Year: 1859

The WHEAT CROP AND ITS ENEMIES.


-ur. Eattor; Whilst the wheat is "rootng," as
our great farmer Rogers used to express its winter
growth let us endeavor to dive some of the mys
terles OF this wonderful plant The chief of these
present Is, the destroying joint-worm, which has
diminished the crop of this and several adioinin r
counties from 30 to 80 per cent. Yet in the midst
OF It, TOR the last two years. my crops have been the
best ever made. Of this fact will give the reas
0hS, so iar as l KNOW in the hope of throwing some
hight ON this engrossing topic.


short review of the wheat culture of VIRGINIA
may be OF interest to younger brethren and
may illustrate more clearly our present dificultv
In OLD times, before the Hessan fly, when the wheat
was often sowed and ploughed in at the last work
ing OF the corn, almost the only limit to the cron
was IN the extent and fertility of the land This
success encouraged its cultivation, till the wheat
Patch as 1t was then called, expanded into the
wheat held Then came the ly so destructiva nm
der this system that it was called Hessian. after
ruthless aud unprovoked enemy and erroneouslv
supposed to be brought over by them The habits
OF this insect being carefully Investigated by Gov
Barbour, Gen. Cooke, and Others showed the dan
ger of too early seediug and the ADVANTAGE of graz
ing and other means of diminishing its ravares-
10 avoid their fall deposit of eggs on the blades of
the wheat it became the settled practice not to be-
tober. " "


This delay of full month or more from the
l0rmer usage besides subjecing the latter part of
the crop to the spring attack of the fly aggravated
enormously the danger from rust-the universal enc
my To the wheat. The necessity of early ripeninp
to escape the rust, while prevented from early sow
ing by the fly, led to the trial of every possible
variety OF wheat nor is any one kind even vet de-
cided on the best. The Mediterranean has Of
least the tWo-fold advantage, that it may be sown
some ten days earlier, and ripens nearly as much
sooner, than the white flint and other standard
Kinds. Its culture, in spite of many objections is
extenolng, and OF this our crops in this region
partly consisted when first attacked bv the Joint
worm. In the pauc occasioned by this dreadful
enemy, which has driven some of our farmers off
the held, we could not at first say that it spared
any kind. But closer inspection the old nrnvarh
proved true-''the devil take the hindmost'


The Joint-worm has a certain time to change from
IT'S chrysas state and come forth to work; but if
little before this time the wheat can head the straw
is then too hard for them and thew seek that which
is more tender. Their mode of operation is to pierce
the outer covering near the joint, and deposit their
eggs, which soon hatch and cut off all nourishment
from above that point Upon these facts we base
our practice, which is to sow in good time and
with the best preparation the earerkinds of wheat
ana push them in every way to the speedest maturi
ty. We begin by the middle of September, or as
soon after as we can get ready and for the first
week or ten days of pure Mediterranean then of
one-thIGd early purple straw with it. and finish with
the purple straw alone. If any Poland or late
wheat at all, it should be sowed early in October
on tobacco land or the most favorable spots as to
fertility and exposure. The white Nav wheat we
are now trying, to see if that will not head the
enemy. My neighbour +. X. Nelson, tried his last
crop In three ways, and all turned out we'll First
prime clover, talow, sowed early in Mediterrane-
an; second, well manurea land in the same; and
third, the corn field in early purple straw, with
guano. These three methods seem likely to sue
ceed. L know of no other. Ordinary fallow. or
good corn land, may do with one hundred pounds
OF guano to the acre; but two hundred pounds are
necessary if the land be poor The wheat drill with
the guano attachment will, hope, do great things
for us and the whole country. single experiment
with it in Fauquier is enough, at least to attract
attention. Three strips of land, sowed side by side,
help, BROUGHT husbn IN
the acre; the second, with two hundred pounds of
guano broadcast, fifteen; and the third drilled with
fifty pounds of guano, twenty bushels.


Yours, sincerely,