FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 189 



To the foregoing directions, which are also those of Mr. 

 Miller, Mr. Forsyth has added drawings, which are calcu- 

 lated better to explain the process of inoculating. 



INSECTS. Immense numbers of these prey upon the 

 labors of the Farmer, against the ravages of which it is, in 

 many instances, difficult to provide adequate remedies. 

 Such, however, as have been discovered, shall be noticed, 

 as something is said of the different kinds of those insects 

 which are found most troublesome. 



Some vegetables are offensive to all insects ; such as the 

 elder, especially the dwarf kind, the onion, tansy, and tobac- 

 co, except to the worm that preys on that plant. The juice 

 of these may therefore be applied, with effect, in repeling 

 insects; and sometimes the plants themselves, while green, 

 or when reduced to powder, particularly the latter, when 

 made into snuff, 



Set an onion in the centre of a hill of cucumbers^ 

 squashes, melons, Sec. and it will effectually keep off the 

 yellow striped bug, that preys upon those plants while 

 young. 



No doubt a plant of tobacco, set in the same way, would 

 answer a similar purpose; or, perhaps, to sow a few tobacco 

 or onion-seeds in the hill, when planting, would have the 

 same effect; and the growing plants from these seeds 

 could be taken away, when no longer wanted as pro- 

 tectors. 



Of other substances, sulphur is perhaps the most effect- 

 ual, as every kind of insect has an utter aversion to it. 



Powdered quick-lime is deadly to many insects, and per- 

 haps offensive to all. 



The same may be observed of soot, wood-ashes, and 

 other substances which are strongly alkaline ; and also of 

 common salt finely powdered, brine, old urine, &c. 



Calomel is also deadly to insects; and camphor, and tere- 

 binthine substances, are offensive to them. 



Afier premising thus much, we shall now speak of in- 

 sects separately, and begin with the 



CANKERWORM. The female of this insect comes out of 

 the ground very early in the Spring, and ascends the tree 

 to deposit her eggs, which she does in suitable places in 

 the bark; where they are brought forth, and the young 

 brood live on the leaves of the tree. 



The only effectual remedy is, to prevent the insect from 

 ascending the tree ; and this may be done in various ways ; 

 but the easiest, perhaps, is as follows : 



First scrape off the shaggy bark round the body of the 

 tree, to the width of two or three inches; then make up a 

 mixture of oil, or blubber, with suitable proportions of sul- 



