204 
MEADOW LANDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
carcass for bacon, the whole of the omentum, 
or caul, ought to be taken out; this is, however, 
so obvious, that the omission is not very mate¬ 
rial. It is by no means an uncommon practice 
with bacon curers to render down the caul with 
the lard; if the caul is taken out carefully and 
well washed, this may be done without detri¬ 
ment to the lard. Lard is rendered down by 
being first cut up into pieces, and placed in a 
boiler along with a little water, which as it 
melts, is strained off and poured into bladders. 
Great attention is requisite in rendering lard in 
order to maintain the proper degree of heat, yet, 
at the same time, to prevent burning ; ladder¬ 
ing lard also requires some dexterity. When 
all the lard is strained off, the remainder is sub¬ 
jected to pressure in a press appropriated to 
the purpose, by which means very little fat is 
left; what is left in the press is called “greaves,” 
and is sold in cakes to feed dogs, in some in¬ 
stances to feed hogs ; also to the Prussian-blue 
makers. Although the term “ offal” has been 
several tim&s used, the meat in several instances, 
though so called, is in fact the finest part of the 
pig ; for instance, the griskin in Ireland, is sold 
together with the piece cut out of the breast 
and the haunch bone and meat appended there¬ 
to, are all called offal, notwithstanding which 
term, the griskin is undoubtedly the finest part 
of the pig.— Jour. Royal Ag. Soc. 
MEADOW LANDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
There has been very little attention paid to 
meadows in this part of the state; and for the 
want of proper management, those who com¬ 
menced them have made poor progress. From 
what has fallen under my observation, I think 
they may be greatly improved by cultivating 
herd’s grass, or red top. 
Two of my neighbors prepared meadow land 
several years ago, and sowed herd’s grass or 
red top seed, which, for a few years, produced 
fine crops; but the third year, they began to 
fail, and as is usual in these parts, instead of 
trying to improve them, they were neglected. 
Hogs have been permitted to run upon them 
and root them up, and from appearance, they 
were entirely ruined; but, to their surprise, the 
next year, as far as they were rooted up by the 
hogs, the grass crop was improved at least 50 
per cent, above any former crop. 
Another of my neighbors prepared a piece of 
land favorable for the purpose, and sowed it 
with herd’s grass seed, which did well a few 
years, and then began to decline; and finally, 
it was plowed up and tended in corn, and every 
effort made to destroy the grass. In the fall, it 
was sowed in wheat, and at harvest, the herd’s 
grass, in many places, entirely overrun the 
wheat. It was again tended in corn, and sowed 
in oats, and the herd’s grass again got the better 
of the oat crop. In the fall of 1849, it was again 
put in wheat, but the grass again got the better 
of it, and a good crop was made of the greater 
part of it. The owner is now encouraged to 
turn it into a meadow again. 
From these observations, I am convinced that, 
at least, in this part of the country, cultivation 
of meadows is necessary, and would be bene¬ 
ficial. George Luther. 
Martha’s Vineyard , N. C., March , 1851. 
UTILITY OF THE STUDY OF ENTOMOLOGY TO 
THE FARMER. 
Among the insect tribes are found the great¬ 
est benefactors, and the most dreaded enemies 
of man ; and hence arises a necessity of study¬ 
ing their habits and instincts and the circumstan¬ 
ces that favor or retard their increase, and their 
partialities and antipathies, that we may be 
able to derive from them the greatest benefit, 
or receive the least injury., It is not from indi¬ 
viduals of the insect races that we have to hope 
or fear, but from the congregated myriads that 
are developed in seasons and localities favora¬ 
ble to their existence, and which are often asso¬ 
ciated by instinct, into communities bearing in 
their general relations an analogy to human so¬ 
ciety, that they become an efficient agency of 
good or evil to the husbandman. Hence, the 
importance of studying them in their individual 
organisation and associated habits, that we may 
learn the laws that govern their increase and 
distribution. Different species harve an impor¬ 
tant relation to each other, and this leads to the 
necessity of studying the characters of those 
more minute and seemingly unimportant classes, 
that on a superficial examination would appear 
to have the least possible connection with hu¬ 
man affairs. 
Viewed in this light, entomology assumes an 
importance, second to none of the sciences; and, 
(as the zeal of the votaries sufficiently proves,) 
it is not wanting in those attractive features 
that render study agreeable. The poet and the 
moralist have ever found in insect life, sufficient 
materials to adorn and instruct. But our pres¬ 
ent purpose will not allow us to pursue the 
beautiful analogies that might be traced, and 
the lessons that might be taught through these 
agencies. The purposes of science are higher 
and nobler than those of tracing curious and fan¬ 
ciful analogies. An investigation into the struc- 
