STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 195 



entirely destroy whole fields of potatoes or tomatoes in a few days. Paris 

 green may be used as a remedy, with excellent effect, but cannot be 

 safely applied to the tomato ; and the herding or driving remedy must be 

 resorted to. By placing windrows of dry hay or straw, or other combus- 

 tible material, every few rods, or in vacant places through the field, they 

 may be driven into them and destroyed by fire. 



During the last three or four years the onion louse, a very small 

 insect, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, has made its appearance ; 

 it attacks and destroys the onion top when the bulb has made about half 

 its growth, thereby greatly diminishing the quantity and keeping quality 

 of the crop. Its presence may be known by the grayish appearance of 

 the tops and their early falling to the ground. If one of the badly affected 

 tops be placed under a glass, dozens of the little rascals may be seen run- 

 ning in every direction. As onions usually are being constantly used 

 by the family or for market, Paris green cannot be safely applied ; but I 

 have peppered, and salted, and sooted them ; have sprinkled them with 

 gypsum, air-slacked lime, wood ashes, road dust, soap suds, tobacco 

 water, and vinegar without effect ; and shall next try lager beer and 

 whisky, and see if the agencies which have been so successful in demoral- 

 izing the human race will have the power of upsetting the equilibrium of 

 this little, calm and self-composed enemy of the onion. 



It will be well for the over-confident beginner in the culture of 

 vegetables to understand that for every variety of vegetables grown there 

 are several species of insects ready and willing to assist him in the prema- 

 ture harvest of his crop. It is not probable that all of these will make their 

 appearance during the same season, but it would be something remarkable 

 if a summer should pass without bringing enough of them to puzzle the 

 brain of a skilled entomologist, should he attempt their classification. 

 But all insects are not injurious, and every tiller of the soil should make 

 it a point to understand the habits of our most common species, that he 

 may favor his benefactors in this, as in any other branch of economy ; for 

 to practice their indiscriminate destruction would be as unwise as to place 

 no check upon the increase of any. In ])oint of importance I believe 

 that the different species of the lady-bird (^lady-bug) might safely be 

 placed at the head of the list of beneficial insects ; then there is the 

 spined soldier bug, the gebia grandis, and the May species of the ichneu- 

 mon flies, besides hundreds of others that are continually o[)erating for 

 man's best interests. 



Many of our birds are almost wholly insectiverous, and if properly 

 encouraged, would do much towards ridding a garden of its insect depre- 

 dators. If the cultivator will but make himself actjuaintcd with the natu- 

 ral agencies provided for his easy escort over the stumbling-blocks in 

 vegetable gardening, he will be the better enabled to take advantage of 

 circumstances, and there will be much less liability of being carried away 

 by the undertow, or of fretting himself to death over the little difficulties 

 continually confronting him. 



The time for the planting of vegetable seeds will vary somewhat with 

 the character of the season, or with the notions or those planting them. 



