THE MIDGE.-RECIPES.-LARGE SWINE. 
so 
keep sheep in excellent order all winter. In this 
way we can grow a full crop of our staple, and yet 
rear at least five to ten sheep to every hand. 
I have known turnips grown at a near neighbor’s, 
that measured thirty inches in circumference, with 
only expense of plowing and sowing. 
Many of my friends will startle when I say to 
them, we can raise hay in sufficient quantities to ad¬ 
mit of exportation. With millet grass, and our 
southern grass (Bermuda), I have no doubt that we 
can make hay for sale. I have cut at the rate of 
four tons of millet per acre, weighed by myself when 
thoroughly cured. True I never did this but once, 
and never had choice land sown with it but that once. 
I have never failed making a fair crop, and think two 
tons an average crop on good land, with time after 
cutting to make an excellent pasture of crab grass. 
Unless I would undertake more than my time will 
now permit, I could not enumerate the many articles 
that we can grow with almost a certainty of profit. 
I have not touched on madder or silk, beans, pork, or 
beef, nor has any hint been given as to our facility 
of putting up barrel and hogshead staves of oak and 
cypress; the adaptation of some of our streams for 
manufacturers; the dairy, &c. I could much easier 
say what would not grow here—one thing I will say, 
send one of you- most industrious, enterprising Yan¬ 
kees here, and if he succeeds in life so as to own ten 
or more darkies (which he is sure to do), he will as¬ 
suredly hunt the shade. This is an awful country to 
bring an industrious man to—so l hear—1 have no 
experience in it. Necessaries are easily made; a 
competency has heretofore been easy to acquire, and 
in consequence, all, whether from the White or Green 
Mountains, or the sandy plains, will soon take their 
ease and let indolence reign supreme. 
M. W. Philips. 
Edwards Depot, Miss., Dec. 25, 1844. 
THE MIDGE. 
I most cheerfully comply with your request, and 
send you the history of the midge which I mentioned 
to you, as I have reason to believe its larva has often 
been taken for that of the Hessian fly, and is so de¬ 
scribed in some of the journals. This error, if error 
it be, should be noticed, and thus lead to a fair inves¬ 
tigation of the truth. 
The larva of the midge is found on the under side 
of the leaves of wheat, rye, and oats, feeding near 
the mid-rib, and on the tender portion of the stalk 
under the sheath, where it shelters itself during its 
final change. It is very minute, of a bright reddish 
brown color, moving freely from the point of the leaf 
to the sheath in search of food. In this state I found 
a number feeding on a wheat plant, which I carefully 
carried home and planted under a bell glass, where it 
continued to grow, protected from the attacks of any 
other insect, until the larva had passed through the 
usual changes, and proved to be one of the iamily of 
Rove beetles, Staphylinidse of Linnaeus, or Brache- 
lytra of Westwood, who thus describes them : 
“ These insects are long, narrow 7 and depressed in 
form, the abdomen is much longer than the elytra, 
beneath which the wings are of a large size, closely 
folded when at rest, the head is large, the jaws very 
owerful * * + the abdomen, from being uncovered 
y the elytra, is of the same consistence on the upper 
as on the under surface, and from its length, it is ca¬ 
pable of great motion, and is employed in folding and 
unfolding the wings * * * these insects run and fly 
with equal agility. They are very voracious * * * 
some species feed on flowers. On the least appear¬ 
ance of danger, this insect immediately puts itself in 
a posture of defence, throwing the tail over the head 
like a scorpion, elevating its head, and widely open¬ 
ing its long and powerful jaws.” 
I have omitted much of Westwood’s description of 
this family, giving that portion which bears more par¬ 
ticularly on the species under notice, at the same time 
warning you that a magnifying glass is necessary to 
identify all its parts. This species, in the larva state, 
may be found feeding on the leaves of wheat, rye, 
and oats, in great abundance; but in the perfect state 
it feeds on the flowers exclusively, particularly the 
oat; I never remember to have opened an oat blos¬ 
som, without finding from one to three. 
During the oat harvest, these insects are borne on 
the breeze in countless numbers, too minute to be 
noticed, unless in the slanting rays of the sun they 
appear like motes in the atmosphere, or when they 
alight on the face or hand, calling your attention to 
their shining, attenuated forms, by their sharp sting, 
w 7 hich they dart into you four or five times with the 
rapidity of thought, leaving a succession of painful 
and inflamed punctures. The injury done by the 
larva of this insect to the growing plant appears too 
slight to be noticed; but that upon the blossom may 
be of more consequence. G. P. 
Cure for Fistula, or Poll Evil —Clear the 
cavit}^ as near as may well be, then fill it with pow¬ 
dered saleratus or pearlash. 
Cure for Proud Flesh in Wounds. —Take 
equal quantities of soot and powdered charcoal, and 
sprinkle liberally in the wounds. 
To prevent Must, or Mowburn, in Hay. —Take 
a number of smooth poles, lay the butt ends outside, 
so that they may easily be pulled out; let the mow, or 
stack, settle for two or three days, then pull them out, 
—it will leave a passage for the air into the hay that 
will insure it against must or mowburn, for some 
distance around it. 
The above recipes were handed me by Mr. H. Gal¬ 
lup of this place, and have proved successful in many 
instances, and if you deem them worthy of a place in 
the Agriculturist you may insert them. 
0. Jenney. 
Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio. 
We are highly pleased with the reception of all 
such matters from our worthy practical farmers, and 
solicit a continuation of them. They are among our 
best correspondents, and the only regret with us is, 
that they do not write often enough. 
Large average weight of Swine. —Having 
during the present season seen so many notices 
of the weight of what were considered heavy hogs, 
reported by the papers of Cincinnati, who prides 
herself in the sobriquet of Porkopolis, I am induced 
to give you a report from the real “ Simon Pures” of 
the Miami tribe. The truth is, that these monsters 
cannot be driven more than half a dozen mues to 
market, and are consequently compelled to seek the 
nearest accommodation for being salted down. One 
of the clerks of our enterprising pork packers, Fran¬ 
cis P. Tytus, has furnished me a list of 67 farmers is 
