ESSEX SOCIETY. 75 



Caterpillar. Mr. Pell's practice is to " touch their nests with 

 a sponge, attached to the end of a pole, dipped in strong 

 spirits of ammonia ; the sponge is turned slowly round in the 

 nests, and every insect coming in contact, will be instantly 

 killed." They may be destroyed by the well-known circular 

 brush, invented by the late Col. Pickering. We have found the 

 most effectual way of destroying this pest upon small trees, if 

 begun in time, is to strip them off with the hand, and crush 

 them under the foot : as they do not leave their nests until late 

 in the morning, and return again about four or five in the after- 

 noon, we embrace the opportunity of visiting them at home. 



The Apple Borer. The apple and quince tree borer is another 

 insect, which is not, however, so common as the caterpillar or 

 canker worm. It is a large, fleshy grub, which enters the tree 

 near the ground, where the bark is tender, girdling the stem. We 

 have never seen but one instance of the insect on our premises — 

 this was upon a quince tree — which was destroyed by thrusting 

 a flexible wire into the hole. A mound of ashes or lime around 

 the trees is said, by Downing, to prevent the attack of the apple 

 borer. 



Coccus, or Bark Louse. The apple tree, when young, is apt 

 to be infested with an insect called the bark louse or coccus, 

 which is so near the color of the bark, and adheres so closely, 

 as to be almost imperceptible ; it is easily destroyed by a strong 

 mixture of soft soap and hot water applied with a brush to the 

 bark. 



Ashes. These various insects are kept down greatly by the 

 use of ashes as a top-dressing of the soil ; it is also one of the 

 best manures for trees. Mr. Bridgman says that, in England, " a 

 good farmer would dispense with his barn, rather than be desti- 

 tute of an ash-house : 1 have known (says he) farmers to supply 

 the cottagers with as much peat as Jhey could burn, on condi- 

 tion of their saving them the ashes ; and there are others that 

 will keep men under pay throughout the year, burning peat, for 

 the same purpose." 



Keeping Apples. As regards the best method of keeping 

 winter apples, opinions are various. In Europe, they usually 

 spread their fruit, after gathering it, on a floor to sweat, previous 



