238 BLIGHT. 



dormant state from the moisture and frosts of our climate. 

 This aphis, in a natural state, usually awakens and 

 commences its labors very early in the month of March ; 

 and the hoariness on its body may be observed increas- 

 ing daily : but if an infected branch be cut in the 

 winter, and kept in water in a warm room, these aphides 

 will awaken speedily, spin their cottony vests, and 

 feed, and discharge, as accustomed to do in a genial 

 season. 



It is often very difficult to ascertain the first appear- 

 ance of many creatures not natives of our climate, 

 though, from the progress of science, arid more general 

 observation, many things will be recorded. The first 

 visit of the death's-head moth is very obscure ; an ex- 

 traordinary snail (testacellus halotideus)* is now spread- 

 ing by transplantation in many places, and may here- 

 after occasion inquiry. The first visit of this aphis to 

 us is by no means clear. The epithet of American 

 blight may be correctly applied ; but we have no suffi- 

 cient authority to conclude, that we derived this pest 

 from that country. Normandy and the Netherlands, too, 

 have each been supposed to have conferred this evil 

 upon us ; but extensively as this insect is spread around, 

 and favorable as our climate appears to be to its increase, 

 it bids fair to destroy in progression most of our oldest 

 and long-esteemed fruit from our orchards. The same 

 unknown decree, which regulates the increase and de- 

 crease of all created beings, influences this insect; yet 

 wet seasons, upon the, whole, seem ungenial to its consti- 

 tution. In the hot dry summer of 1825, it was abundant 

 everywhere; in the spring of 1826, which was unusu- 

 ally fine and dry, it abounded in such incredible luxu- 



* This creature was first observed, I am told, about the year 1819, 

 in the nursery garden of Messrs. Miller and Sweet near Bristol, in- 

 troduced, as is supposed, on some imported plant. It increases readily 

 in our climate. The white moss rose (rosa muscosa, var. alba) : this 

 beautiful variery was first produced about the year 1808, in the 

 garden of Gabriel G Idney, Esq., at Clifton, near Bristol ; a branch 

 of the common red moss rose, becoming diseased, produced its 

 flowers white. A neighboring nurseryman, being employed by that 

 gentleman's gardener to lay down the branch, from cuttings propagated 

 the variety, and shortly after dispersed many plants. 



