1838. HOUSE— No. 72. • 77 



preference for this more prolific and abundant foreigner. The female 

 pea-bug deposits her eggs beneath the epidermis, or thin skin, which 

 covers the pod of the pea, one egg, only, being left opposite to a 

 single pea. This is effected during the night, or in cloudy weather, 

 and the pods are attacked only when young, and when the pease 

 are just beginning to swell. 



The larva or grub, as soon as hatched, perforates the pod and pea 

 by a very fine hole, which is soon closed, and is only to be discov- 

 ered when the pea is fully grown by a small reddish spot on the pod, 

 corresponding with a similar one on the pea. If this spot be carefully 

 opened at this time a minute whitish grub or maggot, destitute of 

 feet, will be found in the pea. The growth of the grub is rapid, 

 and is completed by the time the pea becomes dry. It then bores a 

 round hole in the pea, quite to the hull, which, however, is left un- 

 touched, as is also the rostellum or future sprout. In this hole it 

 becomes a pupa and subsequently a perfect insect, when it has only 

 to gnaw through the thin hull before it makes its exit. 



It is a singular fact, and evinces the wisdom of Providence, that 

 the germinating principle of pease is permitted to escape the insect 

 destroyer, whereby abundant provision is made for a future supply of 

 one of the finest of esculent vegetables. This insect is also limited to 

 a certain period for depositing its eggs ; late sown pease therefore 

 escape its attacks. According to observations made by the late Col. 

 Pickering, pease sown as late as the 20th May, in lat. 41° 13'' N., 

 were entirely free from bugs. Deane recommends to keep buggy 

 pease over one year before sowing them. This method would an- 

 swer if generally adopted, but the pease themselves should be so 

 secured that the bugs could not escape. Probably keeping them in 

 boxes with a quantity of camphor, would destroy the bugs without 

 injuring the pease. Latreille suggests submitting the pease to the 

 heat of water at 30° Reaumer, or 90° of Farenheit, by which pro- 

 bably the same results might be obtained. A writer in the New Eng- 

 land Farmer has adopted the following plan: —Immediately before be- 

 ing planted, the pease are put into a tub; very hot water (he does not 

 state specifically how hot,) is poured on them, they are constantly 

 stirred in this for two minutes, and then cold water is added, in such 

 quantity as to render the mixture blood warm, and to cover the pease 



