LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 245 



permissible. In case of the slugs and such insects as the two species of cab- 

 bage caterpillars, just now referred to, it leaves little to be desired. 



But we still have such insects as the squash and other bugs, which refuse to 

 eat our poisons, and laugh us to scorn when we storm their citadels with to 

 them the harmless pyrethrum. 



For the past two or three years I have used kerosene with excellent success 

 in fighting plant lice. I made a strong solution of soft soap, and while the 

 liquid was hot I stirred in kerosene oil in the proportion of one to eight or 

 ten of the suds. I found this effective to destroy the plant lice, the grape 

 flea beetles, both larva? and beetles, and the cabbage caterpillars just now 

 referred to. The past season I and several of my students have used milk — 

 sour milk is as good as any, and most economical — which was first suggested, 

 I think, by Dr. Barnard, and has been so highly recommended by Dr. C. V. 

 Kiley. I do not think the churning that he recommends is very necessary. 

 It is very easy and convenient to mix the oil with liquid sour milk, and when 

 well stirred it mixes well, and remains mixed for several minutes, so that 

 there is no practical objection to its use. Several of us experimented, and in 

 no case did we injure any plant, when the mixture was as weak as one of 

 oil to five of the milk. I tried this on several kinds of bugs, on various 

 beetles and on many caterpillars and plant lice. In every case it killed the 

 insects with no injury to the plants. 



In applying this -to such insects as the squash bugs (I mean the large black 

 squash bug, not the small striped squash beetle), I found it necessary to 

 throw the liquid on to the insects with force. When sprinkled on it does not 

 produce the desired effect. Here then we need a force pump. 



While this liquid will kill both the caterpillars that feed upon our Michigan 

 cabbages, some may object to showering their cabbage with kerosene. Sev- 

 eral who have tried it the past season say that they find no objection to its 

 use on these vegetables. If any do object to such use, they still may have 

 recourse to pyrethrum, to which there can be no objection. 



THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR. 



BY HON. ENOS GOODEICH. 

 [Delivered at Caro Institute.] 



The question of our sugar supply is one of vast importance and stupendous 

 proportions. In the days of my childhood sugar was a luxury that few could 

 indulge in, but in the march of time it has passed from the catalogue of luxuries 

 and must now be classed as one of the necessaries of life. Chemically, the 

 article of sugar exists in most vegetable substances ; but those from which the 

 country's supply ia produced may be set down as the forest maple, the sugar 

 beet, the ribbon cane of the south, and the sorghum of the middle and north- 

 ern States. It is awkward for me to state that I have no means of telling you 

 how much is annually produced from each of these sources. In 1880 we had 

 a census, but if ever its results should reach the light of day they will be too 

 old to be of practical importance. My children's children may live to read it, 

 but I have given it up in despair. I shall speak approximately, and weary 

 you as little as possible with figures and technicalities. 



