NATURAL HISTORY. 
Various particular locusts, without 
wings, such as the Gryllus verruci- 
vorus, Viridissimus,and some others, 
had also increased in the last year 
far beyond their ordinary numbers ; 
but they did not travel in company 
with the former, though they like- 
wise greatly damaged the vineyards, 
and often bit off the stalks of the 
grapes. It was remarkable, that in 
the same years when these vermin 
became so numerous, the large 
erratic locust, from the banks of 
the Dniepr, together with the small 
locust, also overspread the whole 
government of New Russia, and a 
part of Little Russia, in countless 
swarms; they did not, however, 
visit the Crimea. 
The Hindoo Method of cultizating the 
Sugar Cane. From Tennant’s 
© Indian Recreations.” 
” 
R. ROXBURGH, whose pur- 
suits after botanical know- 
ledge are’now so well known, has 
given an ample account of this 
branch of Indian husbandry; and 
in the district where he resided little 
can be added to his remarks in elu- 
cidating the present practice. 
*¢ Among the natives ef India,” 
he observes, ‘‘ the transitions from 
one stage of improvement to an- 
other are so exceedingly slow, as 
scarce to deserve the name, except 
it be the few who have benefited 
by the example of Europeans. They 
naturally possess a strong disinclina- 
tion to depart from the beaten path 
established from time immemorial ; 
however, when they see a certain 
prospeét of gain, with little addi, 
tional trouble, they have frequently 
been known to adopt our prac- 
tices. We ourselves ought now ge- 
* 
821 
nerally to keep in view, and to in- 
stil into their minds this maxim, that 
every new proposition, merely on 
account of its novelty, must not be 
rejected, otherwise our knowledge 
would no longer be progressive, and 
every kind of improvement must 
cease. 
** Ata period, like the present, 
when the importation of Kast India 
has become so much .an objeét of 
importance to Britain, in conse- 
quence of the present state of some 
of the best of the West India sugar 
islands, every inquiry that may tend 
to open new sources from whence that 
wholesome commodity may be pro- 
cured, at the cheapest rate, is of na- 
tional importance. 
‘¢ T believe there are few distriéts 
in the company’s extensive domi- 
nions where there will not be found. 
large traéts of land fit for the cul- 
ture of the sugar cane: yet I know, 
from experience, the introduétion 
of a new branch of agriculture, 
among the natives, to be attended 
with infinite trouble ; therefore, 
where we find a province or district, 
in which the culture of the cane, and 
the working of sugar has been im 
practice from time tnmemorial, there 
we may expeét, without much exer- 
tion, to be able to increase the cul- 
ture, and improve, if necessary, the 
quality. 
*¢ Jn the northern “provinces, as 
well as in Bengal, Codapah, &c. large 
quantities of sugar and jagary are 
made: it is only in the Rajamuns 
dry and Ganjam distriéts of these 
northern parts, where the cane is 
cultivated for making sugars, I will 
confine my observations to the first, 
where I have resided between ten 
and eleven years. 
*¢ "This branch of agriculture, in 
the above-mentioned Sircar, is chief- 
3G 3 ly 
