Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-07-15
WOodlawn Agricultural Society


Only sixteen members were present, this being
vary busy season Of the year.
The President read the following essay ca
insects deprcda!ing on the cereals:
To tho mcmbers of !h9 Woodlawn FaFmsrs'
! Club:
Frionds-I havo underworld TO find some his
tory of the Hessian fly, IS suggeated at our last
meeting. The only things can find at my com.
mand are few hints on the subject, taken from
| the Farmers Library" published in Bati.
moro by j. S. Skinner, viz: Entomology might
| be made to servo agriculture more than 1t has
yet done. In this department OF science farmers
| might greatly assist the chronological by observ.
ing the minute but varied and interesting, hsb-
its of insects The difficulty Of comprehending
the true impulses Of insects, as we'll as or ldent-
flying species in the different states of TRANSFORMS
alton, renders the observation ottarmers less ex-
| act than that of entornooglsts who have success.
! fully studied tie technicslities Of the science
| The field Of observation in the insect creation
being very wide, aud there being comparatively
but few ex plorers in it, large portion Of man.
| life would be occupied in merely observing spe-
cies and their habits, and much larger in form
ing general deductions from repeated obserVa-
study entomology, that long period must
elapse ere the habits Of even the most Common
| destructive insects and tho marks Of their iden-
tlty would become familarizsd to them: In
| consequence CT this obstacle to the study OF the
farmer, the obligation ought to be the greater to
those entomologists " no daily observe the habits
| Of insects in the folds and woods, and simplify
their individual characteristics, and at the Same
| time devise plans to evado their extensive raw
| ages, and recommend simple and effective means
| tor their destruction. The English farmer, !lV.
| ing liz o climate congenial to the development OF
| insect life, painfully experiences their destruc.
| tive powers on crops and woods; and although
| in England entomolOglsts arc ever vlglant and
active, yet their efforts easily to overcome the
tenacity Of insect life with regard to the safety
| of the plant, have hitherto proved unsVailing.
| Note by tho Editor-Writers on entomology,
though they have described the structure and
| habits OF insects, have probably done little to
prevent their ravsgo.. The mischief done by
| the Hessian fly has been mitigsted by the lsbor5
| Of those whose studies have enabled them 10 in
dictate the period of their nidilcston, or ogg
| laying, and thus teaching the farmer to delay
| his time Of sowing whereby, however, his crop
| is necessarily diminished. But it docs not fol-
/ Low that becsuse q knowledge of the physiology
and habi,s of insects may lead to no practical
| remedy against their ravsges that their natural
| history should not DO studied. AL such studies.
| form part, and an eegsn! Part too, o: nSIicul-
! turGl literature a1d Cc:erve, therefore, to re
| cultivated By every country gentleman. holIsr
| on Ito Insects Injurious to Farmers and Gar
donors, and Harris on the Insects luxurious 20
| Vegetation in MssS.Cb let's, ough: sssuIedy TO
| form part Of every iu1 me::s library, hu. nel-h'
or of which is ut my command a. pro.ent
! Very respectfully y. CILLISuHAM.
| Wocdlswn, Va, tn N l3, 1875.
C9I. Curtis, OF Washington, read several
| extracts az experiments 10 rasiGg large yields
Ut wheat by tllog the wheat wide apagt aud
cu!'lsallcg 10 tho spr;ug,. p!od":os,.s ID som 9
| Instances fifty % sivy bushe's 20 t"e ic:e. Us
slso .vsd several report. Ct experiments wI.h
| urw Varieties OF po;asoea ia Gitf5renr pa:ls VI
! II
| this Vegetable.
". G!pgilsm also Etal cZtEac:s rcUi Ike
A6lcrioan Farmer, SHOWING WESt largo yields
! the spriug when tue ground will admit OF it.
| The Secretary read the following report
Report of experiment avuh potatoes seat from
the Agricultural Department, Washington,
D. C.:
Ia January last three varieties OF potatoes
| were received By this club. By resolution the
Secretary was requested to experiment With
| them aud report tie resIlt. The fol 1wog is
respectfully submitted:
The three varieties were marked No. |, 2
and 4. With nothing to Indicate whether they
Should be planted early CT late. Subsequently
| tho names WeTo sent with request that tho
| following points be reported upon 10 respect to
each variety:
lst The health Of the foliage, and tie date
add tx'cnt Of The formation Of blossoms.
q. The number Of days from the tine Of
planting till the decay of foliage.
"a: THE 'ic'l Tho om"unt 10 be given 10
weight.
4!h. State what the Intrinsic merits O! the
potatoes arc as prepared for the t2hr
No, l. named "Eie :!Ss, vas planted Mach
Isl, "c'gne q SD II lbs., foliage large ard
vigorous 1ossomed sparsely sbout the S!h Of
.t sse; foliage decayed when tho potatoes were
dug, the Sth Of July; weight Of yield 900 lbs;
40 indication Of rol; cooked dry and solld;good
quality ter eating.
No. 2, named alpha" was planted March
| 1st; weight of seed i lbs. (onequarter rot.
tep;) foliage rather small; at least tWotbirds
! of the seed rotted after planting; 90 blossoms
appeared; foliage decayed and the potatoes
were dug Ga the 26th of June; found several
| rotten ones when diging, SO that the product
| was less than half bushel; boiled dry and
| faky; good for eating, but worthless on account
| Of the rot.
No. 4, called Beauty of Hebron was
plapted March 7tb: weight of seed IL los;
| foliage large and vigorous; blossomed sparsely
about the 5.h of June; foliage decayed, and
the potatoes were dug the 26Ih OF June; pro-
| duct lS3 lbs; no roI boiled dry and haky;
| excellent for eating.
No. / and were planted in clay aud
| gravel soil, bill side, with southern exposure.
Put on IS much coH.yard manure as could be
poughed 10 With small handful OF Russell
Goes Bone Phosphate in each hill, cultivated
with the hoe alone. No. 4 Was planted 10
sandy loan, on bill side facing east, with 100
lbs. of Bone Phosphate mixed in 200 hills, ap'
piled moro for the benef. of Is grape vines 10
| the rows than for the potatoes. The grape
vines we're in full bearog and detracted mate
rally from full product of potatoes. The ex
pertinent was made to test the qualities of the
potatoes, not to show how large yield could
be produced. Yet ne fod that with the first
named variety, the Victor" the yield was
very creditabls to the clay hills of Fairfax
| sometimes called 10 derision. Poorfax) county.
The seed potatoes were all cut to ingle eyes as
| far as they would admit, and planted two pieces
in place 10 rows making 200 hills, occupying
a space 1912 feet. On one side Of this plat
we're two apple trees in bearing, 10 years old,
and one peach tree, which detracted very ma.
] fall Vot