﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  149 
  

  

  wliicli 
  it 
  perforates, 
  and 
  when 
  first 
  forming 
  and 
  tender, 
  

   it 
  wholly 
  devours 
  or 
  causes 
  to 
  drop 
  off. 
  

  

  The 
  insect 
  theory, 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  

   the 
  rot, 
  is 
  sustained 
  by 
  the 
  observations 
  of 
  intelligent 
  

   planters 
  made 
  last 
  year. 
  It 
  was 
  remarked 
  that, 
  on 
  

   lands 
  where 
  the 
  different 
  varieties 
  of 
  cotton 
  had 
  been 
  

   planted 
  separately, 
  in 
  alternate 
  rows, 
  for 
  experiment, 
  

   the 
  most 
  tender 
  and 
  succulent 
  varieties, 
  which 
  would 
  

   naturally 
  first 
  invite 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  insects, 
  were 
  those 
  

   most 
  damaged, 
  whilst 
  the 
  more 
  hardy 
  and 
  firmly 
  

   wooded 
  remained 
  uninjured. 
  

  

  The 
  increase 
  of 
  these 
  maladies 
  may 
  probably 
  be 
  

   traced 
  in 
  some 
  measure 
  to 
  the 
  extirpation 
  or 
  disappear- 
  

   ance 
  of 
  birds, 
  owing 
  chiefly 
  to 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  our 
  

   forests, 
  leaving 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  degree 
  without 
  protection 
  or 
  

   shelter. 
  

  

  A 
  beneficent 
  Providence, 
  in 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  nature, 
  

   designed 
  these 
  little 
  winged 
  scavengers 
  for 
  useful 
  pur- 
  

   poses. 
  To 
  restrain 
  the 
  exuberance 
  of 
  insect 
  life 
  is 
  

   their 
  peculiar 
  office 
  ; 
  and, 
  so 
  long 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  preserved 
  

   and 
  protected, 
  their 
  office 
  is 
  effectually 
  performed. 
  If 
  

   man 
  wantonly, 
  and 
  with 
  mistaken 
  impressions 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   extent 
  and 
  character 
  of 
  their 
  depredations, 
  will 
  destroy 
  

   them, 
  he 
  must 
  make 
  his 
  account 
  in 
  submitting 
  to 
  ra- 
  

   vages 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  formidable 
  kind, 
  and 
  which 
  may 
  baffle 
  

   his 
  ingenuity 
  to 
  prevent. 
  

  

  This 
  lesson 
  has 
  been 
  taught 
  with 
  heavy 
  cost, 
  nowhere 
  

   perhaps 
  more 
  clearly 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  rice 
  plantations, 
  where 
  

   the 
  planters 
  would 
  now 
  gladly 
  woo 
  back 
  the 
  little 
  deni- 
  

   zens 
  of 
  the 
  air, 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  frightened 
  away 
  or 
  

   destroyed. 
  

  

  