34 YALE AGRICULTURAL LECTURES. 



ington county, N. Y., disposing of trees to the amount of 

 three thousand dollars. More than half of these trees have 

 since been destroyed by this borer a direct loss of $5,000 

 from this insect in that single county, in addition to the labor 

 lost in planting and nursing these perished trees. This must 

 not be confounded with the borer in the roots of peach-trees, 

 which is the progeny of a moth, while this is the young of a 

 brown, long-horned beetle, having two white stripes the whole 

 length of its back. Specimens of this, as of the other insects 

 spoken of by the lecturer, and of the wood as perforated by 

 it, were passed from hand to hand through the audience. The 

 common soft soap rubbed on the bark of the trees the latter 

 part of May, prevents the attack of this insect. If this be neg 

 lected, and the borers have made a lodgement in the bark, 

 their presence is usually shown by particles like sawdust, which 

 they thrust out of their burrows, and when discovered they 

 should be cut out with a knife or chisel without delay. 



The regular lecturer of the afternoon was Mr. Eaton, who 

 enlarged on the physiology of vegetables, giving many interest 

 ing illustrations of the varied forms and sizes of leaves, and 

 showing how the juices circulate from root to top, and the 

 food is taken and appropriated. He spoke of the essential 

 distinctions between the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and 

 of their relations to each other. Plants are continually purify 

 ing the air, rendering it fit for animals to breathe ; and plants 

 also, directly or indirectly, supply animals with all their food. 

 Plants live directly on the mineral kingdom, and assimilate to 

 themselves inorganic matter ; while animals consume organ 

 ized matter only. 



Mr. Eaton is an enthusiastic botanist, and evidently familiar 

 with his subject. 



