LOCUST LODI. 



513 



heard at the distance of half a mile. The most 

 remarkable species is the seventeen years' locust (C. 

 teptemdecim) , so common, in particular seasons, in 

 some parts of the United States. These insects 

 emerge from the ground towards the end of April, 

 and always during the night. On their first coming 

 out, they are in the pupa state ; but the back soon 

 bursts, and the perfect fly appears. They begin 

 to lay eggs about the end of May ; these are depo- 

 sited in close lines of two inches long, in the tender 

 twigs of trees. As soon as the young attain their 

 growth, in the grub state, they fall to the ground, and 

 make their way two or three feet underneath the sur- 

 face, in order to undergo their change into the pupa 

 form. Soon after attaining their last transformation, 

 they are found in great numbers over large districts 

 of country. They appear about every seventeen 

 years, though it is highly probable, that the periods 

 of their return vary, according to the heat of the 

 climate, and other circumstances. These insects 

 have been known to make their appearance in the 

 city of Philadelphia in great numbers, penetrating 

 from their subterranean residence, between the bricks 

 of a pavement. Notwithstanding the usual idea, 

 they are in no way injurious to vegetation, except 

 from the damage done by the female in depositing her 

 eggs. This insect is the favourite food of various 

 species of animals. Immense numbers are destroyed 

 by the hog, before they emerge from the ground ; 

 they are, also, when in their perfect state, eagerly 

 devoured by squirrels. Some of the larger birds are 

 also fond of them. The Indians likewise consider 

 them as a delicate food when fried. In New Jersey, 

 they have been converted into soap. It is stated, on 

 good authority, that they never light on the pine, 

 nor does the female deposit her eggs in this tribe of 

 trees. 



LOCUST (robinia pseudacacia.) This valuable 

 and ornamental tree, which is so frequently cultivated 

 in the Atlantic States of America, and highly prized in 

 Europe, grows wild in great profusion among the 

 Allegheny mountains, and throughout the Western 

 States, even to the borders of the sandy plains which 

 skirt the base of the Rocky mountains. When in 

 bloom, the large, pendulous racemes of fragrant, 

 white flowers, contrasting with the light-green foliage, 

 produce a fine effect, and give this tree a rank among 

 the most ornamental. The leaves are pinnate, and 

 the leaflets very thin and smooth. The flowers, 

 resembling in form those of the pea, diffuse a delicious 

 perfume, and are succeeded by a flat pod. The 

 branches and young stems are usually armed with 

 thorns. The wood is compact, hard, capable of 

 receiving a fine polish, and has the valuable property 

 of resisting decay longer than almost any other. 

 The colour is greenish-yellow, with brown streaks. 

 Locust-posts are consumed in enormous quantities, 

 and are every where preferred, when they can be 

 obtained. This wood is also very much employed in 

 ship-building, in the upper and lower parts of the 

 frame, together with the white and live oaks and red 

 cedar; but it is difficult, in the Atlantic ports, to pro- 

 cure, stocks of sufficient dimensions. For tree-nails, 

 it is preferred to all other kinds of wood, as it acquires 

 extreme hardness with age, and considerable quanti- 

 ties of these are annually exported to Great Britain. 

 It is also employed by turners, and, from its fine 

 grain and lustre, forms a very good substitute for 

 box. The locust grows very rapidly, but, when cul- 

 tivated in the Atlantic states, it is found to be ex- 

 ceedingly liable to the attacks of an insect, which, 

 by boring into the wood in various directions, 

 weakens the tree so much, that it is easily broken by 

 the wind. In various parts of Europe, great atten- 

 tion has been paid to the propagation of this tree, for 



ornament as well as for its useful properties, and its 

 cultivation is further encouraged by the absence of 

 the destroying insect above-mentioned. The usual 

 stature of the locust is forty or forty-five feet, but, in 

 the fertile regions of the south-west, it attains much 

 greater dimensions, sometimes reaching to the height 

 of eighty feet, with a trunk four feet in diameter. 



The R. viscosa, a smaller tree than the locust, 

 from which it is distinguished by its rose-coloured 

 flowers, and by having the young branches covered 

 with a viscous substance, is, in its natural state, con- 

 fined to the south-western parts of the Alleghany 

 mountains. It usually does not exceed forty feet in 

 height, with a trunk twelve inches in diameter, and 

 is a more ornamental tree than even the preceding. 

 The properties of the wood are very similar to those 

 of the common species, and it will bear cultivation in 

 the same climates. 



The R. hispida is also a native of the south-west 

 ranges of the Alleghanies. It is a shrub with very 

 hispid branches, often cultivated in gardens on 

 account of its very large and beautiful rose-coloured 

 flowers, which, however, like those of the R. viscosa, 

 are inodorous. 



A fourth species of robinia is said to exist within 

 or near the basin of the Red river, but, with respect 

 to its character, botanists are, at present, entirely 

 uninformed. This genus is thus peculiar to North 

 America. 



LODGE. This word, with several symbols and 

 ceremonies, was taken from the corporations of stone- 

 cutters and masons, by the freemasons. The former 

 called the place where they assembled a lodge; and, 

 in freemasonry, lodge signifies the place of meeting ; 

 and hence that body of masons, with necessary offi- 

 cers, &c. , who meet at such place. Each lodge is 

 distinguished by its particular name, with the addition 

 of the name of the place where it holds its meetings. 

 For further information, see Masonry. 



LODI, a well-built town, since 1814 the chief 

 town of the province of Lodi in the government of 

 Lombardy, in the Lombardo- Venetian kingdom, lies 

 on the Adda, in a fertile territory; Ion. Q 31' E.; 

 lat. 45 19' N.; population, 17,800. The bishopric is 

 subject to the archbishop of Milan. The town con- 

 tains a strong citadel. The celebrated Parmesan 

 cheese is made, not at Parma, but at and about the 

 town of Lodi alone, and is considered the best in 

 Italy. The manufactures of earthen ware are also 

 celebrated. It was at this place that general Bona- 

 parte gained the famous victory, May 10, 1796, 

 over the Austrians, under Beaulieu. They had 

 passed the Adda, evacuated Lodi, and taken a very 

 strong position, defended by thirty pieces of cannon 

 which could be approached only by a narrow bridge 

 over the Adda. Bonaparte formed a part of his 

 forces into a close column, brought his whole artil- 

 lery into play, and charged at a quick step. The 

 slaughter was dreadful, as the Austrian artillery 

 swept down whole ranks at once on the bridge. The 

 French wavered ; but, at this critical moment, the 

 French generals Berthier, Massena, Cervoni, Lannes, 

 &c., placed themselves at the head of the column, 

 forced their way over the bridge, and took the Aus- 

 trian batteries. The Austrians fought bravely; both 

 armies struggled with the greatest obstinacy, and 

 victory long remained in suspense, till the division of 

 Augereau came up, and decided the fate of the bat- 

 tle. The Austrians, driven from their post, lost a 

 part of their artillery and over 3000 men ; but Beau- 

 lieu saved the honour of the Austrian arms by a 

 retreat conducted with coolness. The French loss 

 was not less. If they did not lose 4000 men, as the 

 Austrians stated, they certainly lost more than 2000, 

 which was their own account. Men of science have 



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