oagsg^BSf 
50 THE CULTIVATOR. 
these worms (which are deposited viviparous by the 
insect) is always observed discolored, as if the juice 
had oozed through the wounded grain, or had been 
deposited by the parent for their first nourishment.— 
These worms having acquired strength and legs, of 
which they were born destitute, emigrate to all parts 
of the plant and end their march at the root, where 
they remain until their transformation the next sum¬ 
mer. 
It may be worthy of remark, that after the har¬ 
dening of the winter wheat, the flies remaining prey¬ 
ed in a similar manner upon the seeds of the quack 
rass, and deposit their young among its glumes. 
am of opinion that nothing conclusive can he found¬ 
ed upon the experience of the last year’s observation. 
Had not the harvest been delayed an unusual time, 
say two or three weeks, the winter wheat would have 
been too forward to be injured by the fly, ini the same 
manner as the late sow?i spring wheat escaped their 
period of existence—that period being between the 
early and late blossoming of the wheat. 
A speculative opinion founded on the above obser¬ 
vations would imply, that should the winter wheat ap¬ 
pear in great forwardness the ensuing spring, one 
might expect immunity from it? But if, from any cause, 
it should be rendered backward, the case will be 
hopeless, unless, by feeding it off * 1 , it should be de¬ 
layed so as to blossom with the spring sowing. In 
my collection of the wheat-fly were two other spe¬ 
cies. They were not taken in their company. They 
differ in color, one having a conspicuous black spot 
near the extremity of the wing; the other having 
two or three colored bands across the wings. They 
are about the same size, and equally well armed for 
destruction ; I know not on wffiat they may be destin¬ 
ed to prey ; they too should be watched. C. 
The Least of the bugs. 
In an'old number of the Genesee Farmer is an ar¬ 
ticle headed “The least of the Bugs.” The writer, 
G., appeals to the observation of his neighbors ; alas, 
this, or his own future investigation, is his only re¬ 
source for information, a system of entomology of 
our country remains a desideratum. I believe he is 
right in considering them clover bugs. Some strol¬ 
lers of this race occasionally deposit their eggs or 
larval on the newly formed ears of rye ; the larvae 
reaching the grain while yet in a fluid state, disturbs 
its juice, and prevents its regular organization; this 
grain not being circumscribed by a hard shell, like 
clover seed, shoots out into a spur called ergot. 
I examined a sample of ergot, procured at or before 
harvest time, and found in every grain the- track of 
an insect. Following its course I discovered either the 
larvae or pupa, the last soon developed the perfect 
insect, which was a black, glossy and nearly hemis¬ 
pherical hug. Believing this insect was the cause of 
ergot I enclosed the larval, pupa and bugs in object 
glasses for microscopic observation, and sent them to 
the Lyceum of Natural History in New-York. 
Unfortunately for my theory, the opinion of He 
Candolle had just been published, “ that ergot was 
not a distempered grain, but a peculiar fungus.”— 
The society, rather than decide against the opinion 
of the greatest botanist in Europe, I suppose, were 
forced into the belief that these insects were created 
to feed upon this peculiar fungus; strange profusion 
in nature indeed, that a solitary one should have been 
supplied with food sufficient for a battalion of 
them. 
My specimens however were put in the museum of 
the society, and my memoir placed among its archives 
for the month of August, 1818, where G. may find 
them without further direction, and probably identify 
them as his “ least of the Bugs." My opportunities 
for examining clover seed have been very limited; 
sufficient however to see many grains perforated in 
the same manner as peas from which the bug had 
escaped. Should any one repeat my experiment, I 
would recommend the examination of the ergot to be 
made about harvest time ; if too early, from the mi¬ 
nuteness of the worm it may elude his vision, and if 
too late, its traces may be obliterated by the process 
of drying. I have not found it in the ergot of the 
shops. "My opinion that this, which I consider as 
the clover bug, is the cause of ergot, has received 
further corroboration by observing, that a few solitary 
plants of rye, growing in a lot with some red clover, 
were loaded with ergot;—again, last summer, in a 
field of rye, a square rod, adjoining a pasture lot con¬ 
taining clover, produced more spurs than an acre at a 
distance in the same field. As a proof that insects 
do not confine their operations to one favorite plant, 
I have seen ergot on elymus, rye-grass; and the 
wheat-fly frequently deposits its young amongst the 
seeds of quack-grass. 
From the above it results, that we are called to 
view this almost microscopic insect with some inter¬ 
est. Let us observe it a short time before sun-set— 
see, it raises a helmet which has concealed its head, 
poises its elytra or wing-covers, expands its white 
wings from their plated and folded position, beneath 
the wing-covers—-its visible dimensions are increased 
full six-fold; it next takes an aerial execursion to 
join in a waltz-like circle with countless numbers of 
its species. But while we contemplate with wonder 
the perfection of its organization, our pride is humbled 
to think that nothing is wanted but increased num¬ 
bers of these insects to destroy entirely, what they 
now do partially, the staple article, clover-seed. 
I would further remark, that the aberration of this 
bug into the rye-field, according to medical opinion, 
furnishes a potent remedy called ergot, and by the 
same authority this ergot, when mixed largely in 
bread, occasions gangrene and death. This has been 
sufficiently published for the last half century to induce 
farmers to be careful to separate the ergot from grain 
before grinding. To recapitulate, the least of the hugs is 
not beneath the attention of the farmer, the physician, 
the naturalist, and of every one who can say with the 
Psalmist, “The works of the Lord are wonderful, 
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” 
JKinderhook, January 7th, 1838. C. 
Otsego Leicester Sheep. 
Mr. Buel,—S ir,—I most cheerfully comply with 
your request to furnish for the “Cultivator,” some 
account of the large fat wethers I sold Mr. Kirkpa¬ 
trick, which were exhibited by him, in the Centre 
Market, on the 22d of February last. 
It has been the practice of our butchers, for seve¬ 
ral years past, to procure and exhibit, on the birth 
day of the illustrious Washington, the best beef, mut¬ 
ton, veal, and pork that could be procured; and in 
no instance, in my recollection, has the exhibition 
equailed the last. And it is no less wonderful than 
true, that the meats, now furnished in our markets, 
are, at least, one hundred per cent better in quality 
and greater in quantity, than they were ten years 
ago. 
What stronger argument than this do we want, 
in favor of an improved state of farming and improve¬ 
ment in our stock! 
Albany has long been famous for superior fat mut¬ 
ton. It is now about thirty years since the late 
Christopher Hunn, Esq. first introduced the famous 
New Leicester or Bakewell sheep into this region.— 
Wilkinson and others followed in his track. 
About the same period, or a few years earlier, some 
of the large Teeswater cattle were first introduced 
in this vicinity by Messrs. Cox and Golden, of Rensse¬ 
laer county. In 1821, M. Bullock, Esq. of this coun¬ 
ty, imported two Durham bulls; and in 1823, S. Van 
Rensselaer, Esq., imported, at great expense, one 
bull and two heifers of the “improved Durham short 
horned” cattle. 
I give these spirited gentlemen the credit of laying 
the foundation for the improvement of our beef and 
mutton. 
But the improvement of our animals, has been 
more manifest for the last eight or ten years. The 
miserable rickety runts which formerly disgraced our 
barn-yards, are giving place to the more square and 
stately Durham, or smooth, beautiful Devon—to the 
large lusty Leicester, or the broad, round bodied 
South Down. 
In December last I made a visit to a friend, resid¬ 
ing in Butternuts, Otsego county, who was kind 
enough to introduce me to some of the farmers in his 
vicinity. _ . 
It is about three years since I had visited that sec¬ 
tion, and I assure you, I was not only highly grati¬ 
fied, but very much surprised at the great improve¬ 
ment in their various stock of grade animals. The 
great improvement in that part of the country, I at¬ 
tribute to an Agricultural Society which has been 
established there some two or three years. 
They had met a few evenings previous to my ar¬ 
rival, and when we met them in the course of our 
tour, I was much pleased to hear the observations 
made in the course of conversation to my friend—ex¬ 
pressing the gratification and satisfaction they ex¬ 
perienced at the last meeting of the society. And in 
a letter now before me, he says:—“Last night I gave 
my first agricultural soire, which was well attended, 
and I 'think, gave general satisfaction to all present. 
1 think I never saw more a genuine interest and en¬ 
joyment in social intercourse than I witnessed last 
night. There was a constant interchange of opi¬ 
nions. My friends grouped together in knots of three 
and four, each engaged in discussing some subject of 
particular interest to them in their own business.-— 
They were all practical farmers, who till the soil with 
their own hands.” 
To return to my sheepish story. In the course of 
our perambulations we visited the farms of Messrs. 
Adeook and Musson, which are situated on the hills, 
about two miles east of Gilbertsville, Butternuts, 
Otsego county. 
In the yard of Mr. Daniel Adeook, I found the 
five fat wethers I sold to Mr. Kirkpatrick. Mr. A. 
had procured scales for the purpose of ascertaining 
their weights. I was present when they were weigh¬ 
ed, and they averaged 203 lbs. One of them reach¬ 
ed 230 lbs. Being satisfied they would make larger 
sheep then had ever been seen in our market, I pur¬ 
chased them on the spot. 
They were slaughtered and exhibited in the centre 
market, on the22d of February last, and their weight 
was as follows: 
No. 1. Two year old weather,. 151 lbs. 
2. do do do ...... 141 
3. Three do do ...... 141 . 
4. do do do . 161 
5. do do do . 167 
making an average of 152| lbs., or 38 lbs. per quar¬ 
ter. The largest saddle, I have been informed, was 
purchased and sent as a present to the Hon. Henry 
Clay. 
Mr. Adeook, the breeder and feeder of these su¬ 
perior sheep, is an Englishman by birth, and numbers 
four score years—settled on the farm he now occu¬ 
pies, some thirty or forty years ago, when a wilder¬ 
ness. The mighty forest bowed to the stroke of his 
axe, and by dint of industry, economy and perseve¬ 
rance, he has secured a competency sufficient to sa¬ 
tisfy any reasonable person. 
Great credit is certainly due to Mr. Adeook for his 
long continued exertions and attention to the per¬ 
fecting of his flock, both by selections and importa¬ 
tions from England, of which the five wethers were 
a specimen. His flock now consists of about eighty 
head of choice animals, some of which, I presume, 
he would sell to breeders at fair prices. 
His nephew, Mr. Musson, whose farm adjoins, has 
also a flock of very good sheep of the same breed.— 
I also found in the yards of these gentlemen some su¬ 
perior cattle, a cross of the Bakewell or Shakespeare 
breed with the Durham, and some beautiful calves 
from these cows by an high-bred “ improved Durham 
short horned” bull, now the property of H. D. Grove 
Esq. of Hoosick, Rensselaer county. 
From Mr. Adcook’s we passed through the valley 
of the Butternut creek on to the West hills, about 
two miles, to the farm of Mr. Jackson, where we were 
shown some very good grade cattle and about sixty 
head of very good sheep. Mr. Jackson’s sheep are 
more varied in character, (if I may be allowed the 
expression) than those of Mr. Adeook and Musson. 
Some partake of the Leicester, some of the Lincoln, 
some of the Cotswold. This, I presume, is in conse¬ 
quence of his having selected from various flocks.— 
Among them were some he had obtained of J. Wil¬ 
kinson of Duanesburg, which could readily be selec¬ 
ted by a person that was acquainted with his flock. 
There was one thing about these gentlemen’s pre¬ 
mises, I cannot in justice to them, let pass without 
notice,—and that is the excellent arrangement of 
their buildings and sheds for the accommodation and 
protection of their cattle and sheep; (a considera¬ 
tion, I regret to say, too little regarded by most of 
our American farmers.) “ Comfort and convenience” 
seems to be their motto. 
Cattle and sheep do not claim all their attention, 
for I found my favorite Berkshire pigs in most of their 
pens. Ten and fifteen dollars is not an uncommon 
price there for pigs from eight to ten weeks old. 
In the possession of Mr. Thomas Hollis, of Gilberts¬ 
ville, I found ten very superior sows. Mr. Hollis 
has also some excellent grade sheep, a cross from a 
South Down buck, which he obtained of F. Rotch, 
Esq. of Louisville, who first introduced this valuable 
variety into that vicinity. 
I have in a former communication spoken of Mr. 
Rotch’s stock of Durham cattle and South Down 
sheep, and will now merely say, there has been 
great improvement in this stock since I saw them— 
evincing, in an eminent degree, what science, good 
judgment and attention may accomplish, when pro¬ 
perly applied. CALEB N. BEMENT. 
Three Hills’ Farm, Albany, March 10th, 1838. 
Top-Dressing Meadows. 
Hamplonburgh, March 0th, 1838. 
J. Buel, Esq.—Dear Sir,— 1 was so much pleased 
with the results of some experiments made last sea¬ 
son and the season previous, in the top-dressing of 
grass or rather meadow grounds, that with your per¬ 
mission I will communicate them to the agricultural 
public. The information will not be new to many of 
your readers, and although others may remain scep¬ 
tical, yet to all I would say try it, should it only he on 
one square rood. Soon after haying in the fall of 
’36 I had collected what manure could be scraped up 
(it having all been applied the preceding spring to 
our corn and potatoe crops) and carted on to the 
poorest part of one of our meadows, and spread at the 
rate of, say twenty loads, to the acre, and adjoining 
this, in the same meadow and the same kind of soil, 
which is a rather thin clay, I had spread thinly all 
the straw we could find in a perfectly dry state, and 
for this piece of folly was laughed at by. some of my 
knowing neighbors, but while mowing this part of the 
