The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-05-21
THE FARMER.
From the Farmers Monthly Visito,

The following communication is from prdc-
.icaI farmer of the adjacent town of Canterbury.
If we do not mistake, the discovery and remedy
he has here developed in relation to the aoevI or
grain ,corm, so destructive to the wheat growers
prospects, will be of more value. to the public
than all the combined discoveries and efforts
which have been exhibited IN the essays of the
best scientific writers of the country.
CULTURE OF WHEAT. IMPORTANT
DISCOVERY & REMEDY FOR WEVIL.
In order to prepare the soil for good crop of
wheat, very much is depended on ploughing, as
well as manurng the ground. A few years
since, made the experiment by sploughing a
small piece of ground four or five times, before
sowed on it one peck of bearded wheat, and
when the wheat was grown about four or five
inches high, ] sowed bushel of Stacked lime
or plaster well mixed upon the wheat, early in
the moHning, while the dew was on, which gave
1t white appearance for few following days
1t soon changed to dark lively green, and
grew freely and filled well, SO that it produced
seven bushels of good wheat free from smut &
almost every thing else but wheat and that of
excellent quality. But on three bushels SOW
ing in the ordinary way of ploughing but
once in the spring, and sowing no plaster nor
lime, got about twelve bushels to one bushe
sowing.
The last Spring (l838) l sowed ten bushels
lacking four quarts OF wheat, of which one bush
ell and twelve quarts was what is called Tea
wheat, half a bushel was the old red bearded
wheat, and all the residue Of the seed was W hat
goes by the name of the Black Sea wheat. A
bout three acres of ground was pasture land the
rest was tillage, which the year before was well
MANFRED, and produced corn and potatoes, ex-
cept the pasture land, of which part was plant
ed with corn and part with potatoes, land had no
manure at all, and was badly hoed on accounted
being very hard and rocky but was poughed
in the fall and three times ia the spring before
sowing. The other old ground was ploughed
twice in the spring before sowing. The wheat
was all washed clean and drained of the water.
Then added the equal quantity of lime and
plaster, as much as would stick to it and sowed
four bushels and half of clean seed, (meanng
before prepared in lime and paster,) upon three
acres of pasture land of Black Sea wheat and
i sowed three bushels and half of Black Sea
wheat prepared in the above mentioned way,
upon about one acre and fiveeights of ground
and the one bushel and twelve quarts of Tea
wheat prepared and sowed as above, upon one
acre and one eighth Of an acre of land and the
half bushel of red bearded wheat was prepared
and sowed as above, on about one quarter of
land. The Tea wheat and Black sea wheat up.
on the old ground were sowed on the 18th and
18th days of April; the half bushel of red heard
ed wheat was sowed about the middle of May
the four and hasf bushels upon the pasture land,
on the 3OM day Of May and upon this piece of
of pasture land sowed mixed lime and plaster
about four bushels, when the wheat was about
one foot high.
On the first day of July, discovered few of
the yellowish flies, or what are called wevIs, at
or little before sunset !; and finding them to be
very active, / felt desrious to find out how they
performed SO much mischief. So / put on my
glasses and saw them climb up the head of
wheat, and when at the upper part of kthe hull
which covers the kernel VIII en- grown make a
small stay, putting their tail or sting under the
upper edge Of the hull, while to appearance the
fly would push back, and that instant futtering
the wings, making stop but few seconds, and
then fastening towards the top of the head max
ing his short intervals at the upper part of each
hull as he passed upward. Upon the second day
mere was considerable increased of these flies
upon the wheat heads early in the morning, and |
again towards evening, busily performing in the
same manner as on the first appearance. The
third day they had much increase from what
they were the day before and having heard
that lime sown upon the wheat would be of ser.
vice, Immediately threw on about one busbel
Of Stacked lime upon the wheat while it was wet
with dew,upon about half an acre of the wheat.
The fourth day morning, l again visited this
piece of wheat where sowed the lime, and up-
on a careful examination, found but one wevil
or fly upon the wheat, until came where had
sowed no lime, where. to my surprise, believe
there were as many as dozen of those yellow
flies upon every head of wheat. This discovery
caused me Immediately to commence sowing