General Notices. 227 



sects besides the Scale. "We learn, indeed, from a correspondent that " a 

 pharmacien of Macon has made use of hot water against some of the insects 

 that attack the Vine in France, particularly a species of Pyralis, known 

 under the name of Ver de la Vigne, the ravages of which, in certain depart- 

 ments, almost exceed belief. After various attempts to destroy it by fumi- 

 gations with sulphur, corrosive washes, &c., the plan was adopted of at- 

 tacking the insect in the state of chrysalid in the fissures of the bark where 

 it lodges, by pouring boiling water over the stocks. This mode of proceed- 

 ing does not appear to injure the wood, or to impair the vegetative powers 

 of the plant, for Vines that were so treated gave a much larger produce than 

 those in the neighborhood where the insect was allowed to remain undis- 

 turbed." We hope to be able to lay before our readers some details con- 

 cerning this gentleman's process. 



With the Gooseberry Caterpillar, another and very different, but equally 

 effectual method has been employed for some years by our correspondent 

 " F. H. S." 



" In dry weather, about the end of March or beginning of April, two 

 men go round the garden with two wheelbarrows, the one full of maiden 

 soil, the other empty ; the surface soil for 2 inches deep, in a circle of two 

 feet diameter, is removed from under each bush, and replaced with the 

 maiden soil, and as soon as the leaves begin to appear, a light covering of quick- 

 lime and soot is spread on the new soil, lest a few of the eggs might hap- 

 pen to have been left behind." 



The explanation of this is obvious. The young Gooseberry Caiterpillars 

 (see vol. i. p. 516) or the chrysalids of the Gooseberry Saw-fly {vol. i. p. 

 548), lie all winter in ground about the roots of the bushes ; in the 

 beginning of April, they revive or hatch, and immediately climb up to the 

 leaves. It is therefore obvious, that if the top soil is removed as above recom- 

 mended, the enemies are carried away from their prey, and having no food 

 when they are revived or born, perish. We should, however, mix lime 

 with the old soil when it is removed, for the purpose of killing the chrysa- 

 lids ; the caterpillars will die of themselves. 



Here we have a remedy which cannot fail, because it is dependent upon 

 the habits of-life of the insects themselves ; and we doubt not that an inge- 

 nious man of leisure, well acquainted with the facts of insect existence, 

 vpould devise similar methods of dealing rffcctually with other species which 

 as yet have baffled human skill. In some measure this has been done in 

 the case of the Curculios, which ravage our apple trees ; and in France, a 

 Mr. Blaud has completely overcome the enemies of his Olives, by a pro- 

 ceeding very like that which " F. H. S." finds so certain with his Goose- 

 berries and Currants. 



The Olive suffers greatly from the ravages of certain moths, whose cater- 

 pillars attack not only the leaves, but the flower-buds and fruit, and thus 

 produce incredible mischief. These moths, called Tinea olaella by Fabri- 

 cius, have been made, it seems, into two genera, by M. Duponchel, who 

 calls them Elachista and (Ecophora, although they appear to be not even 

 different species ! There are three broods of them in the year, of wiiich 



