INS 



INS 



235 



Steeping the wood seasonably 

 in salt-water destroys the worms, 

 or prevents their entering the 

 wood. If the trees be scorched 

 in a light flame, before they have 

 entered too far, the effect will be 

 the same. 



To prevent and cure worms In 

 timber, Mr. Evelyn recommends 

 the following, as much approved. 

 " Put common sulphur into a cu- 

 curbit, with as much aqualoi'tis as 

 will cover it ihree fingers deep ; 

 distil it to a dryness, which is per- 

 formed by two or three rectifica- 

 tions. Lay the sulphur that re- 

 mains at bottom on a marble, or 

 put it in a glass, and it will dissolve 

 into an oil ; with this oil anoint the 

 timber which is infected with 

 worms." 



Besides the destructive insects 

 which appear more or less every 

 year, there appear sometimes for- 

 midable swarms, or armies of 

 worms, which suffer scarcely any 

 green thing to escape them. They 

 overran many parts of the county 

 of Cumberland, in the year 1770, 

 rather before the middle of July, 

 to the extreme consternation, as 

 well as the great injury of the in- 

 habitants. They stripped the corn 

 and grass of the leaves, leaving 

 only the bare stems, and those de- 

 prived of their sap. They were 

 extremely voracious ; and appear- 

 ing to be in the utmost haste, they 

 all moved in the same direction. 

 They suffered nothing that they 

 could climb upon to stop their 

 course. They crawled over houses, 

 and all other buildings, unless when 

 they found a door, window, or 

 chink in their course, where they 



could enter. Whether they pass- 

 ed in this manner over the plants 

 they destroyed I did not take no- 

 tice. 



Between twenty and thirty years 

 ago the same dreadful insect ap- 

 peared in the county of Essex ; 

 and between 1770 and 1780, in 

 some places in the territor)' of 

 Vermont. 



The only ways of opposing their 

 ravages that have been used, are, 

 either to mow a field of grass, whe- 

 ther it were fully grown, and fit to 

 cut, or not; or, to fence, agains. 

 them with narrow trenches, made, 

 perpendicular, or rather hanging 

 over, on the side next to the field. 

 Many fields of corn have been thus 

 saved ; and bushels of the worms 

 being unable to climb such crum- 

 blitig walls died in the trenches. 



If their history were attended 

 to, perhaps it would be found they 

 have stated periods. 



It is not sufficient for the farmer 

 to defend his vegetables against 

 insects. There are insects also 

 that annoy and hurt his animals. 



Lice are often found on colts, 

 and on neat cattle, especially on 

 yearlings in the spring. When 

 these animals become poor, they 

 most commonly grow lousy, which 

 makes them still poorer. Possibly 

 it may be owing to an obstruction 

 of perspiration. F^or there are 

 doubtless many oily particles in 

 the effluvium of health}' cattle, and 

 oil is an antidote to this insect. 

 Oiling their skins will clear them 

 of lice ; so will a strong infusion of 

 tobacco. But when ihey are 

 cured, better feeding is the best 

 preservative from the return of the 

 insects. 



