American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-01
taOw 3xNDPgnT;T gHT
fasllt Efs:s Garden.
! 4 Flowing in the Fall.
[From the GermantooEn q Telegraph. ]


Yours, asking me to give, for the BEN
eft of yourreaders, my ideas as to
the advantages and disadvantages of
fall or autumnal plowing for corn,
was duly received. Youremark that
1 do not now practice it as much as
Il did afeY years ago, and you wish
to know my reasons for so doing, or
rather for not doing. 1 will endeav-
or to answer your questions to the
best of my ability, although you put
them pretty STRONG even to "book
farmer"
One iofethe main benefits claimed
for the practice of fall blowing for
corn is, that it is a sure preventive
of the. ,rayages of the cut worm
those who follow the practice gener-
ally account for this fact upon the
theory that plowing in the fall
brings the crysalis or egg of the cut
worm near the surface, and it is kill
ed by freezing during the winter
and springs mopths,s Now q slight
exaniihatioh ofsthe insect which is
the parent of the cutworn, will plain
ly show that it cohld not deposit the
egg at any great distance from the
surface, for its structure is so delicate
and of such form as to entirely
preclude all idea of its burying its
egg deeper than the fraction of an
inch. And farther, even if the pa
rent insect was capable of so cover
in its egg to the depth of five or six
inches, those who have examined the
young grub which constitutes the flu
ture ravages of our corn fields, will
be at once convinced that it could
never have worked its way through a
very great depth of soil in order to
reach the surface, which it must do
soon after it is hatehed, or orperish for
want of food. f
The egg is deposited in the same
manner as that of our common road
beetle it is encased in manure, and
deposited among the roots of grass
4 in small balls about the size of
large pea, but more elongated, and
coated on top with some peculiar
water proof composition ; if a drop
of water is placed on this surface, it
runs off as from a.greasy plate. e.se0n
the under side of this ball, las itssis
placed by the iniect) is.a fiat surface
which, unlike the remainder, is not
entirely waterproof but only par
tally so, for water dropped will be
slowly absorbed pntn the whole ball
becomes saturated, butt the outside
coating on top never seems to lose its
waterproof qualities. 1t seems as
if this water proof coating was not
put on until the ball had reached its
destined position, and then the in.
sect was not able to reach under it
when it rested on the ground, and
hence could not protect this part
with the waterproof coating, as it
did the remainder of the ball.
'H Now, I will not pretend to deny
but that fall plowing for corn (if care
fully done) is pre- 7entive for the
ravages of the cutworm, but | do not
think that iF good effects are due to
freezing, for we seldom have winters
!. during which the frost does not go
more than furrow deep in fact, |
do not believe that any reasonable
amount of freezing and thawing
would have much effect upon the eggs
which are to produce the cut@orm.
! am more fully convincoe that
the benefit is not due to the above
cause, by knowing that early spring
blowing is as sure preventive Of
the bad effect of the cutworm as tho
the operation were performed in the
fall. Is itnot more likely that by
? the operation of plowing We invert
the ball which contains the egg and
bring the non-water-proof surface in
Ito such exposition that it absorbs
rain and thus destroys the vitality of
the egg2 Or that by reversing the
the sod we cover the egg so deeply,
and beyond the reach of the warmth
of the sun and air, that it is. NOT
matched, or if it should be hatched,
4 that it cannot force its way to the
surface or perish in the attempt ? So
you see that still believe in fall
plowing as remedy for the ravages
of the cutworm. 7 II AE WH
In this case at least / would advise
5 the following cf my preaching rathA
erthan my practice.
Another advantage claimed by
s those who follow this plan, is that by
plowing in the fall we have more
time in the springto devote to other.
labor but unless the practice has
= other special advantage TO recon-
. mend it, this one alone win not car
~ much weight, for I think fair
!. comparison will show that the same
: time expended in spring plowing and
! harrowinw will put the ground into
much better order.
Nv plan would be TO plow the