The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-11-03
WeeyiIs Eating Corn.

Editor Of The Florida AgracuHarist:
Florida is a fine country for wee
wills. the climate seems to suit them !;
and as l saw short paragraph IN
your paper, Of August 10Th, from
some one who processes to have had
long experience at farming in Flor
ida, will give some OF my experience
in contendlng against weevils. Be
fore the invasion I lived in settle
ment of five or six planters. 1t was
our habit to meet together three or
four times each year and talk over
farm matters, receiving and imparting
Instructions on farm matters in gen
eral. At one of these meetings the
subject of weevils was brought up.
How to keep them from eating our
corn was thought to be an important
matter, and as sassafras was recon-
mended it was resolved to try the ex-
pertinent. That year l liked to have
destroyed the sassafras on my place,
hauling it into my crib; it did no
good whatever. Next year the
China tree was brought forward as
sure preventive tor weevils. l ruined
two nice shade trees of my own and
nearly ruined four or five tor for my
neighbors, hauling them into my
crib mixing leaves and berries all
through my corn. l thought | had
Mr. Weevil then, but he only seemed
pleased at the presence of the berry.
OF course reported to the neighbors.
Then some one had found out that
salt water sprinkled over the corn
would certainly drive them from the
crib. That year wasted tour sacks
OF salt on my corn; it only sweetened
it to their taste. They like to have
eaten it all up. I was whipped, Mr..
Editor, and SO reported when we all
met again. Some one asked how Mr..
Lane kept his seed wheat so clear OF
weevils; you might 60 to him and
buy wheat at any time clear OF
weevils for seed or flour. His mode
OF keeping was explained as follows;
After thrashing and cleaning it, it
was summed until perfectly dry and
then stored in tight whisky barrels,
with the bung tightly driven in. 1t
was Immediately agreed that If tight
barrels would keep weevils out of
wheat why will not tight cribs keep
them from corn. 1t was agreed that
our largest corn, maker should try it.
~ built - wv ni2a logs
. hold Ia sss 81,
putga tight floor over head and filed
1t as long as he could get an ear into
it, then shielded it all around, plastered
up all the cracks with lime mortar
closed and locked the door and
stopped every crack around it with
mortar and packed the loft with tod-
der. That corn remained there two
years, 1 was present when it was
opened, there was no weevil in it ex-
cept at small crack in the door
made by the sun shining against 1t.
We all came to the conclusion that
tight cribs was the best preventa.
tive against the weevil. Now J
would say to my brother farmers If
you make more corn than you can
use by the first OF March, try tight
crib. Build a frame one, weather
board outside and seal inside and
fill between with saw dust some
friend might. ask, have you tight
crib? l should have to say no, l
plant corn on the St. Johns river
| and the plan that l pursue now is to
gather as soon as l think the corn
| will keep and put it in the crib and
let my horses, hogs and chickens run
a race with the weevil and see who
can eat the most of it. But
learned a sure way to keep the
weevll from eating my corn ID the
crib and that is not to gather until
December. 1t is the plan for all
who have fields on the ST. Johns. L
will tell you why my land not only
| produces corn, but, crows about fifty
&c. the acre, and say five coons, ten
rats, innumerable black BIRDS ana
| Jay birds besides others. L have on
an average about three wind storms
every two years, and about twenty
rain storms every fall. The wind
blows it down and the rain covers 1t
with water, everything eats 1t that
can get at it and by December there
will not be one grain lett tor the
Eweevil. 1t is sure way to not let
weevils eat any of your corn II you
plant ON the St. Johns. LEARNER.
Proceedings of the Board OfC0unty
Commissioners.
u Oon.