SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
201 
WEEVILS IN CORN — REMEDY. 
Editor Southern Cultivator— Your last most interest- 
ing journal contains a request from a planter that some 
one should teh him how to keep weevils out of his corn. 
As I have had some successful experience on this point, I 
will take the liberty of making some suggestions. 
In the first place, the corn house should be so construct- 
ed that there shall be a free circulation of air above the 
body of the corn, so that all the hot air rising from the 
corn may pass out and fresh air pass in. In order that 
this may be effected, the roof of the house should project 
at least two feet all around over the walls, ventilating 
holes being left immediately under the projecting roof be- 
tween all the joists. A close corn house, especially in a 
warm, damp climate, must encourage the weevils. 
But the second and most important point is this : to 
thoroughly "njoeep the ceiling, sides and floor of the corn 
house, that all the dirt from the corn, the weevils, the cob- 
webs, &c., may be entirely cleared out, and then a 
thorough white- washing given to the whole, and let every 
chink and crevice have plenty of lime put into it. This 
course must be pursued every fall before harvesting the 
corn. Should there bo any old corn on hand, it must be 
moved out of the way until the purgation, process is gone 
through. 
The foregoing plan I have pursued for more than twenty 
years, with the greatest success. My corn, although soft, 
(gourd seed) is never troubled with weevils, and my plan- 
tation is in a hot, damp part of the seaboard. Previously to 
my using the lime I was very much disturbed by the 
weevils, and had recourse to sassafras roots, old hides, 
and many other things recommended, but without any ef- 
fect. 
In conclusion, I would say that the free use of lime 
makes your corn house smell sweet, and gives it the ap- 
pearance of neatness and cleanliness, so admired by all, 
even though practiced by conparatively few. Many plan- 
ters white-wash outside, but never inside. The first a 
mere show, the latter a real benefit. R. 
Bryan Co., Ga., June, 1859. 
HANCOCK COUNTY FARMING. 
Editor Southern Cultivator— I have heard much of 
the great success attending the Hancock county farmers 
— their superior mode of cultivating corn and cotton, and 
the large yield attending their efforts— and I have wonder- 
ed why their lights are so covered under a bushel — that 
some of them, while giving results, have not also taken 
the pains and trouble to give the modus operandi, that we 
who are benighted may be benefitted as well as themselves. 
Many of us in this county (Oglethorpe) are cultivating 
the same kind of lands and the same kind of cultivation 
will certainly produce like results. 
Will not Col. Turner, Mr. David Dickson, or Col. 
Lewis, or some other gentleman, engaged in the noble 
pursuit, give us, through the Cultivator, di succinct account 
of their proceedings as to corn and cotton from the initia- 
tory step of breaking land, to gathering the crops, through 
all the minute operations necessary to success I We 
shall look for a response from some 'of the gentlemen 
named. I would give a list of interrogatories, but deem it 
unnecessary, as all the points will, no doubt, readily sug- 
gest themselves to either of the gentlemen named. We 
shall be gratified to hear from them at an early day, and 
hope you will also urge the matter. 
Yours, &c., F. J. R. 
Lexington, Ga., June, 1859. 
good example, which, like the small taper, g'\cs 
light to read by, is preferable to the blazing meteor, which 
raises astonishment, Lut soon leaves us in darkness. 
RUST OR 3IOULD UPON THE WHEAT AND 
Oats, &c. 
Editor Southern Cultivator — It is a “fixed fact” that 
the rust or mould upon our small grain crops is a settled 
institution; but the “whys and wherefores” are yet un- 
settled ! It has utterly ruined some of the oats in our 
county (Oglethorpe), especially spring oats; while with 
other fields (fall oats and volunteer oats) the crop is a 
good one ! Why is this ? 1 have a field'of volunteer oats 
— a growth from a rusted crop last year, not ahead of 
which was cut-^which is free from rust; w'hile in a field 
adjoining oats from the same seed held over until this 
spring a red rust covers a greater portion of them ! Why 
is this I Who can tell I 
There must be some cause for this disease, and unless 
we can discover it and apply a remedy we shall be com- 
pelled to dispense with the oat crop which is a very valu- 
able one ! 
Salt was deemed a preventive, but it has failed in the 
wheat crop this year ! What shall’ we try next 1 Theories, 
as to the composition of this mould, will amount to nothing 
if we get no remedy which will practically relieve the 
patient. We don’t care to know whether it is animalculae 
or emanations from the atmosphere or the soil, unless we 
also learn how to cure'it. We know it is on the small 
grain crops, that it kills them effectually, and we want 
some physic. Who will prescribe I 
Yours, &c , F. J R. 
Lexingtrn, Ga., June, 1859. 
Spontaneous Combustion, — Col. Bolton has shown us 
a handful of charred cotton seed just as they were taken 
from a pile of the seed near by his gin-house. A smoke 
was observed to issue from the pile, and upon examina- 
tion the smell of burning cotton was perceptible ; and af- 
ter digging some two feet into the pile, the heat was ^found 
to be so great that the negroes could not stand upon the 
seed with their bare feet, and, though no fire was dis- 
covered, yet the heat hid actually charred and blackened 
the seed, and fire would, doubtless, have broken out in a 
very short time. Col. Bolton informs us that tVis exces- 
sive heat took place where the seed had been wet by a 
rain and then covered by some fresh seed. 
This fact should be a caution to our cotton planters, as 
it affords a reasonable presumption that most of the fre- 
quent heavy losses, by burning of cotton-gins and the cot- 
ton in them, are occasioned by spontaneous combustion, 
unless when they can otherwise be accounted for. — Gal- 
veston News. 
Influence of Temper on Health. — Excessive labor, 
exposure to wet and c6ld, deprivation of sufficient quan- 
tities of necessary and wholesome food, habitual bad lodg- 
ing, sloth and intemperance, are all deadly enemies to 
human life ; but none of them are so bad as violent and 
ungoverned passions. Men and women have survived 
all these, and at last reached an extreme old age; but it 
may be safely doubted whether a single instance can be 
found of a man of violent and irrascible temper, habitually 
subject to storms of ungovernable passion who has ar- 
rived at a very advanced period of life. It is, therefore, 
a matter of the highest importance to every one desirous 
to preserve a “sound mind in a sound body,” so that the 
brittle vessel of life may glide down the stream of time 
smoothly and securely, instead of being continually tossed 
about amidst ro«ks and shoals which endanger its exist- 
ence, to have a special care, amidst all the viscissitudes 
and trials of life, to maintain a quiet possession of his own 
spirit. 
i^^^True religion cheers adversity, tempers prosperity, 
and animates us with hope in the hour of death. 
