100 ANKER-WORM. 



the insects which take this rank without doubt or question, may be 

 mentioned the Hessian-fly, the Chinch-bug, the Oyster-shell Bark-loueej. 

 the Plum-curculio, the Codling-moth, the Colorado Potato-beetle, and 

 lastly, the notorious Canker-worm, which is the subject of the present 

 article. 



"Whilst it is important to examine, describe and name all the species 

 of noxious insects, partly for the convenience of reference, and partly 

 because we do not know how destructive any one of them may here- 

 after become, yet it is chiefly by the continued and repeated investi- 

 gation of the most notorious and destructive species, and the record of 

 every fact and experiment which may throw light upon their history 

 and the most effective means of combatting them that the entomologist 

 can expect to render an essential service to the farmer and the horticul- 

 turist. 



"With this end in view, having bad a good opportunity to observe the 

 Canker-worm and the moth which produces it, during the past season, 

 I determined to submit the habits of this notorious and long known 

 insect, to a renewed and careful scrutiny. I am in hopes that the ob- 

 servations and experiments here recorded will enable us hereafter to 

 combat this destructive insect raoie successfully than we have hereto- 

 fore done. 



ITS HISTORY. 



The Canker-worm is a native American species, and is one of the 

 longest known of our noxious insects. The earliest record of its liis- 

 tory that I have met with is printed upon a discolored scrap of an old 

 book, the title of which is lost, which was sent to me by Mr. Jonathan 

 Hnggius, of Macoupin county. As the extract ie brief and is worth 

 preserving on account of its antiquity, I here transcribe it : 



"Canker-worms. — In the year 1789, the Kev. John Cushing, of the 

 county of "Worcester (Mass.), communicated to the Academy ol Arts 

 and Sciences, a method to destroy Canker-worms in the e^rg. It is as 

 follows: In autumn, before the ground be frozen, take an iron bar and 

 make a number of holes under each tree, near the body ; thrown in a 

 few kernels of corn into each; let in swine; and they will root the 

 ground over and over, which will not only so disturb the eggs deposit- 

 ed in the ground as to destroy them, but it will be very salutary to the 

 trees. Nothing is better t© make apple-trees flourish than to have hogs 

 turn up the ground under them. 



"This method (added Mr. Cushing) I had from Mr. Edward Kay- 

 mond, of Sterling, who has tried it with success." 



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