THE CULTIVATOR. 
31 
used them for many years. The use of comforts has oth¬ 
er advantages—see the extra consumption of cotton— 
then the women are all taught to sew better than they 
usually do. 
Many other items of economical management of the 
plantation might be mentioned, each of sufficient impor¬ 
tance for a separate article; but I must now close, with 
the hope that every planter who has the good of the 
south at heart, and who is desirous of lessening the over¬ 
production of our main staple, will never cease to act, to 
talk and to write with that object in view, until public 
attention is drawn effectually to it. 
Yours, &c. Thomas Affleck. 
INDIAN CORN AND POTATOES. 
Salt Destructive to the Grub and Wire Worm—Diseased 
Potatoes. 
Luther Tucker, Esq.— Every experiment which is 
made by the farmer, whether successful or otherwise, 
should be published for the benefit of the community. 
Among the enemies of the corn crop, especially on sward 
land, the grub and wire worm are pre-eminent. Many 
expedients have been tried for their destruction, some 
of which have proved useful, and others have entirely 
failed. 
I had aboJt three acres of sward land which had been 
in grass for several years, which I plowed in the spring 
for corn. On turning the sod under, I found the worms 
in great numbers, and fearful that my crop would be se¬ 
riously injured by them, I sought for a preventive of 
their ravages. After it was plowed. I sowed broadcast 
about one and a half bushels of fine salt to the acre, and 
harrowed and rolled the land. My seed was prepared by 
soaking in warm water for about eighteen hours—and I 
dissolved two ounces of sal ammoniac, and put in the wa¬ 
ter, in which about a bushel of seed was prepared. The 
corn was planted the two succeeding days after the salt 
was sown. The seed germinated very quick, the plants 
remarkably vigorous, and grew very luxuriantly. Not a 
single hill during the season, was found injured by the 
worms, although multitudes of them were in the ground. 
A neighbor, who occupied a field near mine, and who 
planted his seed in the ordinary way, lost at least one- 
third of his field by the worms. 
I have no doubt my corn was much benefited by the 
sal ammoniac, in bringing it forward rapidly, but I have 
supposed that its preservation from the ravages of the 
worms, resulted from the application of the salt. The 
crop was an unusually good one, and ripened very early. 
The soil was a gravelly loam. 
In a field near by the one in which the corn was plant¬ 
ed, I had three acres of potatoes. This was sward 
ground, but rather a sandy soil, with a clay subsoil. The 
land was manured with a good top dressing of barn-yard 
manure, previous to plowing. I planted five varieties 
of potatoes. The Perfectionists or Kelseyites, the seed 
of which I procured of Dr. H. Wendell of Albany, two 
years since, and which has proved a very valuable as 
well as prolific variety. The Pink Eyes, Silver Lake 
or Cbenangoes, Black Ohio potatoe, and the Rohan. 
The seed was cut, and the potatoes planted in hills 
about three feet apart. The potatoes came up well, and 
for a time advanced as rapidly as could be desired. The 
curl or rust, made its appearance when the potatoes were 
about half grown, and the crop from that cause was very 
seriously injured. The Pink Eyes, Silver Lake and 
Black potatoe, were also affected by the disease, which 
has prevailed so extensively this and the last season, and 
the crop from that cause diminished full one-third. The 
Kelseyites and the Rohans escaped the disease. In look¬ 
ing over an agricultural work, containing experiments in 
agriculture, made in Ireland, under the direction of the 
Dublin Society in 1773, I find that the curl existed at that 
time in Ireland. The remedy there recommended, is 
change of seed every year, and planting ichole potatoes. It 
is there said to have been successful. 
In the field of corn alluded to, I planted four rows of 
potatoes, same kind of seed as the other. These grew 
finely, were not injured by the curl, nor were they dis¬ 
eased. Their growth and yield equal to the most favor¬ 
ed seasons. What was the cause of this difference ? Had 
the salt any influence upon the potatoes, and were they 
benefited by it ? 
The fact is interesting; and I give it in hopes it may 
lead to further investigation, and perhaps to some useful 
result. Yours, B. P. Johnson. 
Rome, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1844. 
PREPARATION AND USE OF CHARCOAL. 
Age and business both thickening upon me, I had cea¬ 
sed to write on agricultural subjects; but as I am called 
on, I come forth, willingly, cheerfully. But first, one 
word to my son Levi, and others of my sons. Whenev¬ 
er you may write me again, be assured I shall answer, 
but remember what I told you long ago, “it is hard work 
for an old man to gather fruit from a tree with so much 
brush about it.” 
In the winter and spring of 1842, I made and applied 
several thousand bushels of coal, mostly combined with 
the covering of earth and ashes of the pits; not doubt¬ 
ing that coal, lying on or about the surface of the earth, 
absorbs ammonia in dry weather, and gives it to the 
earth in wet weather. I would not have it finer than the 
ends of my fingers, and unavoidably down to dust; for it 
is evident that in proportion to the pulverization, so are 
the pores destroyed. Towards the close of my opera¬ 
tions, my preparation of the coal was to burn two or three 
pits on the same ground, mixing and casting back the 
same earth and coal for covering; by which, and a little 
extra labor with a shovel or hoe, the coal was pulverized 
to my liking. As to the effect of the pure coal which I 
pulverized and cast into my cattle yard, I cannot speak, 
as no test was attempted, but never expect to do the like 
again; for why should I use coal for securing my already 
acquired capital, when straw or leaves would answer the 
same purpose. Better use the coal broadcast to extract 
and secure capital from the universal fund. Remember 
that in my operations, the coal, the covering earth, 
(which is always filled with valuable salts,) and the ash¬ 
es, were mixed together. This compound was carted out 
and cast on land in wheat, corn land, oat land, meadow 
and pasture grounds. The effect on wheat and corn, ap¬ 
parent and decisive, say improvement 15 to 20 per cent; 
both wheat and corn land inclined to white clay. Effect 
on oats not visible; land, white clay. Effect on mea¬ 
dow very evident, the grass being lifted thereby from 5 
to 6 inches on both dry and wet land. The grass con¬ 
sisted of a mixture of greensward, alias Kentucky blue 
grass, and red clover. 
The pasture ground operated on, was the top of a high 
poor ridge, which has ever since been closely grazed. 
On this, white clover and other permanent natural grass¬ 
es are now about half as thick as I could desire, and sup¬ 
pose that in two more years, the ground will be well 
sodded. Be it known that this hill is so situated that it 
would improve without the coal, &c., but I attribute 
about one-half the improvement to this source. 
The earth from a coal pit I would estimate at the out¬ 
set, to at least as much as the coal; but as the coal is a 
permanent actor and reactor, it may ultimately perhaps 
be worth 100 per cent, or even 1,000 per cent more than 
the earth. 
My manner of spreading this manure, is by casting it 
from the cart in such quantity as to blacken the earth 
handsomely, and for obvious reasons always keeping the 
cart on the wind side. 
If Liebig’s theory as to the action of coal be right, then 
it must act profitably on all lands wanting manure, except 
such as are continually wet; but on clay grounds, when 
plowed down, it has the additional virtue of opening the 
pores. If then the coal be used as manure separately, I 
would plow it into clay grounds; and if burnt earth and 
ashes be used separately, I would cast these on sandy 
grounds. 
He who spreads manure of any kind, but especially 
coal, has this fund out at interest. It behooves us then to 
inquire what fund in labor or money we can afford to in¬ 
vest in this way. Let us suppose an acre of ground with¬ 
out improvement, capable of yielding 20 bushels of corn; 
which corn is worth $8; suppose $5 worth of coal, &c. t 
