Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-07-11
FROM THE EVENING FIRE SIDE

Imts,tQnt-- particularly to bst engaged in rural
affairs.
A pamphlet has juR appeared, publilhed By
Thomas Dobfon of Philadelphia, which gives
hifory of the FLY that has been 70 defruetive
10 the grain in many parts of the country within
thefe fewyears, aad recommends what the author
hopes will prove efessual for putting flop to
ITS ravaees. He calls it the wheat moth, or
Virginia fly and begins his treasife with an &C.
count OF The fame infect as it appeared in France
in the year l7ss. This is followed by an inter.
citing defcrip,ioo of ITS characters, transformation
and particular habits and the pamphlet con-
cludes with the following method for arEeeng
the prosrsfs Of this destructive infeet.
I" To prslsrve the grain from farther injury
after it is reaped, houId be threllcd out as foon
as pofIible, and luch part of it as it is wihed to
p:cferve either for feed o. grinding ihoud be dry
ed in an oven or kiln, in which the heat lhonld
be Rrong enough to kill the caterpllsrs withous
deRroying the vege,ative principle. This will
be effected by "a degrees OF ksat Of Fah'enheit's
thermometer. For the feed grain may DC better
prepared by being foaked in a itrong lyc OF weod
altles and quicklime heated to fuch degree that
III: finger can iuR bear ir. Let the grain con
tanned 10 bal<et, be ffirfed in this lye and the
grains icimmed off thar floats on the fursace.
when it has been t;us (oaked for about two mi.
nuses, the bsfket which contains 1t fhould then
be lifted up and fufpepded by two poles nil the
I've is Grained off, TIE gyain ihpuid then be
lpresd very thin 90 floor loidry, while iecond
baGetfnl is prepared in tie fame manner. When
thus ecePed and well dyed, it viii! keep year
and continue fit tor towing.
/" In France, mills and granares where large
quantities of grain were depo6ted, teem to have
been conGdered as the chief lources OF the evil.
But in this country 1t cannot be thecaie at leait
not to 70 great an extent. No large quantities
.rsnain on hand when the warm fealon approach.
es, and kiln. drying mightdeRroy any cate EPiisIs
which might thcnexia 1t sppears that the te-
verify of a hard winter caaaot Be depended upon
for this purpofe, but Efficient number may fur
yive, ~ in the grain TOWN, to caute coEi'dera
Bile mitchell. The roller may however be OF fer
vice to preyen, the Ay from making its way ont
of the ground. The principal danger ieems to
EXIT 10 the fpring barley, which hasing been
kept under cover during the winter and afters
wards TOWN in frefh ploughed, and conlequentlY
light foil, will, if at all Infected, be iualcicnt TO
fpTead the evil far and wide. To this caufe the
writer chiefly attributes the damage laA feafon to
crop of wheat, the feed of which had been
brought from ditance and was perfectly free
from the fly, which the barley was not, and was
TOWN in the fame field. IL attention be paid in
the enfuiag FIRING to the kiln-drying Of the grain
that remains on hand, TO the rolling of thar
which is coming up, and the picking Of the
feed barley, we may hope to put flop 10 this
difr.iIine calamity, or at leaf TO prevent its
fpread but let it be rendered, that the remedy
in order, 10 he .gsaxal, npa be sWeeyla'.."