Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 3, January 19, 1884. A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside   By: Various

A Weekly Journal for

THE FARM, ORCHARD, AND FIRESIDE.

ESTABLISHED IN 1841. ENTIRE SERIES: VOL. 56 NO. 3.

CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1884.

PRICE, $2.00 PER YEAR, IN ADVANCE.

[Transcriber's Note: The Table of Contents was originally located on page 40 of the periodical. It has been moved here for ease of use.]

THE CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

AGRICULTURE The Corn Root Worm, Page 33; Biographical Sketch of Patrick Barry, 33; Compiled Correspondence, 33; Illinois Tile Makers Convention Report, 34; Farmers Advice, 35; Cisterns on the farm, 35; Field and Furrow Items, 35.

LIVE STOCK Iowa Wool Men, Page 36; Polled Cattle Breeders, 36; Merino Sheep Breeders, 36; Cattle Diseases, 36; The Horse and His Treatment 36 37; Cost of Pork on 1883 Corn, 37.

VETERINARY Grease, So Called, Page 37; Foul in the Foot, 37; Founder, 37; Question Answered, 37.

THE DAIRY Curing Cheese, Page 37; Items, 37.

HORTICULTURE Southern Ills. Hort. Society, Page 38; Notes on Current Topics, 38; Pear Blight, 38; Treatment of Tree Wound, 38; The Tomato Pack of 1883, 38; Sweating Apples, 39; Prunings Items, 39.

FLORICULTURE Smilax and its Uses, Page 39.

EDITORIAL Will You? Page 40; Items, 40; The Wealth of the Nation, 40; Contagious Animal Disease, 40, 41; Iowa State Fair, 41; Still Another Fat Stock Show, 41; Questions Answered, 41; Letter from Champaign, 41; Wayside Notes, 41.

POULTRY NOTES Chicken Chat, Page 42; Business Still Running, 42.

THE APIARY The Best Hive, Page 42.

SCIENTIFIC Some Gossip About Darwin, Page 43.

HOUSEHOLD "Going up Head" (poetry), Page 44; Too Fat to Marry, 44; Ornaments for Homes, 44.

YOUNG FOLKS Chat About a Bear, Page 45; A Fairy Story, by Little Johnnie, 45.

LITERATURE For Those Who Fail (poetry), Page 46; A Singular Philosopher, 46.

HUMOROUS The Donkey's Dream, Page 47; Tom Typo 47; Courtship of a Vassar Girl, 47; Items, 47.

NEWS OF THE WEEK Page 48.

MARKETS Page 48.

THE CORN ROOT WORM.

EDITOR PRAIRIE FARMER I write you in regard to the corn question. I would like to know if angle worms damage corn.

Eight years ago I came to the conclusion that I could raise double the number of bushels of corn that I was then raising. I then commenced experimenting on a small scale. I succeeded very well for the first three or four years. I got so that I could raise over ninety bushels per acre. In one year I got a few pounds over 100 bushels per acre. Three years ago my crop began to fail, and has continued to fail up to the present year, with the same treatment. Last year it was so bad that I concluded to examine the roots of the corn plants. I found both angle worms and grubs in the roots. This year I went into a thorough examination and found nothing there but angle worms, with a wonderful increase. They were right at the end of the stalk where the roots were thick, but the worms thicker.

The corn at first seems to do very well, but long before the grain gets ripe the leaves begin to get dry and the stalks commence falling. The consequence is that over one half the corn is loose on the cob and the ears very short. I am entirely headed in the corn line. Is it the angle worms? If so, what is the remedy? I plant my corn every year on the same ground. I allow no weeds to grow in my cornfield. Farmers can not afford to raise weeds. I remove all weeds and put corn in their places.

I have plowed my land for the next year's crop of corn and put on twenty loads of manure to the acre and plowed it under. I have no faith in planting the ground next year unless I can destroy the worms that I call angle worms. I have consulted several of my brother farmers, and they say that the angle worms never destroy a crop of corn.

I thought last year that my seed corn was poor and run out, so I went to Chicago and got Sibley's "Pride of the North," but that was no better.