Sec. 12.] ENTOMULOGICAL. 239 



in poisoning the moth that produces the tobacco-worm, by the use of cobalt 

 — a quarter of a pound to a half pint of water. This is made (piite sweet 

 with refined sugar, and the mixture is put into a small bottle, with a quill in 

 the cork, and two or three drops through the quill deposited in the blossom 

 of the Jamestown weed, or in the blossom of the tobacco-plants. The horn- 

 blower will suck the poison till he dies. 



The trumpet blossoms of the Jamestowa weed are favorite resorts of the 

 moth, and are gathered frcsli, and fastened to the tobacco-plants, or ui)on sticks 

 set tlirough the field. It may be worth while to grow the weed on purpose 

 fur traps. 



Tlie cobalt is the same black powder often sold by druggists as "fly 

 poison." It should be reduced in a mortar to a fine powder before using. 

 It is worth while to try it for other insects, placing it upon plates in their 

 haunts. 



Mr. Shcppard thinks any planter may protect himself against the tobacco- 

 worm with this poison. 



John G. Bergen, of Long Island, stated to us, in the spring of ISOO, that 

 he had been obliged to send all his laborers into his tomato-field to kill 

 worms that arc destroying the plants and young fruit. He thinks it identical 

 with the tobacco-worm, having grown tobacco a few years ago and been 

 troubled with the same kind of worms. One of Mr. B.'s neighbors told us 

 afterward that the worms were not only very troublesome on the tomato- 

 vines, but were eating the potato-vines ravenously. 



The New Haven Courier said the potato-vines in that State were being 

 eaten by worms, so as to destroy the prospect of a crop, and these worms, 

 we judge, are the same kind as those on Long Island. 



In this city, worms have been for years destroying the trees; none but 

 the allantlius escapes them. 



Is it not worth while to try to poison the insects while on the wing, in the 

 way indicated above, or some other way? 



Tlie Jamestown weed mentioned above, we take to be the same weed that 

 grows along many New England waysides, called " Jimson weed," or " stink- 

 weed." It is the Datura stramonium. 



202. Bll.a; RomcdiPS. — Here is a good one! "We liaven't a doubt as to its 

 eflicacy — not one ! try it. A correspondent says : " I Iiavc seen many plans 

 recommended for removing and keeping bugs and other insects from vines, 

 and among them, snufT, soap, mustard, etc., nil or any of which articles 

 must, in my opinion, more or less injure the plant. I have found this the 

 case from experience ; and I have also found, by the same means, that the 

 best preparation for this purpose is a cold and very strong deooetion made 

 with water and manure from the hen roost and cow-yard, and applied niorn- 

 in<'- and cveninir. Tlie insects do not relish this preparation, while tlio plants 

 to which it is applied do." 



Another one says : " I preserved my vines last year from the ravages ot 

 the striped bugs by placing little wads of cotton, saturated with spirits of 



