PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 181 



to the atmosphere, unless it is applied to naked fallows, or such 

 crops as Avill not be burned by its acidity. 



A Plea for the Toads. 

 Dr. J. V. C. Smith read a most interesting and valuable paper 

 for farmers, if they will heed its precepts, about the usefulness of 

 toads, and an urgent plea for their protection. He made a beauti- 

 ful allusion to an illustration of the designs of Providence, in 

 forming the complete chain of animals, all of which have their 

 purposes and usefulness. " It is idle to talk about useless animals. 

 All are useful, and many that we despise, are necessary to man. 

 Even the common house flies should be ranked among the best 

 friends of man. All dead and decaying matter, which is most 

 abundant in the hottest weather, is detrimental to human health 

 and life. Swarms of flies rapidly convert this matter into living, 

 healthy substance, and thus purify the atmosphere, and make our 

 dwellings inhabitable. These ever busy workers are actually 

 essential, particularly in the dirtiest portions of cities. They 

 destroy immense quantities of pestilence-breeding impurities. 

 Their busy motions pertain to life. With death comes foul odors, 

 whichflies consume and convert to life and motion. They are 

 the real sanitary inspectors of our dwellings, and abaters of nui- 

 sance. They are under-estimated, and so are all reptiles. The 

 despised toad is one of our most useful domestic animals — one of 

 the farmer's and gardener's best friends. We should all teach 

 lessons of useful instruction of the toad, and learn our children 

 and servants never to injure them. They delight in well culti- 

 vated grounds, and live long in the same locality, occupying the 

 same nests for many years. Their natural food is bugs and flies, 

 which are injurious to the garden. They catch their prey Avitli 

 wonderful facility, by the power they have of shooting out their 

 tongues, to the length of six or eight inches, striking with light- 

 ning quickness whatever comes within the focus of their two 

 prominent eyes. If one eye is destroyed they lose the power of 

 striking their prey. The tongue is covered with a glutinous sub- 

 stance, which holds every insect it strikes. Night is the toad's 

 time to Avork. We have accounts of monster toads in Surinam, 

 with mouths like a hog. All toads and frogs are insect eaters, 

 and the numbers they destroy can hardly be over-estimated. They 

 seem to have been predestined for the great work of destroyino- 

 bugs and insects generally, and as the natural habitat of toads is 



