332 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



counter-action takes place, either of climate or of parasitic 

 agency, which at once sweeps away the plagues and releases us 

 from those great armies which are employed by the Power who 

 created them." 



We may be allowed to glance for a moment at the attention 

 paid in Europe to practical entomology. The plant louse, 

 (Phylloxera vitifolice,} affecting the grape-vine to such a fearful 

 extent in France, and which in this country has done consider- 

 able mischief, is still attracting much attention. Within a year 

 past as we learn from the " Revue Scientiflque," the French 

 Academy has offered a prize of twenty thousand francs to en- 

 courage studies with the view to ascertain a remedy which shall 

 protect the vine without destroying it, as some of the remedies 

 proposed killed the vine as well as the noxious insects. The 

 French Government has always been alert and liberal in this 

 matter of economical or applied entomology, a subject more 

 important to agriculture than is yet dreamed of in this country, 

 where it is estimated that we lose hundreds of millions of dol- 

 lars annually from the attacks of injurious insects and plants. . 

 During the past summer the losses of wheat, corn and other 

 crops in' the Western States have been enormous. The onion 

 crop raisers in one county (Essex) alone in this State have lost, 

 it is estimated, at least from ten to fifteen thousand dollars' worth 

 of perhaps the most valuable crop next to the hay crop, from the 

 attacks of a minute insect called Thrips. This annual loss, 

 much of which by timely exertion, and especially the cultivation 

 of insect parasites, could be avoided, will accumulate in inten- 

 sity, and become a grievous burden a century hence, when our 

 country will be more densely populated and every grain of food 

 will be needed ; unless more attention than is now thought 

 necessary be given to the subject. 



The foresight of the French people, despite the present gloomy 

 views of their journals over the decadence of science among them, 

 is conspicuous in their prompt and scientific treatment of the 

 silk-worm disease (pebrine). This is a disease that has already 

 extinguished a most promising experiment in the rearing of our 

 native silk-worm, as Mr. L. Trouvelot of East Medford, who had 

 proved the ease with which our native silk-worm may be reared, 

 unfortunately lost several thousand dollars' worth of them by 

 this disease, imported accidentally in eggs of the Yama-mai moth 



