FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 23 



patronage, the appeal being based upon the proposition 

 that " agriculture is at the basis of those arts which sus- 

 tain and embellish life," and that therefore, the grant will 

 be a proper act of legislation in seeking " the best welfare 

 of the State." The petition failed, but later was renewed 

 with good success. At the meeting in March, 1793, a 

 communication was received from Benjamin Upton of 

 Reading, giving account of his method of destroying can- 

 ker-worms and preserving the leafage of his orchard, 

 which in efficacy, he states to J)e in the ratio of five to one, 

 as compared with what can be done " in the common 

 way." He does not describe that way, but his method was 

 substantially that still followed of applying a mixture of tar 

 and oil with a brush. The proportion was of twenty gal- 

 lons of thin tar to one of whale oil, and he put it directly 

 upon the trunk of the tree, covering a space of from two 

 io six inches around the trunk according as the insects 

 were running in fewer or greater numbers. The oil, he 

 says, besides keeping the tar from hardening prevents the 

 tar from injuring the bark. 



The board voted to have the letter printed in the Boston 

 newspapers of the next Thursday and then voted to offer 

 two premiums, the first in the history of the society. One 

 of -f 50 was for " the most satisfactory account of the 

 natural history of the canker-worm," and the other of f 100 

 for the most effectual and cheapest method of destroying 

 these insects." The letter of Mr. Upton gives details of 

 his method not indicated here. Besides the u common 

 way," whatever that was, other hopeful remedies had been 

 proposed through the public prints and otherwise. At that 

 date any of these seemed as likely to succeed as that of the 

 tar and oil. The object of the trustees was to bring out 

 still other methods that the best might be ascertained, and 

 very logically they began the business by seeking first for 

 adequate knowledge of the habits of the insect. 



Time was taken to consider what other matters were 

 worthy of like attention and in April, 1793, premiums were 

 offered relating to manure ; to the cultivation of wheat ; to 



