#4 iyffkJs of Elder in prifervirig Flanh' from tnfeStSi 



whipped leaves remained green and in a good condition, \vliile 

 from at lealt fix inches above to the top of the tree the yeft 

 of the leaves wc-re blighted, wrinkled, and full of worms. It 

 is here to be obferved that the tree was in full fiower when I 

 whipped it, tlierefore much too late for this operation, which 

 ouoht to -have been performed once or twice before flowering. 

 BiU I am of opinion, that if trees were befprinkled with a flroncr 

 infufion of elder every eight or fifteen day?:, the fuccefs would 

 be certain, and that there would be no danger of injiirmg either 

 the (lowers or the fruit. 



3d, What the farmers call the yellows in corn, and which 

 they confider as a kind of blight,' is the eflea, as every one 

 knows, of a fmall yellow fly with blue wings nearly of the 

 fize of a gnat. It lays its eggs in the car of wheat, and pro 

 duces a worm almoll invifible to the naked eye, but which, 

 when I'een by a magnifying glafs, is a large j-ellow larva, 

 having" the fiiinins; colour of amber. This fly is fo produc- 

 Uve, that I have co~imted upwards of forty worms in the chaff 

 of one ear of wheat, which was a number fufiicient to deftroy 

 it entirely. T therefore propofed to make my experiment as 

 foon as poirible; but the heat and drought of the feafon hav- 

 ing advanced the wheat more than ufual, it was in flower be- 

 fore I could attempt it. Next morning, however, at break of 

 dav, two fervants having drawn bundles of elder over the ears 

 of wheat on each fide ofthe furrow, backwards and forwards, 

 in places w:here the wheat was not fo far advanced, I hoped 

 that the fetid efiluvia of the elder would prevent the flies from 

 remainitig oii the ears that were covered with them : and, 

 'indeed, 1 was not entirelv difappointed : for, on examining 

 my wheat feme tiine after, I found that the part which had 

 been beaten with elder was much kfs damaged than that which 

 bad not been treated in the fame manner. I have no doubtj 

 that, had I employed this precaution fooner, the corn would 

 have been completely preferved. vShould this be the cafe, the 

 procefs is fimple ; arid I flatter myfelf that fine crops of corn 

 mav be favcd bv thefe means from this fmall infeft, which 

 is fo defiruAive to them. One of thefe yellow flies laid on; 

 mv thumb at Icaft eight or ten eggs,* of an oblong form, in 

 the fmall interval of nme which 1 employed in walking over 

 two or three furrov\>', holding it by the wings, and which I 

 could notobfcrve without the afl!iitance of a magnifying glafs. 

 ■ 4th, It often happens that whole crops of turnips are de- 

 ftroved while voung, in confequcnce of being pricked by cer- 

 tain infeits. I iiave great reafon to think that this evil may 

 be prevented in an etfeftual manner, by caufing a perfon to 

 draw a biinch uf elder, fufficiejntly large to cover about the 

 - " breadth 



