THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



181 



have free access to the salt and clay from the first 

 of April or May, until the commencement of the 

 winter. Try it, Messrs. Readers of the Planter, and 

 I think you will find this prescription no humbug. 



W. R. H. 



Danville, May 30, 1854. 



For the Southern Planter. 



TO ERADICATE SASSAFRAS. 



Mr. Editor, — I notice that in the Schedule of 

 Premiums to be awarded at the coming State Agri- 

 cultural Fair, $30 are offered for the best mode of 

 destroying Sassafras bushes. I feel persuaded 

 that I have discovered the most effective mode, 

 and as I am desirous that it should be resorted to 

 generally, I now state, that from ten years' experi- 

 ence, I find that a handfull of salt thrown at the 

 root of each bush, or if they stand very thick, a 

 pretty heavy broadcast of salt, if applied during 

 the month of May, and in a field that is to be pas- 

 tured that season, will most effectually eradicate 

 it. One of the fields on the farm I now occupy 

 was greatly infested with them when I came in 

 possession of it, and it is now so entirely clear of 

 it, that it would be difficult to get enough for a cup 

 of Tea. 



• Yours respectfully, 



P. D. Venable. 



Wheatland, April 5th, 1854. 



The above was overlooked for May. We publish 

 it now, thinking that June cannot be too late for 

 those who choose to try the experiment. — Ed. So. 

 Planter. 



For the Southern Planter. 



INSECTS IN WHEAT AND OATS IN 1769, 1732 

 AND 1755. 



Mr. Editor, — In the Complete Farmer, publish- 

 ed in London in 1769, I find the following, under 

 the head Insect : 



"Among others, a small kind of worm gets into 

 the roots, chiefly of oats, and working upwards, 

 destroy all the inside of the plant, which perishes 

 soon after. M. Duhamel suspects it to have been 

 an insect of this kind that destroyed vast quanti- 

 ties of wheat near Genesee, and of which M. de 

 Chateauvieux sent him the following account : ' Our 

 wheat, ' says that illustrious husbandman, ' in the 

 month of May, 1755, sustained a loss, which even 

 that cultivated according to the new husbandry, 

 did not escape. We found in it many little white 

 worms, which afterwards became of a chestnut 

 color. The} r post themselves between the blades, 

 and eat the stems. They are usually found be- 

 tween the first joint and the roots. Every stalk 

 attacked grew no more, but became yellow and 

 withered. The same misfortune befel us in the 

 year 1732. 



" These insects appeared about the middle of 

 May, and made such havoc that the crop was al- 

 most destroyed.' " 



I was induced to look into the work alluded to, 

 at the request of my friend, Mr. Win. B. Harrison, 

 in order to ascertain if anything like the joint 

 worm could be found, as far back as its publica- 

 tion. The above is the result of my investigation. 



We have no acquaintance with the joint worm, and 

 hope never to have; and, knowing you, Mr. Edi- 

 tor, to be familiar with it, I have taken the liberty 

 of sending you this, to dispose of as you please. 

 Yours very respectfully, 



NATH'L. M. OSBORNE. 

 Cabin Point, April 2Sd, 1854. 



The insect referred to above is not the joint 

 worm ; but, from the very brief account given, 

 Avould seem more nearly to resemble the Hessian 

 fly, which we have no doubt it was. In that as- 

 pect, the communication of our friend, Dr. Os- 

 borne, is important as fixing the date of the first 

 recorded appearance of that enemy. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 WRITE FOR THE PLANTER. 



Mr. Planter, — Cannot you induce your numer- 

 ous readers to be more liberal in their communica- 

 tions to the pages of your valuable periodical, and 

 thereby enlighten the fraternity in this age of pro- 

 gress, on some improved system of agriculture 1 I 

 am frequently surprised that the farming commu- 

 nity are so negligent in this respect, by withhold- 

 ing information that might be of paramount im- 

 portance to their brother farmers, and aid in de- 

 veloping the growing interest and onward tenden- 

 cy of agriculture. 



Two or more farmers in a neighborhood experi- 

 ment with common or artificial manures; some 

 succeed well, whilst others make a failure; and 

 these experiments are probably not known beyond 

 the circle of the neighborhood; whereas, they 

 should be reported in the pages of the Planter that 

 others may avoid the erroneous, and adopt the suc- 

 cessful plan. It is this mutual interchange of ex- 

 periments that the farmers are in courtesy, if not 

 in duty, bound to afford each other, that our noble 

 calling may advance with a stride hitherto un- 

 known. 



W. R. H. 



P. S. — The great scarcity of plants is such, that 

 we may safely predict another short tobacco crop. 



W. R. H. 



For the Southern Planter. 



ON THE APPLICATION OF GUANO FOR CORN. 



Mr. Editor, — I have been using this manure for 

 several years, in various ways on the corn crop : 

 viz. in the hill, drill and broadcast. I tried these 

 several ways to ascertain the best mode of appli- 

 cation, as well as to improve and benefit the land, 

 and make the best crops. I laid off a piece of land, 

 say three acres : on the first I put about 200 lbs. 

 per acre ; on the second about the same quantity ; 

 on the last broadcast about 150 lbs. per acre ; all 

 of it being poor, but originally good, of a soft gray 

 nature. The first named experiment, the guano in 

 hills and drills, grew off finely at first, and pro- 

 mised to be very superior — but usually there is a 

 pinch upon corn about making time, and at that 

 time it began to fade, and made but a very mode- 

 rate yield; that in the drill about the same result; 

 that sowed broadcast made a most excellent crop, 

 and yielded about double. I would say to my bro- 



