282 Season of ISV3, 



in balls of this material; which they bury under 

 ground. Hence these beetles are called, by a vul- 

 gar appellation The teri'apins are, mistakenly, suppos- 

 ed to feed on this filthy ejection ; when, in fact, they 

 are only seeking their prey. Of the beetles, I have 

 not seen any thing like so many, as I have observed in 

 former years. The terrapins have thinned and destroy- 

 ed them ; thereby proving their race to be the farmer's 

 friend. When vermin on farms, or miscreants in soci- 

 ety, prowl on one another ; the mass of mischief con- 

 sumes itself. 



I have heard some predictions, that the locusts 

 will appear next season. If so, we could more readily 

 have dispensed, this season, with the scourges of their 

 (I presume accidental) precursors. I have kept no en- 

 tomological accounts ; and cannot determine the pe- 

 riod of return of those destructive visitants ; in which 

 nurserymen and gardeners, are peculiarly interested.. 

 In a former visitation, I lost the greater part of my 

 young fruit-trees. Some of the survivors have, yet, 

 the scars of wounds, inflicted on them by the locusts ; 

 fifteen or sixteen years ago. 



Information of circumstances known to many of us, 

 may not be necessary, at this time. Causes of increase 

 of the annoyances described, are not easily developed. 

 But some benefits often arise, from recording peculia- 

 rities attending anomalous seasons. If the state of 

 crops, and remarkable circumstances, of every year. 

 w*ere annually reported, it would be highly useful. 



Our first crops oihaij, were very abundant ; and so 

 were, in general, those of whiter^ and summer grain : 



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