﻿14 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 



enclosed in a bag of muslin of convenient size. In either case, the 

 apparatus must be iastened to the end of a short stick, so as to avoid 

 coming in too close quarters with it. It is best to select a moderately- 

 still day for the operation ; as the powder is so exceedingly fine that 

 on a windy day it is apt to get wasted." 



It may be more safely and agreeably, and just as effectually 

 applied in solution, by syringe or sprinkler, in proportion of one 

 pound of the powder to 20 or 25 gallons of water. 



"■'To test the genuineness of the article, a very small pinch of it 

 should be applied to the nose. If it is good and has not lost its 

 strength by keeping too long, it will immediately produce a tingling 

 sensation in the nostrils ; if it does not produce this effect, it is worth- 

 less and should not be used. There is every reason to believe that in 

 those cases where men have used White hellebore to kill Currant 

 Worms without any preceptible effect, they had been deceived 

 into buying an adulterated or worthless drug. Although, like almost 

 all our medicines, hellebore, in large doses, is poisonous, yet in 

 minute doses there is no reason to be afraid of it; for, according to 

 Dr. Fitch, it has long been in use as the basis of those snuff:?, which 

 are designed to excite violent and continued sneezing." 



The following interesting experience with hellebore in solution^ 

 and with hot water, is given by Mr. Saunders in the Canadian Ento- 

 mologist (Vol.11, pp. 13-15), and will prove instructive. 



The larva of Nemaiiis ventricosus, alas, too well known under the popular designa- 

 tion of "currant-worm,"* has been very abundant in this neighborhood during- the 

 present season, in my own garden it has been a continual fight as to who should have 

 the currant and gooseberry bushes, the worms or their rightful owner. During the 

 early part of summer, anticipating their attack, I was on the lookout for them and by~ 

 timely doses of hellebore, preserved the foliage with but little damage. In about a 

 fortnight later, having omitted inspection for a few days, I was surprised to find the 

 bushes being stripped again ; and this time the enemy had got so far ahead as to dam- 

 age their appearance considerably. Another prompt dosing of hellebore brought relief. 

 After this I hardly ever found all the bushes entirely free n-om them ; a walk around 

 the garden would reveal a few here and a few there, and I was perpetually hand-killing 

 and brushing off" these smaller detachments. Four times during the season I found iC 

 necessary to apply hellebore freely, for the toes were a legion. 



During the middle of August, being occupied with other matters, the garden was 

 neglected lor a few days, when on visiting it again on the 19th, I found many of the 

 bushes entirely leafless, and the foliage rernainmg on the others was rapidly disap- 

 pearing. I felt discouraged and began to have some misgiving as to whether hellebore 

 was after all such an untailing panacea for this almost universal pest as we had sup- 

 posed. 1 resolved if possible to satisfy. m5\self fully on this point, and having 

 mixed about U oz of powdered hellebore with a pail of water, was ready to proceed. 

 1 selected a leaf from two bushes, marked them and counted the number of their 

 inhabitants— one was occupied by forty-four worms of difterent sizes, crowding it 

 above and below, and it was about half eaten ; the other leaf had twelve nearly full 

 grown on it. Having transferred the mixture of hellebore and water to a watering 

 pot, the bushes were sprinkled with it. I returned to examine the results in three-quarters 

 of an hour, and the leaf which at first had forty-four on it, had now only two, and 

 these were so far exhausted that they were unable to eat, and could hardly crawl. 



•After this admission, it seems to me that the popular distinguishing term of " Imporleil Cur- 

 rant-Worm, ' ' lirst given it by Walsh, is preferable both to that of ' ' Iniporteil G.ioseberry .Saw-fly,' ' 

 given by Mr. Saunders (Itep. Eiit. iSoc. Ontario, 1871), and to that of "Currant Worm and Saw-Hy" 

 oestowed by Dr. Fitch. 



