. No. 3 was a high land patch, also in the 

 field surrounded by crops. It was in plants for 

 the first time last year, and was re-burned and 

 sowed on the 19th of February last; it was 

 never underlaid. When the plants got about 

 square, the flies made their appearance, and the 

 weather being dry, they in a few days made 

 sad havoc among them. I had a bushel or two 

 of dry ashes put into a large tub and added 

 train oil enough (say one gallon of oil to the 

 bushel of ashes) to dampen and flavor the ashes 

 Vol. IV.-28 



Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the 

 State. — Sully. 



No. 10. 



completely ; this w r as well stirred and mixed 

 with the hand, and sowed broadcast over Nos. 

 2 and 3. The fly disappeared from them, but 

 went on and destroyed No. 1 almost totally. This 

 experiment I tried last year with about the same 

 results. All this, however, may be mere coinci- 

 dence. The fly may have been in both cases 

 about to leave the patches at the time I applied 

 the remedy. I, however, feel encouraged to try 

 it again and all I desire at present is, to call the 

 attention of planters to the subject and ask them 

 to try the experiment for themselves, and report 

 the result. It is a cheap experiment and re- 

 quires no labor or skill in its application, and if 

 it proves on farther trial to be successful, it will 

 be of incalculable value to our State. Oyr finest 

 plant land has been cut down by our ancestors, 

 and we are compelled to go into the open fields 

 for our plant beds, where w 7 e always suffer more 

 from the fly than we do in the forest. Nothing 

 is more important in the whole culture of to- 

 bacco than good plants in good time, and if we 

 can devise means to protect them from the fly, 

 we must inevitably succeed. From what I can 

 learn at least one-sixth of the present crop has 

 failed to be planted on account of the fly, and 

 another sixth planted late and with indifferent 

 plants. 



Before leaving the subject I would advise, if 

 the fly does not leave on one application of the 

 remedy, to repeat it two or three time, though I 

 have not found it necessary. 



This same mixture (ashes and oil) has been 

 tried at my suggestion by a friend of mine on 

 cyrnlins and cucumber vines at the rate of one 

 quart to the hill, spread close around the plants, 

 with, I am informed, entire success. It com- 

 pletely prevented the depredations of the bug. 

 This, too, is worthy of a farther trial. My at- 

 tention was directed to this mixture by the 

 known abhorrence which all the insect tribe 

 have for train oil. Experience has long proved 

 to me, that it is the very best remedy for lice on 

 hogs, cattle or colts, we have, and reasoning from 

 analogy, I was induced to try it on plants. 



1 will here mention that the Cuba and Trina- 

 dad tobacco seed you were kind enough to send 

 me in the spring of 1S43, 1 sowed carefully, but 

 they did not vegetate. They were either too 

 old or were damaged. I should be glad of a 

 like favor should it ever be convenient. 



While I have pen in hand, I will beg leave, 



Co T. BO.TTS, Editor. 

 RICHMOND, OCTOBER, 1844. 



