98 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



every one within reach and allow none to seed. One cannot 

 begin too soon to destroy weeds when they are discovered, 

 and must destroy them or they will destroy his crops. 



The Thomas harrow, drawn over corn and potatoes when 

 they are coming up, and occasionally after that till they are 

 four or five inches high, destroys innumeral)le small weeds 

 just starting, before they have formed much root, and it does 

 not injure the crop, which has already thrown down roots two 

 or three inches long, and strong enough to hold. In loosen- 

 ing the soil around the plants, and in the destruction of small 

 weeds, its effect is more than equivalent to one tilling with 

 the cultivator and hoe. 



Insects. — The destruction of all kinds of crops by insects 

 IS a very serious matter, and apparently becoming worse 

 each successive year ; for while there may be occasionally an 

 abatement of some one kind, it is soon in force again, and 

 some new pest is added. They come in all ways, as Milton 

 represents Satan journeying towards Paradise, and with 

 scarcely better character or intentions. 



" The fiend, 

 O'er bog, or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare, 

 With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way. 

 And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies." 



It is impossible to mention them all, and it would be of no 

 use unless some prevention or remedy could be proposed. 

 Against many of them there is no known help ; while for others 

 the means of prevention or destruction are impractical)le and 

 expensive. Among these are grasshoppers, army worms, iNIay 

 beetles, with the white grub, chinch bug, wire worm and many 

 others, aarainst which wo can wajre no successful war. Of 

 the insects that infest our fruit trees, the worst — the canker 

 worm — can be to a large extent restrained by a girdle of tar, 

 tarred paper or printers' ink around the tree ; so, also, as 

 against the larvte of the codling moth and the apple maggot 

 it is some protection ; but they can be prevented with con- 

 siderable certainty and economy. If pigs or sheep could be 

 allowed to run in an orchard three or four months and eat all 

 the infected fruit that falls, those two pests might be exter- 

 minated in a few years ; but the pigs are unsightly and un- 



