278 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



States, who have come to much the same conditions as existed in 

 the time of Quintinye, experience the same want. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES. 



The subject of insects and diseases is daily attracting more 

 attention, for their depredations are daily becoming a greater 

 evil, and the importance of entomological investigations is every 

 day more plainly seen. It is only thirty years since Dr. Harris 

 first published his work on " Insects Injurious to Vegetation," 

 and great is the debt of gratitude which we owe to him and to 

 the succeeding investigators who have given their lives to study- 

 ing the habits of these little " creeping things which be upon the 

 earth," that they may teach us how to destroy those which prey 

 upon our trees, and to distinguish our friends from our foes. 

 Every plant imported from abroad brings with it a new insect 

 or disease, and the dissemination of new plants and varieties, 

 without which there can be little progress, inevitably dissemi- 

 nates their insect enemies. On this subject the words of 

 Edmund Burke are appropriate : " The most vigilant superin- 

 tendence, the most prompt activity, which has no such day as 

 to-morrow in its calendar, are necessary to the farmer ;" and 

 we may add, still more to the fruit-grower, and tenfold more 

 necessary in combating our insect enemies. The neglect of bat- 

 tling with these vile creatures is the great bane to successful 

 cultivation. As long as moral evil exists in the world, so long 

 may we expect there will be evil in the natural world, and he 

 who is not willing to contend against both is not worthy of the 

 name either of cultivator or of Christian. 



These insect plagues can be exterminated, or be subdued, so 

 that no material harm shall be caused by them. We have dis- 

 covered means for preventing the ravages of the currant-worm, 

 curculio, canker-worm, caterpillar, melon-bug and aphis, and 

 the mildew and other diseases of our vines. If we can do this, 

 is it not reasonable to suppose that we can discover remedies 

 for, or the means of preventing, all the diseases and depreda- 

 tions that vegetation is liable to ? 



But some one .replies, Let nature do all this, let nature per- 

 form her perfect work. True, but nature brings us weeds, this- 

 tles and thorns, insects injurious to vegetation as well as those 

 that are useful ; and we were placed in this world, not merely 



