188 WEST OXFORB SOCIETY. 



So little is known respecting the habits of insects and the best 

 methods for avoiding theix' ravages, that newspapers have not yet 

 settled down on the first lesson of bojhood — how to destroy a cater- 

 pillar's nest in an apple tree. 



It seems to be a law of instinct, if we may be allowed the expres- 

 sion, that many of the most common and destructive kinds of insects 

 deposit their eggs in unfermented matter, so that as fermentation 

 goes on, they may be hatched by the heat generated during this 

 process. The gardener may therefore derive a hint, not to make 

 use of unfermented manures in the cultivation of such plants as are 

 liable to the attacks of insects. 



It is peculiarly discouraging to the farmer to find his corn and 

 grain destroyed by so apparently insignificant creatures, and he will 

 be a great benefactor to his race who shall introduce an easy and 

 effectual remedy for these evils.- Scientific men have already classi- 

 fied them and named them, and it only becomes the sharp-sighted 

 farmers of the present generation to study their habits and devise 

 the much coveted means for their riddance. 



The cultivation of that valuable esculent, the onion, has almost 

 entirely been abandoned in this State because of an insignificant 

 looking insect that deposits its egg in the tender plant. Possibly 

 not a farmer present is familiar with the insect that does the mis- 

 chief. I have yet to confess my ignorance, but I can tell you hovr 

 to avoid its depredations. As soon as they make their appearance, 

 dig the earth entirely away from the bulb until their ravages are 

 over. 



Then there is the black knot on your cherry and plum trees. It 

 is still an undecided question whether it is a specific disease, or the 

 results of the ravages of some insect. 



Most of these insect depredators have not been known in this 

 county but a few years, but the loss to this country the present year 

 to our fruit crop alone by one insect family can be estimated only 

 by millions of dollars. 



From what has already been said, you will perceive that it will 

 not do for the prosperous farmer to imagine for a moment that he 

 already knows enough ; nor will it do for the farmers of Oxford 

 county to suppose that all wisdom is now living, and will die with 

 them. Oh, no ! It is well sometimes to define our position by 



