﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  147 
  

  

  thirds 
  of 
  the 
  crops 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Bahama 
  Islands 
  were 
  

   destroyed 
  by 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  remedy 
  first 
  resorted 
  to 
  was 
  the 
  burning 
  of 
  the 
  

   cotton-stalk 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  were 
  sup- 
  

   posed 
  to 
  be 
  deposited. 
  This 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   ineffectual; 
  it 
  was 
  certainly 
  so 
  as 
  respects 
  ihe 
  insect 
  

   that 
  occasions 
  the 
  rot, 
  as, 
  during 
  the 
  whole 
  period 
  of 
  its 
  

   prevalence 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  the 
  burning 
  of 
  the 
  stalks 
  

   was 
  universal, 
  and 
  no 
  diminution 
  of 
  the 
  disease 
  was 
  

   known 
  to 
  have 
  resulted 
  from 
  the 
  practice. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  feasible 
  remedy 
  I 
  can 
  suggest 
  is 
  one 
  I 
  pro- 
  

   posed 
  more 
  than 
  ten 
  years 
  since 
  : 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  

   the 
  enemy 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  torches 
  at 
  night 
  immediately 
  

   after 
  the 
  perfect 
  immago 
  or 
  moth 
  emerges 
  from 
  its 
  pupa- 
  

   rium 
  or 
  chrysalis 
  state, 
  and 
  flies 
  abroad, 
  it 
  being 
  well 
  

   known 
  that 
  fire-light 
  attracts 
  insects 
  of 
  this 
  class. 
  If 
  

   the 
  hands 
  on 
  a 
  plantation 
  were 
  each 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  

   lighted 
  torch 
  of 
  pine 
  wood, 
  dried 
  cane, 
  or 
  some 
  similar 
  

   material, 
  and 
  made 
  to 
  pass 
  through 
  the 
  fields 
  at 
  inter- 
  

   vals 
  of 
  five 
  or 
  ten 
  rows 
  apart, 
  shortly 
  after 
  twilight 
  had 
  

   closed, 
  myriads 
  of 
  the 
  moth 
  would 
  perish 
  in 
  the 
  flame, 
  

   each 
  of 
  which 
  would 
  have 
  deposited 
  its 
  hundreds 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   in 
  a 
  few 
  days. 
  

  

  If 
  this 
  plan 
  was 
  generally 
  adopted, 
  and 
  persevered 
  in 
  

   for 
  a 
  few 
  successive 
  nights 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  season, 
  its 
  effect 
  

   would 
  doubtless 
  be, 
  if 
  not 
  entirely 
  to 
  destroy, 
  at 
  least 
  to 
  

   diminish 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  beneficial 
  extent 
  these 
  mischievous 
  

   pests. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  hatching 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   could 
  not 
  at 
  first 
  be 
  thus 
  destroyed, 
  or 
  their 
  ravages 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  second 
  Irood, 
  if 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  so 
  termed, 
  

   which 
  is 
  generally 
  considered 
  most 
  numerous 
  and 
  de- 
  

   structive, 
  and 
  which 
  furnishes 
  the 
  egg 
  for 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  

   the 
  ensuing 
  year, 
  would 
  be 
  cut 
  off 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent. 
  

  

  