23 
leaving ever since, till now there is scarcely a solitary resident left. 
This would seem to say salt them.” 
The conclusion arrived at by the writer does not necessarily follow, 
as it is almost certain from the facts mentioned that the year the salt 
was sown concluded the preparatory states of the insects, and they 
were, either that or the following season, transformed into beetles; 
and the ground being constantly in cultivation they sought less dis¬ 
turbed localities in order to deposit their eggs. It is not likely that 
three and a half bushels of salt to the acre could have seriously affect¬ 
ed the worms. 
The following in reference to tarring, from the same volume, page 
254, is perhaps worthy of some attention as it may be useful to farm¬ 
ers ’in sections badly infested by Wire-worms who cannot afford to 
adopt the starving process recommended in my former report: 
“I have had some experience in tarring seed corn, for the last thir¬ 
teen vears. The plan I pursue is the same as published in the Albany 
Cultivator for March 1835, which is this: Seed corn should he first 
soaked, say twelve hours, in water heated to near the boiling point (?) 
to saturate the grain and induce early germination, then having put 
half a pint or more of tar in an iron dish, with a quart or two of water, 
heat it till the tar is dissolved, or incorporated with the water, when 
the whole may be turned on to the already soaked seed, which is then 
to be well stin ed. * * Then take corn from the water, and mix it 
with as much gypsum or ashes as will adhere to the grain, and put 
six or eight kernels in a hill. * * To soak seed corn in water, made 
a little more than blood warm, for only five minutes, would not swell 
it sufficiently to insure its germination, and the tar effectually var¬ 
nishes over each kernel so that no more moisture can come to the 
corn, and consequently most ail of the seed would not come up. I 
speak from knowledge for I have seen whole fields fail to come up 
from not being sufficiently soaked before tarring. ’ 
Ezra Tucker, Peoria, Illinois. 
In reference to tarring and other methods of treating seed corn be¬ 
fore planting, in order to prevent it being attacked by worms and oth¬ 
er vermin, there is much conflicting testimony and but little that is 
really satisfactory, but in order that our farmers may have before them 
the various views on this subject I add the following records of ex¬ 
perience taken chiefly from back numbers of the Prairie farmer. 
It often happens that remedies applicable, elsewhere are wholly in¬ 
applicable here ; especially is this the case in England, hence experi¬ 
ence in that country is of far less value to us than experience in I 11 1- 
nois. For this reason I have endeavored wherever it is possible to do 
so to give facts relating to experience in our own State. 
In 1860 there was considerable discussion among our farmers m 
reference to the advantages of soaking seed corn in solutions of chlor¬ 
ide of lime and of copperas. The following records of experience on 
this point are presented : 
Prairie Farmer , May 10, 1860 : 
“Dr.Chamberlain,of Bureau county, gives the following directionsfor 
the use of chloride of lime and copperas in the preparation of seed corn, 
which we publish in answer to inquiries : ‘Pour enough water to cover 
a quantity of corn adequate to plant twenty acres, and put therein one 
