INJURIOUS INSECTS. 109 



he conld learn this from his own unaided observations, if he were 

 aware of his capabilities in that direction. These things are 

 simple matters of observation continued through the entire round 

 of life of the insect. 



Nothing is easier than to cut off a branch or a stem of currant 

 which has the eggs of the sawfl}- on the leaves, and put the cut 

 end into a bottle of water that the leaves may be kept from wilting 

 in the house, and then watch them day by da\'. As the eggs hatch, 

 the young larvae feed and grow, molting their skins as they 

 become too tight for them, and then at maturity descending into 

 the ground to spin their cocoons if they are allowed to do so, 

 but if not making them on the surface exposed where one can see 

 the entire operation. Ver}' few need to make these observations 

 on this particular insect, as it is alread}' too well known, but it will 

 serve as an illustration of what may be done with many of our 

 insects. It is quite as easy a task to take a colon}' of tent cater- 

 pillars and carry them through all their transformations in con- 

 finement. 



One of the prominent fruit growers in Maine told me that he 

 was accustomed to employ a boy to climb his apple trees and 

 destroy the tent caterpillars as soon as they appeared, but he was 

 obliged to send the bo}- several times, as new tents were formed 

 after the destruction of the old ones, and he was not able to under- 

 stand the reason of this till his little girl, who had undertaken to 

 raise a colony in the house, for her own amusement, discovered 

 that the caterpillars left the tent and went out to feed only in the 

 middle of the forenoon and again in the middle of the afternoon. 

 Her father took the hint from these observations, to send the boy 

 to destroy the caterpillars only early in the morning or late in the 

 afternoon, and then the work was effectual, for the caterpillars were 

 all in the tents when the boy crushed them. 



If the insects are numerous on a plant there is no question but 

 that the farmer will look into the matter to the best of his ability, but 

 if there are comparatively few he should estimate the possible 

 increase during the season and the amount of damage they would 

 do, and what it would cost to apply the proper remedies. 



I believe it to be a duty that every one owes to himself and to 

 his near neighbor to destroy as far as possible all insects injurious 

 to any of his crops. My neighbors on each side of me last 

 summer allowed the tent caterpillars to pass their entire transfer- 



