Wilmington journal., 1869-02-05


to more thorough systems of farming. L
D the case of our country, it leads to tn
f faster extension of civilization Westward
. the rapid subjugation of wild land, an
the better cultivation Of that already unde
, the plough. For instance, the Western
prain-grower who now devotes seventy
five to one hundred and fifty acres to corr
and other crops, with the .1eagre facilitie
, of. thirty years ago, could not have man
Rsd one-fourth part that amount in simi
lar manner. This increase of agriculture no
} only keeps good the original number o
farm laborers, but creates a new demant
for laborers in every other field Of indus
!. try.
| MECHANICAL INGENUITY OF FARMERS.
One of the component parts of a goot
} farmer is mechanical ingenuity. Som,
lose half days time for want of knowing
how to repair breakage which an ingeni
Gus person could do in five minutes. 4 team
and two or three men are sometimes stop
ped a whole day at critical season fol-
want of little mechanical skill. It is vel
for every farmer to have at hand the facii
ties for repairing. In addition to the
more common tools, he should keep
supply of nails of different sizes, screws
! bolts, and nuts. Common cut nails are
too brittle for repairing implements or for
other similar purposes. But only the very
best, and anneal them, and they will
answer all the ordinary purposes, of the
best wrought nails. To anneal them, al
that is necessary is to heat them red hot
in common fire and cool gradually. Let
them cool, for instance, by remaining in
the fire while il burns down and goes out.
One such nail, we'll clinched, will be worth
| half a dozen unannealed. Nothing is
more common than for farmer to visit
the blacksmith's shop to get broken or
lost bolt Or rivet inserted, and often a
single nut on bolt. This must be paid
for, and much time is lost. By providing
supply Of bolts, nuts, and rivets, much
time aud trouble may he saved. They
may be purchased wholesale at a low rate.
These should all be kept in shallow boxes,
with apartments made for the purpose,
furnished with a bow handle for conve-
nience i'll carrying them. One box with
half dozen divisions may be appropria-
ted to nails of different sizes, and another
with as many compartments, to screws,
bolts, rivets, &c. Every farmer should
keep on hand supply of copper wire and
small pieces of sheet copper or copper
traps. Copper wire is better than anneal-
ed iron wire. It is almost as flexible as
twine, and may be bent and twisted as
desired; and it will not rust. Copper
straps nailed across OR around fracture
or split in a wooden article will strengthen
it in a thorough manner
DEATH TO THE COTTON WORM.
A meeting of the planters was held at
Opelousas, La, to hear reports of commit
tees previously appointed, and to concert
further measures for the destruction of the
caterpillar fly. The plan reported was,
that fires should be made twice week on
every Wednesday and Saturday, and Oft
ener if practicable, by everybody and
everywhere. The fires are to be small, so
made as to create as much blaze and as lit
tie heat rs possible-on an ele !ated posi-
ton, if practicable, and at distance of
two hundred and fifty yards Old shingles,
branches, tallow and cotton, and weeds
were the combustible material recommen-
ded.
The report also recommended, as the
larvae of insects are found in the fields, the
ground should be ploughed as early as
practicable, 80 as to submit it to the frosts
of winter, and that cotton stalks, and all
vegetation capable of sheltering the lar
we, should be burnt.
DR.. Boagin delivered All address, in
which he said that planters had the policy
of securing exemption from the ravages of
the worm, in the simple fact that the fly
produces the caterpillar-that the fly is at
tracted by light, and that fire destroys it.
A more phosphoric system of ofilluminatiens,
he said, might be suggested, with refectant
lights and receptacles, but the pecuniary
condition Of planters places such system
beyond their means. He recommended
that the fires be made an amusement to
the young folks, and that they should not
be continued too late at night.
OF thov nioh ha
kept up until nine or ten o'clock Also,
that person might usefully go about on
horseback with lighted torch, to start the
flies towards the fires. As long as the cot
ton fly does not appear in force, the fires
should be lighted twice a week otherwise,
it would be we'll to light them every night.
Failure will be almost certain, it was
thought, if the fires were COO large. In
that case the flies will be started, but would
fail to reach the fire on account Of the sur
rounding heated air.
A friend of DR.. Boagins, during the pre-
valence of fevers last fall, lighted numer-
Gus fires. He had planted cane and to-
bacco. All sorts ofinsects were burnt, and
at this date. although he has gathered one
crop of tobacco, and the second is should
er high, he has not seen a worm in it
| Years ago, Louisiana planter tried fires
w uOoIAOJ euo OOUeOA ny, Ouo A0 InaOe AAo
| fires too large, and they attracted flies from
all quarters, which failed to reach the fires
on account of the heated air; and they took
refuge in his field and generated caterpil-
lars in untold numbers, and his crop was
most thoroughly destroyed.
The importance of destroying the fly is
thus calculated One fly of to- day will be
reproduced by 25O,OOO on the 18th of Au-
gust then by 25,0OO,OOO on the 18th of
September then by 62, 500, ,00O.O on the
18th of Octobe?:.
It was believed by intelligent planters
that the fire system of destruction would
succeed, and that the originators of it
would be regarded before long as the re-
generators of the fortunes of the South.
OUR RALEIGH CORRESPONDENCE.
RALEIGH, January %, 1869.
Dear Journal Unavoidable and i'm
perative causes have kept me from nv