Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-05-30

crain-crowing region OF North America from
planting wheat rye, barley OF OATS lot o'e' w,
or three wears, and thus TO slaryc out inc INSECT
This plan might be elieclual, but ~ou'u oo' 'ou'-
" involve some Inconvenience 49,
4tb Manuring the land very highly, so 'hd.
the plants will grow vigorously, and be sooner OUT
of the way of the insect, and also better aoie !"
resis, il. This proposal has some merit, but does
nothing towards destroying the insect.
5,h Sowing some variety OF bearded wneal,
flint wheat, &c, supposed 10 have hardef anu
more solid stalk than common wheat anu pe''I.
able TO Withstand The impression OF The larvf.
suggestion OF some value, but, eqhaily WIN ny
4th, leaves the insect unframed
9Th Fumigaling The wheat field, and sprink,,
ling the young wheat with infusion OF elaer anu
with other sleeps. If successful, which IS q!l'e
uncertain, il is plain that these measures are ii'-
practicable on large scale.
1h. Sowing Winter wheat very late 10 inc
Autumn, so that the Ay shall have mostly alsap
peared before the plants are large enough 10 DC al
lacked No doubt this plan is TO some extent use,
full but The wheat suwn late is in great danSe 3, ..
perishing during The Winter. The ny VIII, o! OF
course attack il in The Spring, vel one d'aeh ~
do less damage than two
9Th. Sowing oats early in the Autumn on me
intended wheat field. Ii is supposed the nv VIII
Law its eggs on the plant; then lei them be pouSheo
in. and The wheat sown. The fly having nearly
exhausted itself on the oats, The wheat VIII suiieI
less. This plan may possibly be OF some partial
/ utility.
OH. Drawing a heavy roller over the young
wheat. both in Autumn and Spring. TINS pro,
cess must be useful, in crushing many eggs ana
| larv&.
10Th. Permitting sheep and other animals TO
Craze the wheat fields while The insects are laying
their eggs By these means large numbers oil
| The eggs will be devoured with The leaves.
Ilth. Burning The stubble Immediately al'er
harvest, and poughing in The remains. This IS
by far the most practicable and efiectnal inoae OF
exerminating The insect or, al least, OIL checking
its increase In the sluhble are many puP;r OF
the hy, al this time completely in our power; II;
in reapng the subble is len high, The ilre would
sweep rapidly over field, and destroy nearly an
| these pupp; the few which escaped the IRE
would. by the plough, be buried so deep as 10 Pc
nsh in the earth; mere poughing in Of The stub
! BILE must be highly useful. II the two recommen-
datons last named were thoroughly put in prac-
| lice over The whole country-not only upon wheat,
but also on rye and barley, and any other plants
attacked by the Hessian ily-ihe ravaSes OF this
insect would, in all probability, ere long, become
scarcely worthy Of notice.
| Ii may not be improper, in this place, to stale
/ that the foregoing account OF The hablls OF Inc
4 f1eSSldn NV II ucIlbCu uOilI NV o"h iohb 80
| ,inued observations, and that have, moreover
! endeayored 10 consult all The papers OF any i'm
rrlance which have been published on The sub
lect.
There are in the United States. besides the
/ Ucssian Nv, several other insects which attack
the wheat while in the field. Those persons who
assert that The former lays It's eggs on The gram
in The spike or head have undoubtedly mistaken
Tor The EIessian hy some one Of these DINER IN
secs. The following brief notices oil Inc more
| important OF these enemies have abridged nom
the accounts comprised in Dr. l. w: HarIiss
I "Trealisc on some of The Insects OF New Eng
| land, which are injuriousl 10 Vegetation (Camb
| 1912, 459 pages, Svo.,) work OF great interest
and value.
In il the inquirer will find faithful digest OF
l all the reliable Information we have on The nu-
merous insects which injure our plants, rulis,
and trees; and, in addition, he will learn the means
of defence, 50 far as any have been discovered
The book ought 10 be in the hands OF every INTEL
ligeni farmer and orchardst.
| |. A graiu moth, (Angoumois motl-afue'ta
eereaicAa, Olv,) probably The same as described
1 By Colonel Carter in the transactions OF The
| American Philosophical Society" vol. |, I'LL;
| and bv j. Lorain, in Meases "Archves of Use
full Knowledge" volume ii, 1872 II is about
three eighths of an inch long when its wings are
shut The upper wings are Of light brown sa-
tin color and ustre, covering The body horizon
tally above, but dropping little al the sides
The lower wings and the res, OF The body ale ash
colored The moth lays her eggs usually on The
young and tender grain in the field; each caterpl-
| lar from these eggs selects single grain, bur-
rows into il, and remains concealed derourins
the meal within Subjecling the grain 10 heat
OF l61 dec Farh, for twelve hours, in an oven,
will kill the insect.
> The English wheat fly (tipaln hiici kirby,)
is a small oranee-coloIed lwo-winsed Snai,
which LAYS lis eggs in the head OF wheat while
blossonins The maggots from these eggs are
without feet taperng towards the head al first
perfectly transparent and colorless, but soon be-
| coming orange-yelow; and when mature, are
each about an eighth OF an inch long. II is sup
posed they devour the pollen, and prevent The set
ting OF The srain the masgots fall from the spike
to the earth, within which they undergo their final
transformations. This insect Tor one very SINH
lar 10 ill has done much damage in The Northern
| States and in Canada for several years past: bul
no efleciual mode of preventing the mischief, or
OF destroying The insect appears to have been de-
vised
g. Tie rotcdtcrphar.-This is span worm
of brownish color, with twelve ieet-siI near
each end of the body II feeds on the kernel in
The milky state and also devours the terminating
end OF The ripened grain. 1t is said TO be found
in the chat when The grain is lhreshed We
have little certain knowledge concerning The pa
rent insect or its transformations.
In addition 10 these three there are probably
other insects more or less in urous 10 our wheat
crops Much has been published in our journals
relative 10 these depredators; yet their habits are
mpertclly understood, and many Of The accounts
are confused and contradictory. II is greatly 10
be desired, that all who have the opportunity
should endeavor 10 make careful observations, and
,t,,,,a 10 fbn r,nlN lic
These observations must be accompanied by
accurate descriptions OF the insect nnder exami-
nation; and in lis various stages; otherwise, most
Of the labor will be spent in vain.
The history Of the liessian hy, presented above is
interesting and the Of the mode Of propaea-
lion and the habits of this insect offer important aug
eesons and aids the rejecting farmer in his efforts 10
avoid its depredaons. But in regard 10 the "fcmedal
ineasuresr proposed, most of them such could
only have been devised by mere close, and aower-pot
agrcnuists, and would be condemned al by
every practical farmer being either obviously inefrc-
tua costly beyond all possible amount of benefit 10
be thence derived The latter objection, (f not the for
ner aiso) applies strongly the 9Th and lth proposed
remedies which The writer Of the article To think
the best of all. None Of best wheat farmers and
profitable improvers Of lands, would incur the la
Lnr and loss Of manure of burning off the suhbe and
nterm1ed grass, Immediately after harvest, 10 say no
thing Of the necessary previous removal Of all the
wheat,) and of poughing the whole field afterwards,
merely for this object, il assured that the
measures would the next years crop, on The
same farm, from all attacks Of The Ilessian hy
Enqsirrr
This insect, according 10 The description by Dulia-
mel Is undoubtedly the moth wecvil Of this county,
And il seems to he also the insect which il now
known in France the 0lueiie ds grams, and which
was destructive few years ago. that the Central and
Royal Agricultural Society offered premium for the
hest remedy for opposing iis ravages.-L Enquirer.
PRESERVATION or PEACH TEEEs.-By Tying a
snail bundle of tobacco about The trunk, little
above The ground, The drippings will destroy the
anthracite coal ashes placed there. Tansy also,