215 



uished by the last report of the Department. For these reports show the people to be 

 abaoluteiy i<>-iioraut of the matters which the general prevalence of these epidemics 

 render it essential that they should know. " Hog cholera is the term indiscriminately 

 applied to the diseases of swine generally," says the Commissioner, which illustrates 

 very forcibly the inability of swine-breedors, in the present state of po|)\ilar iuforma- 

 ti(m, to distinguish one disease from another. Everything is Icnown as hog-cholera, 

 while there may be two or three diseases of entirely difterent types, which, if they 

 could be distinguished one from another, the breeder could very soon brin;^ under con- 

 trol; and the diseases being confused with each other, remedies are administered for 

 one, -which would have proved valuable for another, and he is now powe.rless to accoin- 

 l)lish anything. Whether there is one epidemic disease or half a dozen, whether dif- 

 ferent epidemics are prevailing in different sections, or the same epidemic is prevailing 

 everywhere and modilied by climatic influences, are matters which will never be cer- 

 tainly known until the Department of Agriculture secures the services of a corps of 

 competent, scientific gentlemen, and institutes, under their direction, an extended series 

 of experiments and observations. 



Here is one locality where rotten wood and bituminous coal are generally resorted to. 

 Another, where a mixture of tar and sulphur is the popular favorite. Another, where 

 tar, turpentine, and chlorate of potash were believed to be effective. Another, where 

 coal-ashes, salt, sulphur, sulphate of antimony, soap-suds, charcoal, and rosin were used 

 separately or in combination. Another where cooked food and tar form the basis of the 

 farmer's hope. Another where common poke-root, fried in grease, was believed to be 

 the only remedy. Another, where burning the skin with a hot iron was regarded as 

 sovereign. Another, where salting, slopping, copperas, alum, and sulphur, and still 

 another Avhere alum, sulphur, copperas, madder, black antimony, and saltpeter pulver- 

 ized and mingled with grain were generally relied ou. In other localities coal-oil, coal- 

 tar, and lime were used. 



The popular ignorance of the matter, as shown by the remedies in use, i.s still more 

 plainly shown by the popular ideas concerning the cause of the disease, which was be- 

 lieved to be occasioned by still-feeding in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; by 

 poisonous umshrooms and unripe berries in Buchanan and Surrj' Counties, Virginia; 

 by ticks iu Yalabusha County, Missouri ; by lice and mange in Macon County, Georgia ; 

 from eating cockle-burrs in Phillips Couutj^, Arkansas ; from the heavy beech-mast iu 

 Obion County, Tennessee; by eating cotton-seed iu Madison County, Tennessee; to 

 the uiast iu Laurel County, Kentucky ; and to the want of it in Champaign County, 

 Illinois, &c. 



There is evidently a great public necessity, and most abundant room for some inves- 

 tigation of these matters, such as the Government alone can conduct to a satisfactory- 

 conclusion. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL RECORD. 



By Towxend Glover, Entomologist. 



A NEW VGRASSHOPPER. — Two full-growii Specimens, a miile and a 

 female, of a very singular and apparently new orthopterous insect, 

 resembling Conooephalus ensiger, or conical sword-bearer of Harris, were 

 taken alive in the green-house of the Department of Agriculture, last 

 season, by Mr. J, H. Brummel. A short time previous, two half-grown 

 larvte were found, but died soon after being captured ; and the remains 

 of a fifth full-grown imago were found, when cleaning out the flower- 

 pots in the winter. 



These insects injured the leaves of the coffee-plants, rose-apples, and 

 bananas, in the green-house, much in the same manner as is done by 



