POTATO-FLY. 



POULTRY. 



and the wing-covers are long and narrow, and 

 cover the whole of the back. The striped can- 

 tharis is comparatively rare in New England ; 

 but in the Middle States it often appears in 

 great numbers, and does much mischief in po- 

 tato-fields and gardens, eating up not only the 

 leaves of the potato, but those of many other 

 vegetables. 



The most destructive kind of Cantharis, 

 found in Massachusetts, is of a more slender 

 form than the preceding, and measures only 

 from five and a half to six-tenths of an inch in 

 length. Its antennae and feet are black, and all 

 the rest of its body is ashen gray, being thickly 

 covered with a very short down of that colour. 

 Hence it is called Cantharis cinerea, or the ash- 

 coloured cantharis. When the insect is rubbed, 

 the ash-col.oured substance comes off, leaving 

 the surface black. It begins to appear in gar- 

 dens about the 20th of June, and is very fond of 

 the leaves of the English bean, which it some- 

 times entirely destroys. It is also occasionally 

 found in considerable numbers on potato-vinos ; 

 and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it has re- 

 peatedly appeared in great profusion upon 

 hedges of the honey-locust, which have been 

 entirely stripped of foliage by these voracious 

 insects. They are also found on the wild indi- 

 go-weed. In the night, and in rainy weather, 

 they descend from the plants, and burrow in 

 the ground, or under leaves and tufts of grass. 

 Thither also they retire for shelter during the 

 heat of the day, being most actively engaged 

 in eating in the morning and evening. About 

 the 1st of August they go into the ground and 

 lay their eggs, and these are hatched in the 

 course of one month. The larvae are slender, 

 somewhat flattened grubs, of a yellowish co- 

 lour, banded with black, with a small reddish 

 head, and six legs. These grubs are very 

 active in their motions, and appear to live 

 upon fine roots in the ground; but I have not 

 been able to keep them till they arrived at ma- 

 turity, and therefore know nothing further of 

 their history. 



About the middle of August, and during the 

 rest of this and the following month, a jet-black 

 cantharis may be seen on potato-vines, and 

 also on the blossoms and leaves of various 

 kinds of golden-rod, particularly the tall golden- 

 rod (SoKaago altissirna), which seems to be its 

 favourite food. In some places it is as plenti- 

 ful in potato-fields as the striped and the mar- 

 gined cantharis, and by its serious ravages has 

 often excited attention. These three kinds, in 

 fact, are often confounded under the common 

 name of potato-flies; and it is still more re- 

 markable, that they are collected for medical 

 use, and are sold in our shops by the name of 

 Cantharis vittata, without a suspicion of their 

 being distinct from each other. The black 

 cantharis, or Cantharis atrata, is totally black, 

 without bands or spots, and measures from 

 four-tenths to half of an inch in length. I have 

 repeatedly taken these insects, in considerable 

 quantities, by brushing or shaking them from 

 the potato-vines into a broad tin pan, from 

 which they were emptied into a covered pail 

 containing a little water, which, by wetting 

 their wings, prevented their flying out when 



1 the pail was uncovered. The same i. 

 may be employed for taking the other kinds ot 

 cantharides, when they become troublesome 

 and destructive from their numbers; or they 

 may be caught by gently sweeping the plants 

 they frequent with a deep muslin bag-net. 

 They should be killed by throwing them into 

 scalding water, for one or two minutes, after 

 which they may be spread out on sheets of 

 paper to dry, and may be made profitable by 

 selling them to the apothecaries for medical use. 

 A species of the genus Meloe (august iroHis), 

 or narrow-necked oil-beetle of Say, about aa 

 inch long, and of a dark indigo-blue colour, is 

 very common on butter-cups in autumn, and 

 is also found on potato-vines. 



POTATO-WORM. See CATERPILLAR. 

 POULTICE. An external application em- 

 ployed for promoting the suppuration of tu- 

 mours, or abating painful inflammation. The 

 chief intention of the poultice is to retain the 

 stimulus of heat on the tumour for a sufficient 

 length of time, consequently the worst con- 

 ducting of farinaceous matters are the best 

 fitted for poultices. The fatty matter usually 

 added is to give softness to the poultice, which 

 is otherwise apt to harden as the moisture eva- 

 porates. Poultices for animals are generally 

 prepared with linseed meal, to which is added 

 oil, lard, or other unctuous matter to prevent 

 adhesion to the inflamed part. Bran, although 

 frequently used for poultices, is objectionable, 

 because it so soon becomes dry. Few farmers 

 are aware of the value of these simple applica- 

 tions in abating inflammation, relieving pain, 

 cleansing wounds, and disposing them to heal. 

 The poultice may be rendered more soothing 

 by opium, or increased activity may be 'given 

 by the addition of common turpentine or chlo- 

 ride of lime, and in cases of foul ulcers, pow- 

 dered charcoal may be added. As an emollient 

 poultice for grease and cracked heels, and 

 especially if accompanied by much unpleasant 

 smell, there is nothing preferable to a poultice 

 of mashed carrots with charcoal. See FOMEST- 

 ATIOX. 



POULTRY. A general terra including every 

 kind of domestic fowl, which is reared about 

 the house or farm-yard, as cocks and hens, 

 ducks, geese, turkeys, &c. Poultry constitutes 

 a part of every farmer's stock, but the rearing 

 of it in England is not often productive of 

 any pecuniary advantage ; for though fowls are 

 considered chiefly as an article of luxury, and 

 sold at high prices in the market, they seldom, 

 or ever repay the value of the corn which they 

 have consumed, especially if such grain must 

 be purchased. Indeed, where profit is the ob- 

 ject of the husbandman's labours, no poultry 

 should be admitted into the vicinity of barns, 

 unless for the purpose of picking up scattered 

 grain ; though, in general, it cannot be denied, 

 that they acquire their fat substance from the 

 corn left in the straw by negligent thrashing. 

 The poor villager may, however, reap, in some 

 cases, benefit from poultry, as the fowls are 

 able to shift for themselves the greatest part of 



I the year, by feeding on insects, corn, or any 



i thing of that nature. 



There are many different breeds of this sort 



Ml 



