Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-11-29

ne inquiry VI alihoSt every ia' h1i
is, "How shall we preserve our wheat
from the weevil"
We answer-thesh it Immediately,
clean. it from the chaff, spread it in
barn or open room, and it it acquires
the least warmth, stir it daily.
The wheat which we received about
the first Of the month, which then had
some weevil in the grain, we foind
heated in few days. We spread and
constantly stirred it for about Two
weeks; those then i'll it ate their way
out--none have since bred in tit
now lies in bulk without heating, and
we consider it greatly preferable to That
which we are daily receiving from the
threshing floor.
We have now several thousand bush
els Of wheat on hand, which was
threshed from the stock and from The
stack before the weevil commenced
their ravages. 1t has been lying in
gamers near sixty DAYS, and has been
kept cool by frequent stirring; the wee
vii have not touched it--and we have
no hesitation in saying, let their rava'
ges be what they may in the stack,
whea. thus cleaned and kept cool, will
in all cases be free from weeyil
We are now receiving one lot OF
thou sand bushels, which was threshed
in July and early in August, run thro'
the fan and spread in large barn. 1t
is perfectly cool, and has not the least
damage. All small lots, threshed and
cleaned at about that time, and kept
cool, we find in the same good order.
1t is also said that some who threshed
and penned their wheat in the chaif be-
fore the wcevil were visible, have pre-
served it; but Of this we speak with
some doubt.
We now hear many speaking OF
threshing and slowing away in the
chat. But those we would advise to
be cautious; there is scarce stack OF
wheat in the country entirely Tree
from weevil, and that which contains
but small portion, will heat il packed
away in the chaf. We have heard
some wild theorists recommend this
mode to heat the wheat, which they
say, will kill the weevil and destroy
the egg from which they hatch
This reminds us Of the old story the
Dutchman who set fire to his barn to
divest it of rats; for we know that
wheat thus heated, will never alter
wards grow, nor will the flour made
from it reward the miller for his labor
of grinding
tits not our design to enter into the
natural history ofthis insect. we are
DESTROYS tina, the farmers should pre-.
serve their present and future crops OF
wheat from destruction; and being will
ling that they should profit by our
short experience, we freely tell them
that which we know this much, how
ever, we will add, as mere oplnlon:--
We believe they are produced from an
egg, which, after being laid IN the
grain, requires certain degree OF heat
to produce animation. That portion
which is produced by the straw in the
stack, during the summer and tall, ap-
pears to be natures choice. t is
against that portion Of heat we would
have the farmers to guard, when we
advise hem to thresh and keep their
grain cool. Whether the egg is dePo'
sited in the field or in the stack we pre-
tend not to say, but We have rather CON
cluded in the latter; but we can Win
safety say, tina. the wheat now on mana
which has never attained that heat 10
which nearly all wheat in the stack is
subject, whether it contains'the egg or
not, has produced no weeviI; and that
which W. have recently received from
the stack, ceases to hatch or IN any
wise produce them, so soon as we eau
get it perfectly cool.
On these and other observations, 100
numerous for in ,ertion, we advise tRose
who would preserve their present. crops
20 thresh and clean them lmmediaieiG
and those who would hereafter efectu-
ally guard against the flying weevil, we
advise to thresh from the stack, or be-
fore the wheat takes the sweat
Y. * N. HIXON.
The Ohio Steam NH. !
Maysyille, Sept. 20, 1885