Southern planter : devoted to agriculture, horticulture, and the ...

Writers have differed considerably in
regard to the method by which the parent
insect de})osits her eggs. The earlier authors
stating that she bored a hole in the
skin of the ox, in which was deposited an
i'gg ; but later and more accurate observers
have shown that this is not the case.
When the egg is hatched, the little foot-
less worm immediately penetrates the
skin, and forms a cell under it, living upon
mucus, or pus, formed by the irritation
produced by its presence. When fully
grown, it presents somewhat the shape of
an ordinary grist loom, of a brownish color
and rough. The hole by which it enters
the skin when young, still remains open,
and through this the animal breaths, the
spiracles being placed at the apex of the
abdomen, and this part of the body is always
visible in the aperture. When the
larvaae has obtained its full growth, it
works itself through this hole and falls to
the ground, which it enters, and then undergoes
its transformation to a pupa of a
blackish color. These warbles are gene-
rally found on young cattle, or those in
good condition ; the fly selecting such, as
better suited to the rearing of its young.
Much difference of opinion exists as to
the amount of damage which they do.
Some think that their presence is rather
beneficial than otherwise ; when they are
very numerous, however, the animal loses
flesh, and does not present as healthy an
appearance as it did formerly. The best
method of destroying these grubbs, is to
open the hole a little with a sharp pen-
knife, and press the tumor sufficiently to
expel its inhabitant ; afterwards keep the
part clean, and it will soon heal up. The
grub should not be killed in the tumoi and
left there, as it will putrify and produce a
much worse state of things than if left
entirely alone. Cattle are much excited
by the presence of the flies, and run about
in apparent terror.— Ohio Farmer.
The Potatoe Weevil.
—
Why is it that no notice is ever taken of
this very destructive insect? The top of
wheat by the grain weevil bears a far less
annual proportion to its market value, than
the potatoe suffers by a similar cause.
Our agricultural press is so silent on the
subject, that full seventy-five per cent of
potatoe growers are unaware of the in-
THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 409
sect's existence, or the loss they suffer
by it.
The insect is nearly the size of the curculio,
or plum weevil. So far as I have
been able to ascertain, the egg is deposited
in the stalk of the potatoe about the end
of June or beginning of July. The grub
or worm is fully grown in a few weeks afterwards,
and commences with its existence
to bore downwards through the
heart of the stalk, so weakening the
power of the stalk to draw its proper supply
of moisture from the soil, that the first
warm August sun completely dries up the
plant, and all growth of the potato tubers
of course at once ceases. But the larvae
remains so long as the least particle of nutriment,
as is left, when it very rapidly
passes through its chrysoloid existence to
its common beetle form ; and about the
end of September or beginning of Octo-
ber, passes out of the stems into the soil,
read}' to commence with the return of
spring its annual depredations.
The damage done by the insect is
greater in dry seasons than in wet ones,
for obvious reason. From careful obser-
vation, I have no hesitation in saying that,
in my opinion, the insect has done more
to shorten our crops this season than the
hot sun did. The late crops have done
considerably better than the earlier ones,
not because in the earlier part of their existence
they had not as hot suns to contend
with, but chiefly because the strength
of the insect is principally expended on
the early crops. I believe it would not be
too much to rate the loss to the potato
crop by this insect, in this region at leasts
at 50 per cent on the full crop.
The history of this insect seems to be
enveloped in mystery. Its existence in
any numbers seem to be coeval with that
of the potato disease. My own experience
of it is limited to the last four years,
when examining some stalks in a three
acre patch at Holmesburg, quite dead in
the middle of August, 1852. I found the
grub in every stem. Since then I have
found that the insect had been observed
by other parties of more investigating dispositions,
before. Whether it had any
bearing on the original potato disease I
feel unable to decide ; but the appearance
of the two about the same time is a remarkable
coincidence. I may, however,
observe, that with the potato disease as it