Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-10-17
FROM TIE PLoUGH-poY.
THE GRUB WORM.


Mr.. SoUTHwIcK-Having a,tcntively
read in your last Plough Boy, the inter-
esting essay of Quercus, on the grub
norm, and observing that he promised
at the close " TO embrace every opportu-
nifty to extend his researches, and 10 COM
municate any further information he may
collect on the subject" | am induced
through your valuable paper. 10 detail
to him and the public, the success with
which | have opposed the .ravages of the
grub worm for more than seven years
In the spring of 1899, or 1900, whilst
living at Montezuma, in Cayuga county,
the grub worms commenced their ra-
wages on field Of fax, then about an
inch in hcight-on a high loamy soil,
cot'ing down every plant as they pro-
crossed the whole width of the patch.
One Of my hired men informed me, that
sowing ashes over the fax would pre-
serve it. Immediately had two or three
bushels OF ashes taxi from under the
salt pans at the works, and sown over
the flax; through the course of the day
there were repeated heavy showers, and
from that time the fax received no
further injury, but produced an excel
lent crop, and well coated Learning
afterwards that some of my neighbors
had sown ashes on their ground without
effect, and knowing that my ashes were
highly 'mpregnated with salt, was in
duced 10 believe that probably the salt
was most obnoxious to the worms.
therefore the following spring. (obscrv-
ing the grub worms in my garden when
first dug up,) sowed the whole garden
with fine salt, about as thick as fax seed
IS commonly sown, Immediately after
the seeds were in the ground, and ex-
perienccd no injury from them that sea-
son; although my neighbors planted
their gardens several times in succession
before they could preserve any plants
from their ravages. Feeling confident
that had discovered an antidote, pur-
sued the sumo course for sig or seven
years that | remained there, and with the
like success, without having sufficient
curiosity 10 notice the effect the salt pro-
duced on the worms.
Since my residence in Albany, have
cultivated a small garden belonging to
the house which l occupy; and two
years since, man whom have hired to
dress it out, showed me one day that the
grubs were cutting up the bects, onions,
&c. and by stirring up the ground at the
roots Of the plants, we discovered three
or four in a place. I had recourse to the
old remedy, and the same day we had a
fine shower of rain, which of course dis
solved the salt, and dispersed it general
ly through the earth. On searching for
the worms the next morning, it was a
considerable time before any could be
found, and the few that were found, were
swelled to three times their natural size,
and were all dead.
From the above facts, infer, that any
stage OF their progress, their ravages are
at once arrested, on the salt being gene
rally dispersed through the earth, as it
was in the two cases above stated, by the
rain. Bat the better way think, is to
SOW the salt immediately after the seed
are deposited in the ground, and the
dews and the natural moisture of the
earth, will dissolve the salt in time to
take effect. 1t may not be amiss to eau
ton those who may be disposed to try
the experiment, against sowing too large
a quantity of salt on the ground, or SOW
ing it uneven, so that too much may fall
in one place: for although small
quantity produces vigorous and healthy
vegetation, large quantity will destroy
it altogether.
Yours, respectfully,
ISRAEL SMITH.