Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-10-21

have scarcely an idea Had l been able I
live on ny farm and constantly watch ever
detelopement, am sure ] should hav
known more on this SUBJECT than now Dc
But so various arethe original or the az
qoired conditions Of our soils, SO multiforr
and so complex are the Influences Of soil an
climate. rain and sunshine, season and cul
sure, that any one mans observation, eve
though continued through lifetime, coul
90 but q little way towards establishing th
great landmarks of the science we need. :
But difficulty 10 not impossibiiity; and tn
most majestic ediices are slowly, toilsomel
built up. stone after stone. We ought +
have a thousand patient observers and care
full recorders OF Agricultural phenomen
where we now have dozen; each scboo
district should have its chemical Ia abfator,
and circle sf experiments, demohslfstion
should be multiplied, sifted colated, until
in the crucible of genius, true science o
Agriculture should be evolvec-a scienct
which shall ultimately teach the farme. I,
buy or combine Just such fertilizers as hi
particular soil needs. and in such forms an,
quantities as are precisely adapted to it
needs. This will be great achievement
one that may well employ busy century
but it is 80 necessary and will prove q
widely benefeent that it cannot be too soor
attempted nor too rapidly urged to compile
ton. ~ -li ~ ~ ~
q V. Meantime, however, IL u requisite
that the farmers oe this country should &C
quire knowledge of Entomology, or tn,
laws of Insect Lie. Our Agriculture is il
danger of local if not general destruction
through the multiplication and ravages o
devaststors TOO numerous and too disgusting
or contemplate to be singiy exterminated
yet whose con joint attacks upon us arr
more formidable and more destructive thar
those Of any human adversary. Our grand.
fathers dreaded and loathed the Iiessiar
soldiers brought over to subdue or slaughter
them; but what were their Gevasta,ions te
thoseof the Hessian Flyi, The frogs Of Egypt
the clouds of locusts that often strip the
Southern and Eastern coasts of the Med.
iteranean bare of every green leaf, begin
to be paraileled by the Grasshupper pests Of
our remoter pra:ries. The Mi1ge, the
Weevil, the Chinch-bug, the Fly, are rem
1ering the cultivation Of cur great Bread
staple every year more precarious, and its
gielu more and more meagre. CaterpiiIars
and other vernin infest, injure and ultimate
y destroy. our fruit trees. Gru5s and wire
worms devour oIr seed in the ground, bugs
IRE equally ?efnicious to our melons; and
il is now pretty wen settled that the Potato
R OF and Oat- Rust are the work of minute,
,ut none the less destructive, insects. The
and careful use of the Micro.
scope viii doubtless prove in time that
scores Of my sterious and inscrutnble Gis.
sases. .u-,r.iehh MOI only plans, ,sssA ssimaas
all prey, have kindred origin. And
hese dpvsstations are paipably increasing
in extent and mischief with each recurring
year We must arrest and repel them. or
he farmers vocation will be ruined, and
thousands perish for lack of food.
The vulgar error that nothing can be
sfftctually done to stop these ravagesAthat
insects must be allowed to cume when they
viii, do what they like, and 60 when they
, lease, is the grea; obstacle % their speedy
In fact, it would not be
nalt SO difficult to cope with worms
Is with wolves, If we only UNDER
stood them as well. Their SAFETY, their
power. is our heedlessness, our ignorance.
,ur unYise despair.ssI have 10 doubt that
every one of them could be put out Of the
way not only without Frest cost bit with
absolute profit, apart from the advantage of
being rio Of them, IL we only knew what
we might surely though slowly learn with
regard to their origin. habits and vulnerable
points. Z do not pretend to know Just how
they should be treated, but I venture the
prediction that the cheap, abundant aIkalis
--Sali, Lime. Potash, Nitre--will ultimate-
ly be applied to seeds and to soilsin which
these pests lurk in the germ or in infancy,
and that they will be thus cut of by acres,
leaving none to tell the tale Of their swift
and total destruction. IL there be any OF
them impervious 20 alkalis, the acids
which are easily produced andieven cheaper
will be found effectual = What we need
to know is just when and how to apply these
SO as to destroy the adversary, roo,
and branch, yet not inJure, bu;rather benefit
the soil and the expected crops. Here opens
q wide field of useful observation and effort
simple and easy to be explored, and certain
to reward the intelligent and patient inves-
tigator. Until il shall have been traced
out, the Microscope should be always in the
house, wheE it ia not in the hand, of everv
leading farmer, and experiment should 60
hand in hand with observation. Ten years
thus improved wonld enable is to save ouI
now imperiled and half-destroyed crops, Al
a cost below what we nov lay for threshiug
out grain--or rath,r s,raw--which tht
ravages of insects have rendered seedless
and thus worthless. si1 yr-f 81
have indicated the microscope as an in
stIument which should be always on thu
premises, and often iE the hands of the i'm
proving farmer; hut cannot begin here {,
indicate the multifarious and important use,
which it might, and ultimately must, b'
made to subserve. The water OF springs
wells. brooks or artificial reservoirs, whsl
used for culinary purposes, and even tha
from which animals are allowed to drink
ought TO be subjected to its scrutiny, so a
10 detect the presence Of any vitiating o
perilous substance in Particles too minut
to be detected by The unsided eye. Th
vegetable world, closely scanned BY il
help, reveals not wonders merely, but lesson
by which the wisest and the most ignoran
may profit. suspect there cannot be man!
whose consciousness Of their oyn ignoranc
uouId ncf he deenened--as I cnnfass min