STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 375 



CHERRY. LEAVES. 



griibSj would in a short time ferret out and devour every one of 

 them, leaving the soil cleansed, mellowed, manured, and well 

 pre2;ared for being immediately laid down to grass again, or for 

 receiving any rotation of crops for Avhich the proprietor may deem 

 the spot best adapted. It should be observed that when cold 

 weather approaches, these worms sink themselves deep into the 

 ground so as to be beyond the reach of frost during the winter, 

 and return back to near the surface again when spring returns; 

 so that wlien they are severing the roots of grass there will proba • 

 bly be none deeper than hogs are accustomed to root. It will be 

 interesting to know how long a given number of swine will be 

 occupied in cleansing an acre of ground containing from twelve 

 to twenty of these grubs in every square foot. And I earnestly 

 hope those who have lands which are devastated in the manner 

 spoken of, will try the experiment which I have now proposed, 

 and will make the result known to the public, whether it be suc- 

 cessful or otherwise. 



When these grubs have completed their growth, and come abroad 

 in their perfect state, another opportunity is presented for destroy- 

 ing them and preventing their future increase. Every year when 

 tlie middle of May is approaching, cherry and plum trees should 

 be inspected each evening, particularly our choicest varieties of 

 tliese trees, to ascertain if the May-beetles are collecting in num- 

 bers upon them; and if they are, they should immediately be 

 shaken off upon sheets spread beneath the trees, and emptied into 

 bags or covered pails, and should be killed by immersing them in 

 boiling water, or pouring this upon them; after which they may 

 be fed to the swine and poultry. Many years ago a writer in the 

 New-York Evening Post stated that trees could in this manner be 

 entirely freed from these beetles in a very few evenings. Trees 

 from which two j)ailsful were collected the first evening furnished 

 a much less number upon each succeeding night, until the fifth, 

 when only two beetles could be found upon them. 



The RosK-BUG, No. 50, a buif yellow beetle smaller than the 

 preceding, eats the leaves, the last of June. 



