90 
likely to result. It was because of the possibility of danger that in the beginning 
we were very slow to recommend the wholesale spraying of orchards with the 
arsenical mixtures, but experience has shown here, as in other cases, judicious 
and cautious use is attended only with benefit, and that the possible harm is re- 
duced to such a minimum as to almost justify its being left out of consideratlon.” 
Ant HILLs AND Situcs.—I have resorted to many expedients to get rid of 
the ant hills that disfigure my lawn and sometimes seriously injure plants and 
shrubs, and have finally succeeded in conquering them. I first hive them,— 
break up the nest pretty thoroughly and if it is near the roots of a plant draw as 
much of the débris as possible a little way from it and turn over it a large plant 
jar. The ants will promptly appropriate the jar, remove their larve to it, and 
fill it with pellets of earth. I then drench this with kerosene emulsion reduced 
to a strength of 2 to 3 per cent., which will kill every ant thoroughly drenched 
with it. It is more destructive to them than pure kerosene, which does not 
adhere to them. In this way I have thoroughly conquered the ants. 
The rose slug and the currant worm I keep completely under by use of 
hellebore, a tablespoonfui to a gallon of water, and forcing it violently among the 
foliage with a hydropult. Commencing in the spring before J ean find aslug ora 
worm, and repeating the drenching once a week for three or four weeks, I can 
destroy them completely before they do any damage. On one hundred roses I 
was able this spring to find only two slugs, while the foliage of some common 
sorts I did not spray was completely destroyed—[M. C. Read, Hudson, Ohio, 
n Insect Life. 
Goop InsEctTivorous Brrps.—The following birds are to be classed among 
the most helpful kinds in the general warfare against insects: Robins, for eut 
and other earth worms. Swallows, night-hawks and purple martins, for moth 
catchers. Pewees, for striped cucumber bugs. | Wood thrushes and wrens, for 
cut worms. Cat birds, for tent caterpillars. Meadow larks, crows and wood- 
peckers, for wireworms. Blue-throated buntings, for canker worms. Black, red- 
winged birds, jays, pigeons, doves, and chippies—strawberry pests. Quail, for 
chinch bugs and locusts. Whip-poor-wills, for moths. Hawks, all night birds, owls, 
tanagers, black-winged summer red birds, ete.—curculios. There may also be 
mentioned the following insect pest destroyers: Indigo birds, nut crackers, fly 
catchers, chimney swifts, chipping and song sparrows, black birds, mocking birds 
and orioles. 
There is little doubt that for every bird which is injurious to fruit that is 
killed, there are a hundred killed that are beneficial. Of course the whole life of 
the bird must be considered, for very many are fruit eaters. The only question 
is, does the bird, on the whole, do most damage or good ? 
The man who indiscriminately kills the birds in his orchard and berry patch 
is not fit to live, and he will surely lose more than he will gain even from a 
al 
financial point of view.—Prairie Farmer. 
RESISTANCE TO COLD BY A CATERPILLAR.—Mr. Otto Dugger, St. Anthony 
Park, Minn., gives in Insect Life the following instance of resistance to extreme 
cold by a caterpillar of the Dusky Spilosoma (S. fuliginosa, Linn) :—* December 
3, 1889. Found to-day in a little depression of the soil a clear cake of ice, and 
