1847.] Insects Injurious to Vegetation. 25 



benefit ever resulted from it, it was probably only by dislodging 

 and brushing off some of the eggs from the blades of the wheat. 



14. Sprinkling Jine salt, ashes, or caustic lime over the young 

 plants. — The first of these measures was proposed, from its ap- 

 pearing at one time that wheat growing upon points of land ex- 

 posed to the sea air was less injured than that growing back from 

 the coast. Neither of these remedies however, have been attend- 

 ed with success, in any case on record, and they probably are of 

 no service whatever, except as they may slightly increase the 

 fertility of some fields. There is no likelihood that the fly, its 

 eggs, or larvae can be materially discommoded by them. 



15. Burning and plowing up the -wheat stubble. — This measure 

 was originally proposed by judge Havens, and has been unani- 

 mously approved of and strongly urged by several of the most 

 intelligent writers since. Indeed, a slight examination can scarce- 

 ly fail of impressing upon every one its utility, independent of 

 the sanction of authority. Whoever will at or soon after harvest 

 inspect the stubble of a field that has been badly infested by the 

 Hessian fly, will find these insects in their flax seed state lying 

 one, two, three or more, at the joints of perhaps half the straws 

 of the field. What a trifling labor, or rather what a pastime will 

 it now be to set fire to this dry stubble and hereby inevitably con- 

 sume countless thousands of these destroyers. This point appears 

 so plainly evident, that no one we think will hesitate in pro- 

 nouncing this remedy decidedly the most important and valuable 

 of all. But a thought breaks in upon us, of such fearful import, 

 that fancying we see the burning brand extended, in an instant 

 more to send a sheet of vivid flame, leaping, hissing, and crack- 

 ling over the fated field, we involuntarily shout 



" Stop ! or thy tread is on an empire's dust !" 



of a truth, what a short sighted mortal is man, and how often are 

 the words of the poet verified, that " a little knowledge is a dan- 

 gerous thing." Seeing his enemy chained to the stake, he ex- 

 ultingly rushes at once to fire the faggots, and lo, a dozen of his 

 friends are immolated upon the same pyre! Is it not a fact, that 

 whilst by this measure we consume the Hessian fly by hundreds, 

 we inevitably destroy its mortal foes by thousands? And that 

 the very means which we thus resoit to for averting a future ca- 

 lamity are the surest means that could be devised for bringing 

 that calamity upon us! If nine tenths of every generation of the 

 Hessian fly are destroyed by three or four other insects, who can 

 calculate the value of the services which these latter are yearly 

 rendering us. And who, then, will be so inconsiderate and ruth- 

 less as to destroy nine of these useful parasites, in order to ex- 

 terminate one Hessian fly! Yet this must in most cases be the 



