Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-07-11
The Weevil- An Experiment.

penuriousness, inactivity and folly.
The Weevil- An Experiment.
According to NJ. Gorrie, (sfagazue Of
Natural History the lara of the Wheat
Midge or Weevil, deposited ip the s.of
Wheat leave them about the first of Au-
gust and go into the grouhd, where it il
probable" they remain duriDs..- Sia,er
in the pupa state, aud become ahs the
next season, when the wheafis in blossom
For the purpoee Of testing chs theory,
and Of ascertaining what might be done tn
arrest or retard the appearance Of the fly
in the proper season, ths writer deyi.cd
the following experiment,
Having constructed two boxes, each
about three feet square and nine inches
deep, covering the top with milline., and
leaving the bottom open to the ground, I
selected spot in the field where wheat
had been harvested the preceding Year, and
where the wheat hai been entirely ue-
stroyed by the:weevil, and placed the two
boxes side by side-the FIRST boz cu the
ground that had remained undisturbed
since the tarvest-the secoud on ground
that had Just been turned over with the
spade, ten inches deep. Care was taken
to make the boxes tight and fit them close.
ly to the ground, to allow Of no opening
anywhere but through the meshes of the
millinet,top, which we're sufficiently coarse
to admit the light, air, and rain, and fine
enough to prevent the escape of the flies,
should any come out of the ground under
the boxes.
The boxes were set about the first juno
last. On the 18th of the same month, sure
wsssrlt; 53tAgs.Rqs Shea. fly,'he indubitabls
some three or four only, at first, but in.
creasiug daily till the 26th, when there
we're some scores of them. From this time
to the first Of July they remained, as to
numbers, about stationary, when apparent
iy, .ii .. ~..--, Al. rev, several hundreds
the weather being very warm and sosae-
what showery-swarming in the clover
now grown up thickly under the box.
Coinciden, also with their appearance in
the box, they were noticed in the adjacent
clover Of the field,in which they seemed to
find an appropriate nursery home until
strong enough to fly of to the fields Of
wheat.
In the meantime, the second box vas
carefully watched, and nothing was dis
covered therein up to the 2Sth Of June.
Surprising by this time that the spade had
done an efieetual work with the embryo
weevil, this box WAS no. noticed again till
the Sd dag of j .ly, when to my surprise.
1 counted near $50 flies, hanging torpidly
like mosquitoes, On the uudcr side of the
millinet Dividing the four days that oc
CURED between the last two observations,
it would fix the time of their appearance
under the second box, on the FIRST day of
July-eiyh,een days cfisr their appearance
under The first boz.
This simple experiment discloses some
interesting facts:
l. 1t demonstrates as fact, what is
stated only as probability BY NJ. GorGie
that the weevil puPe winter in the
earth, and come out flies the ensuing sea-
son when the wheat is in blossom, to COM
mence their work of destruction for the
farmer, and of Reproduction for themselves.
2. L. shows also, that to turn Orer tie
ground in the Spring and ssnk che PupG
Jelor their natural position, ,cW propor-
tionotely retdr2 the period Of tier deseiape-
naent-a depth of ten inches retarding tli, III
in the above instance, eighteen days. This
length of time, later than its usual time
of appearance, would render the fly COM
paratively harmless-the wheat being too
far advanced to be seriously damaged. As
The fy would find but 7ery few heads still
in blossom, bu. few eggs or larvm woutd
come to maturity if deposited !: and u 20
or three years, if followed up, the weevil
would disappear.
5. The most efectual remedy, therefore,
would seem to be, 10 suJsoH the stuJJIe az
dc spring. Even ordinary plougLiug,
would, without doubt, considerably dim,n-
ish the wecvil, while, on the other hand,
to seed with clover and leave the groun
uudisturbed the ensuing seasou,is the most
effectual method of securing a large in-
crease of the fy. III. DARLING.
Soar SUBS FOR CURRANT BUSHES
A correspondent Of the Indiana Farmer
says ID have found the cultivation of
currants to be very profitable. BY care
and attention greatly increased the size
Of the bushes and the quantity and quality
of the fruit. My bushes are now abous
eight feet in height, and are remarkably
thrifty. The cause Of this large growth,l