Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-04-17
For the Journal.
The Bud or Cut Worm,

MEssRs EDITORS Il notice in your issue
of April LIST an article in reference to the
Farmers Club of Spring Garden and Rocky
Point, in which article [ notice that COM
mittee had been appointed to investigate
the character and habits of the aforesaid
worm, and shat the committee solicited an
interchange of views with scientific and
practical gentlemen upon the subject. So
if you will permit me, through the columns
of your valuable paper to do so, I will give
those gentlemen composing the committee
and others interested in the matter, the
result of an experiment made by me last
Spring. And in responding to the wishes
of those gentlemen do so without claim
ingifor myself the appellation of scientific
and practical gentleman, and I hope that
they will pardon me for any appearance of
obtrusiveness or forwardness on my part,
as it were, for the following statement of
facts and suggestions from outside the
circle And as to the character and habits
of the worm alluded to, know nothing
more than that their habits are very bad,
hence it follows, as q matter of course, that
their characters are equalZg bad. Last Spring
I planted some bottom lands, that were al
most entirely destroyed by this insect I
replanted with pretty much similar re-
suits as at first. Being much annoyed
and disappointed, I put my wits to
work as to what should do under the
circumstances, as I considered those lands
the best corn land on my plantation,
having always produced most excellent
corn. And in the course of my thoughts
and meditations on thesubject, it occurred
to me that insects as we'll as mankind enter
tanned quite an antipathy to birthstone, and
that it is said to be one of the ingredients OF
the last portion that is to be administered
to all eoiL-doers I therefore concluded I
would try and give the bud-worm dose.
I got my seed corn, shelled it and put it in
vessel and poured milk-warm water on it,
enough to cover it sufficiently. I then
put in pulverized, or -four of sulphur,
say about two ounces to peck of corn.
then stirred it up well the sulphur, al
though not soluble, seemed to impart sui
phorous odour to the water, In which let
| it remain about twelve or fourteen hours.
I then drained off the water and put in a
small quantity of common tar, just sufi-
Gent to coat the grains slightly, which was
accomplished Ny ROOA4A6 al "oCCA DULL
GENTLY warm to dilute or melt the tar, and
then string it well together, after which I
poured of the water and added about as
much more sulphur, which then readily
adhered to the grains I then planted,
and the resulted was, got good stand.
7 can't say whether it was owing to-
the remedies applied, or to the
advanced state of the season, and I hardly
think it was owing to the latter cause, as
the replantings were made in quick sue
cession, the corn being soaked each time
that it might get up quick, quite a short
time having interviewed between the COM
ing up of the first corn and that of the last.
These are the facts and others interested
can draw their own conclusions or avail
themselves of the suggestion, and try the
experiment for themselves. I do not claim
it to be sovereign remedy, or an entire
preventive, but hope that from further ex-
pertinent it or some other preventive may
be discovered to relieve the farmers of our
country from one of the most pestilent in
scots with which they have to contend.
Most respectfully,
M. NOR.
Raemont, Robson CO.. April Z, 1868.