52 Anfivers to Queries on Vegetation, Feb* 



VIII. Of Vermin, noxious to Vegetation, 



Anf. to Quef.. i. The grub, flag, maggot, and mole. 



1 The g!ub, ^^y^, and maggot, may be d'flroyed bj the ap- 

 plication i'f liiiie, foot, fnulF and fulphur mixed, tobacco- water, 

 and bv r )lling the ground late in the evening, or early in the 

 mor'iing. The mole, by any of the common methods of trapping, 

 or by terriers. 



3- Ethereal fire ! and the means are fupernatural. But obferve, 

 I dillinguifli between blight ^rAfT?!ut ; and, on fome other occalion, 

 may offer my ideas more at length on this fubjedl. 



4. I cannot fuppofe that bees are unfavourable to the growth 

 of any plant ; and I know that they are very ufeful in difperfing 

 the farrina, in all hermaplirodite flowers, and tranfporting it from 

 male to female, on androgineous plants placed in hot-houfes, me- 

 lon-frames, &c and on wliich the wind cannot aft, in facilitating 

 that objeft, with the fame effecl as in the open air. 



5. Dry, hot feafons, are generally moil produftive of the aca- 

 rus, cocus, maggot, ant, &:c. ; and \vet ones of the grub, Aug, fnails, 

 %Lc. It might be diflScuk to fay what precautions are to be taken 

 againft them ; but every one who has his own interefl: at heart 

 ought to be indefatigable in repelling their attacks. 



6. I don't know that the fmell of any plant, in its natural 

 growing ftate, is dejiruciive of infects ; but there are feveral plants 

 which are^ w'hen dried and reduced to powder, or when burnt near 

 to certam infecls ; and thefe are, tobacco, hemlock, afaphcedita, 

 rue, wormwood, henbane, &c. 



7. The pine-apple brought that fpecies of infeft, called the 

 pine-bug, which, however, I have never feen on any other plant, 

 although placed in its immediate vicinity. I believe, another fpe- 

 cies of that infect, called the brown-fcale, or orange-bug, was 

 brought with the orange-tree ; but it is now found on many other 

 Hove and green-houfe plants. I have never feen any of tliem on 

 native plants. 



8. In very many infliances ; for feveral kinds of infers, I have 

 found fumigation effectual, particularly for all kinds of the aphis. 



9. It will deftroy fome tender kinds, as the aphis, thrips, &cc. 

 but the procefs is eaflcr by a fumigation of tobacco, and alfo more 

 certain. On the whole, it feems rather to retard the progrefs of, 

 than defl:roy infefts ; and it produces unfalutary effects on vegeta- 

 tion by its afl:ringency, if too freely applied. I have never, how- 

 ever, tried it for infects in the foil. 



ic. In fo far as they diiturb the roots of cfl;abliflied, and difplace 



thofe 



