Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-11

IRON the Richmond nispatch. !

We do not profess to know much of agri-
culture, or of the enemies and pests that as
sail the farmer and destroy his grain. We
can only, therefore. talk about them through
the knowledge of others. In this way we take
pleasure in publishing the subjoined article
from the pen of one of our most scientific en-
tomologists, on a subject highly interesting to
agricultnrists. 1t has been stated that the
Patent office wheat contained weevii, and far
mers have been warned against sowing it, On
the authority of our correspondent, it appears
that this apprehension is unfounded. We I'M
derstand that while the weevil dies in the
ground, without continuing his species there,
bis presence in the wheat that is sowed does
not prevent it from terminating and growing
as well as any other wheat. But the weevil
destroys the wheat as a marketable commodi-
ty, diminishing its weight and impairing its
value for making -four. :
A knowing friend urges us to make few
suggestions with regard to this insect, which
annually destroys hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of wheat. Farmers should keep
their granaries as clean, if possible, as their
parlors, and above all well ventilated. They
should especially take care not TO leave even
small quantity of seed throughout the year
in granary; for the old seeds are likely to
contain the enemies that Will attack the new
crop as soon as housed. These are the best
precautions against the dreaded insect. Keep
your wheat as dry and as cool as possible.
The following is the paper alluded to in the
beginning of this article
PATENT OFFICE WHEAT.
AS so much has been published In the news
papers lately in regard to the ''weevil' being
| found in seed wheat, alledged TO have been
sent by the Patent office, deem 1t merely an
act of justice to state few facts IN the natur-
! al history of that insect, to disabuse the pub
/ Iio nd of of hn dancer
using this wheat for seed
The true weevil is the cdLdndTd graradria, or
| grain weevil, there being likewise another of
| the same kind, the cdLaiidra OJyz9, or rice Wee
vii, which destroys grain andrice in the South.
/ These small brownish beetles lay their eggs up
| on the wheat, when housed, or IN the barn,
| and not upon the unripe grain in the field;
the Young grub eats its way into the grain,
and after almost entirely burrowing out the
| interior changes into pupa, having the legs,
wings, &c. so formed as to be plainly distin-
gui he'd by the naked eye, but being incapable
! of locomotion. After remaining sometime In
this state, it eventually makes its appearance
| in the outer world as perfect weevil, TO lay
| the foundation of new colony of weevils IN
the stored and ripe grain, which is frequently
destroyed 10y successive generations OF this
pest. Therefore. being entirely grain eaters,
and not destroying either blade or blossom,
| they could not do such injury to the coming
| crop: even if they withstood the inclemency
| of the winter and the moisture of the earth,
the perfect beetle could find no grain where
| upon to deposit its eggs, except in store hous-
es or barns. in which no doubt, there are
J thousands already, as the weevll is even now
disseminated throughout almost every State
| in the Union.
The caution in the newspapers has most
probably arisen from the fact that two
| winged fly, also known by the naisnomeT of the
weevil, is very destructive to wheat and 9TH
er grains, when forming seed. This insect Is
more properly known as the wheat nudge,
(cecidomyid fritici,) and has the appearance of a
minute orange-cOlored guat. 1t deposits It's
eggs in the heads of wheat, barley, rye, oats,
and even grass. These eggs being Matched
very small Orange-cOlOred grubs appear, and
hiding in the head, extract the juices of the
plant. thus causing the ears to be totally
abortive or else to produce very shrivolled
grain.
There is vet another insect. also misnamed
the .'weevil." quite different from the two al
ready mentioned, inasmuch as the first, the
! true weeville is a beetle with hard wing Ca
SEES. the second a fly with two transparent
| wings like a gnat. and the third real moth
! with downy or scaly wings, which latter might
be mistaken by a casual observer for the
clothes moth, such as infest houses and eats
| carpets cloth and fur. The caterpillar of this
nOJH. NAMED lDe duPOunlOlS HlOlH kdhucUHlfts
| cere0beLLd,) deVOurs the inside of grain, and
before changing into the chrysalis, gnaws a
small hole almost through the outer cuticle Of
the wheat, then spins itself a web, or cocoon
| in which it changes into the crysalis, and
eventually makes its appearance as minute
moth out of the hole previously prepared fol
its exit.
From this short and imperfect sketch of the
''weevils,' so miscalled in various parts of the
| country ii NAV he Sapu that N danosr is n
he apprehended from the calaHdra. weevil
said TO be contained in the Patent Office seed
for if the grain be Immediately sown, as il
ought to be, and the package not suffered tC
remain open, where perfect beetle can fly to
barns or storehouses, the insect must neces
sarily be killed by the cold and dampness o.
the earth, or even should it survive it could
find no ripe grain in the cold and open field
whereupon to deposit its eggs and perpetuate
the race. FIAToR.
Richmond, Ia, JAM 20, 1858.