INSECTS. 373 



when it coiitimies for two weeks, as in the years referred 

 to, it seems to be rendered j^owerless for that season, 



10. A7its. — ^These are not very destructive, yet they 

 sometimes do considerable injury to beds of seedlings, by 

 making their hillocks among them, and they also infest 

 ripe fruits. 



Boiling water, oil, or spirits of turpentine, poured on 

 their hillocks, disperses them ; and if wide-mouthed bot- 

 tles, half filled with sweetened water or syrup, be hung 

 among the branches of a tree when the fruit is attainino; 

 maturity, ants, wasps, flies, and beetles of all sorts that 

 prey greedily upon sweets, will be attracted into them. 



Mr. Downing, who recommends this as a " general ex- 

 tirpator suited to all situations," says, " that an acquaint- 

 ance caught in this way, in one season, more them tJiree 

 hushels of insects of various kinds, and preserved his 

 garden almost entirely against them." 



A gentleman in Detroit, who was very careful of his 

 garden, informed me that he had pursued tliis method 

 of trapping insects with results that perfectly astonished 

 him. lie had to empty the bottles every few days to 

 make room for more. A very good way of trapping 

 and killing ants is, to besmear the inside of flower pots 

 with molasses, and turn them on their mouths near the 

 hillock ; the insects will soon assemble inside on the 

 molasses, when they are easily destroyed by a handful of 

 burning straw. 



11. The PeacJi Tree Borer. — This is a most destmctive 

 insect when allowed to increase for a few years without 

 niok'sfation. We have seen whole orchards of fine trees 

 ruined by them. They sometimes attack even yonng 

 trees in the nnrsery, and commit serious depredations on 

 their collar, rendering them in many cases quite nnfit for 

 planting. Tlieir multiplication should be prevented by 

 all possible means. The eggs are deposited in summer 



