( ^55 ) 



mitous to the farmer, falling as indifcrlminately upon the 

 induftrious and fl:iiful, as upon the flochful and undefcrving. 



The red gum or ruft, which prevails through the Rodlng 

 diftri6l in a dry fummer, and which fo materially injured 

 the crop of barley laft year, is generally obferved to come 

 on when the barley is in fpindle, and to precede a fly which 

 ftrikes the bloflbra or feed veflels of the wheat ; here a mag- 

 got is produced, and foon after the grain is fet, it feeds upon, 

 and confumes the tender kernel. Something very fimilar is 

 frequently noticed in the clover, and proved generally in- 

 jurious to the feed laft year. In every part of the county, 

 but particular in Dengy diflridt, the fly called the collier, 

 made confiderable ravages among the beans ; and the crops 

 of peas and tares were deftroyed early in the fummer, by a 

 fmall green infe6l, refembling a young grafshopper. 



To prevent thefe vifitations is impofllble, but in fomc 

 meafure to palliate their injurious efFe£ls, may probably lie 

 •within the power of man ; and this to a certain degree has 

 been elfeded, in preventing the curly blight in the culture 

 of potatoes, and the fmut in wheat. 



Reafoning thus, and taking into due confideration the very 

 important benefits which are derived from coal tar, in pre- 

 venting the depredations of marine infeds on plank and 

 timber i it very naturally occurs, that a preparation of coal 

 tar, judicioufly applied, might not only produce a fimilar 

 effedt againft Infeas in the ground, but by its gradual and 

 regular folution, become matter of food, for the nourlfliment of 

 plants ; and this leads to a very important confideration of 

 how far the application of coal tar may be rendered fervice- 

 able, by prolonging the durability of pofts in the ground, 

 and in like manner for the prefervation of hop poles ; to 

 which particular point it is with extreme pleafure, an op- 



U 2 portunity 



