Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-11
COMMUNICATED.

MEssRs. ED1roRs - Knowing that you take q
lively interest in every thing which affects the vel
fare of the farmer venture to address you short
communication, which, as 1t bears upon the safe
keeping of that important grain, wheat from whose
faFna4h largest portion Of the cfSlzedw world de-
riEes its nourishment may possibly call attention to
some points of practical utility.
During three years while farming in the latitude
Of Louisville, Kentucky, only somewhat further
west, experieneed as many have done in the mid
die States, considerable loss and Inconvenience from
the ravages of the5aang- sOSssa and was hence in
sducedt close observations and institute ex-
yperiments, the results Of which communicated to
the Albany cpSfpatot. July and Nov, 1856, with
drawings of the Weeyil in its various stages, as well
as Of aparasitic accompanying insect. Asth0se may
have escaped the attention of many and as this is
the season of the year when, if the evil prevails,
suggestions as to preventive would be use
full, propose giving synopsis of the above obser-
vations
This flying weevil which must be distinguished
from the black weevil, eurculio granarius, so fami
liar to millers and to farmers who store away large
quantities of wheat, is in its perfect state moth
usually about three-tWelfths of an inch long, Of
greyish color; wings about one tenth of an inch
longer of brilliant lusre parts inclning to blue,
and the extreme tips to yellow. The first and largest
brood of theinseet which does the most mischief in
its caterpillar state is Matched out chiefly in August
The second brood remains in grain not so situated
as develop the perfect insects until the next Spring.
when they issue forth; the females having an owl
positor or egg-sheath deposit numerous eggs the
tender portion of the seed, the hilum, or eye
The eggs appear to be enYeloped in thin pellicle
or membrane, containing also a somewhat yiscid
fluid, and when favored by sufficient amount Of
heat and moisture, develop into a minute iarva,
which soon eats its way into the soft, farnaoeOus
portions Of the grain, consuming or less of the
above until the insect is ready to assume the chrysa
lis form. 1t is partly by the loss of the farina Of
the grain partly on account of the bitter taste COM
municated by grinding the chrysalis-Or even the
investing of the chrysalis, if the animal has
escaped-along with the -four, that the farmer has
his product injured in quantity quality, some
| times to the extent Of even one half or more:
BY an examination of late edition (l852) of q
Report Insects injurious to Vegetation, made
by DR.. T. W. Harris, in accordance with instructions
from the Legislature of Massachusetts, it will be
seen that flying weeyil, or wheat MOTH although
not yet found in the Eastern States has been deci
| ded by that highly scientific gentleman after an
examination of specimens sent from the Middle
States, to be probably identical in species with
moth long known being troublesome in some
| parts of France, and hence called the Angoumois
moth Anacampsis (ButGIis) cereslella, belonging
to the ypOnOmeutian family. (See page 392 of the
above work. -'' lo ....'' r7
At page 400 of the same work, the author alludes
to the probable efficacy of the plan recommended by
in the CuItivator, which plan now propose brief
ly to recapitulate for the benefit Of the farmers of
| Tennessee. .. .F .tE
| The eggs being so attached to the grain that no
rain would wash them off and no salt, lime or SINH
lar remedy hitherto tried iniure them it is
mended, inasmuch as they can readily be rubbed off
by the hand, that the wheat should be got out in
July, or at farthest in August (if after close in
spection of the grain weevi eggs-sre found to ex-
ist,) by the ordinary method on a tramping foor or
| by threshing machine, either of which would
knock rubb off many of the eggs before they had
produced the larva caterpillar, and that after
wards, in order to complete the above process the
wheat should be carried to MILL where either the
friction of the smut machine of pair of rubbers,
small preparatory millsones, such as are used in
Virginia, Maryland, &c., which besides would rid
the wheat of all dirt, would efectualy divest the
grain of the eggs; after which the farmer could
either wagon his grain home and store it away Sc
| curely or dispose of it at the mill.
| Experienced millers inform me that, by their re-
ceivng cent per bushel for this operation they
will be well remunerated for the erection and main
tenance of such rubbing mills; and certainly one
cent per bushel is not high rate of interest for the
farmer to pay, if he views it in the light of insu-
rance against loss from the source above specified
The community would thus, if this re edy proved
efecual be protected against the use of that clam
| my, bitter, unwhOlesome -four which weevil-eaten
wheat sometimes brings into the market as well as
an admxture of earth, not unfrequent in grain got
out on dirt foor the farmer might be saved, in a
bad weevil year, the loss of perhaps one half the
weight of his grain; while the miller or grain mer-
chant could actually afford to give him several cents
per bushel more for his crop, because it would not
only be sound, but more free than usual from at
| tendant impurities.
Thanking you, gentlemen, for your courtesy in
thus enabling to bring before that valuable por-
ton of community the agricultural facts which
hope may prove beneficial in their all-importsnt
art, am, very respectfully yours,
RICHARD OWEN.
"A copy of this work can be found in our excel
lent State Library
EFFECTS OF POLITICAL FANATICISM