84 



standing in America, who has published, within the last twenty-five 

 years, several volumes about insects, and has therefore, of course, made 

 several mistakes in the course of his scientific career which have been 

 from time to time corrected by other entomologists in print. Yet^ 

 from one end to the other of his works, no man can point out a single 

 passage, where he has ever acknowledged himself to have been in the 

 Avrong. Like the horse-jockey in the old story, having once said that 

 the horse was 16 feet, not 16 hands high, he will never go back on his 

 word. 



As to remedies against this insidious little pest, I believe that 

 the cheapest and best one will be to drench the roots of infested trees 

 with boiling water. Mr. C. T. Farrell, of Cobden, informed me that 

 he had tried this prescription — which was originally recommended by 

 Mr. Riley — and that he had found it eft'ectual. Ashes, which have 

 been advised to be used by Dr. Fitch, he found of no use ; but a strong 

 wash of soap and water proved to be generally, though not always, 

 effectual. Other gentlemen had found the free application of un- 

 leached ashes injurious to their trees. There need be no apprehen- 

 sion that hot water, when applied to the roots, will kill or injure the 

 tree; for it has been extensively used without any ill efl:ects to kill the 

 borer in peach-trees, and to kill the maggots in young growing onions. 

 Indeed, it is a very general law that vegetable organisms will, for a 

 short time, stand a much higher temperature than animal organisms, 

 without any injury to their tissues; and, in certain cases, boiling 

 water seems actually to stimulate the vitality of seeds, instead of im- 

 pairing it. For it is well known that neither Locus't seeds (Robinia) 

 nor Honey-locust seeds {Gleditscliia) will grow the first year, unless 

 they are scalded, and that, if they are scalded, they germinate as 

 freely as Maize. As. regards Honey-locust seeds, I am assured of the 

 truth of this fact by Mr. Whitney, of Lee Co., in North Illinois. 



Before young apple-trees, especially those raised in the Southern 

 part of the State, are planted, the roots should always be soaked a 

 considerable time, either in a strong solution of soap, or in strong 

 tobacco-water — the latter would probably be the more eft'ectual of the 

 two. Thus, if the insect is not already in the vicinity, it may be pre- 

 vented, perhaps, for a long series of years, from getting there; for 

 whatever root-lice may exist on the roots of the young trees, will, by 

 this means, be effectually destroyed before these young trees go into 

 the ground. 



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