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ENEMIES INJURIOUS TO THE FARMER
The insects most injurious to the farmer are, 1. Thosewhich attack the young leaves and the roots of grain, as,Snails, the wire-worm, and slugs or grubs ; 2. Those whichattack the ear; and, 3. The turnip-fly or beetle.
1. Insects that attach the young leaves and the roots of grain.
Snails. — There are two modes adopted by farmers inScotland , for preventing injury from snails, and other ver-min abounding on the surface, which cannot be too strong-ly recommended to the attention of our southern brethren ;one by Mr Hunter of Tynefield in East-Lothian , the otherby Mr Church of Hitchill in Dumfries-shire.
Mr Hunter’s plan is a very ingenious one. He does notsow his wheat after clover, till about the middle of January,and if the season will not then allow, as soon after as possi-ble. But he ploughs his clover stubble early in December,that the snails bred among the clover, and other vermin inthe ground, may be turned up and destroyed by the frost andthe season. Formerly, he used to plough and sow in Novem-ber ; but these vermin, not being then in a torpid state, creptinto the ground again, and coming out in spring, thinnedthe wheat materially. Ploughing in December, and sowingin January or February, answers the purpose of destroyingthem effectually*.
Where sowing wheat in January is objected to, MrChurch’s plan may be adopted. He recommends breakingup the grass immediately after the crop of hay is taken offin July, sowing it with rape or cole, after one furrow, andeating it down with sheep in September or October. Assoon as this is done, the land should receive only one furrow,and should then be sown with wheat. This method reducesthe land to a fine state, and at less expence than by a bastardfallow ; and though the summer pasture is partly lost, yet the