362 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 A NEW INSECT. 



Mr. Brown : — I have noticed in some of the ag- 

 ricultural papers, accounts of the depredations of 

 the canker worm ; but in our vicinity an enemy 

 has appeared upon our fruit trees, the apple and 

 cherry, which threatens to destroy our entire 

 crop. So far as I can learn, the foe is a stranger 

 to our fruit-growers, and for some days was thought 

 to be the canker worm of former days ; but on ex- 

 amination it appears very different. It is similar to 

 our former foe in some points — it is spread upon 

 all parts of the tree, upon every branch, and when 

 the limb is shaken, it drops from it, suspended by 

 a web, then winds up its web and again gains its 

 position on the tree. The trees, when badly eat- 

 en, present a dry and sere appearance. In all 

 these points it is like the canker worm, as it is al- 

 so in size, and to a casual observer, in passing by 

 an orchard, it would be pronounced their work. — 

 In many respects it is dissimilar, and evidently be- 

 longs to another class of insects. The canker 

 worm is brown, this is nearly white, with two lon- 

 gitudinal stripes running its whole length ; the 

 canker worm is slow of motion, this is very quick 

 and moves rapidly from place to place in all di- 

 rections to escape an enemy — the canker worm 

 moves forward by doubling or opening and throw- 

 ing forward its head and forepart ; — this is pro- 

 vided with IG legs — 6 near the head, 8 near the 

 middle, and 2 at the tail, and uses them with 

 great celerity in running. The canker worm has 

 no shelter upon the tree, but lies out upon the leaf 

 or branch ; this forms itself a house by webbing 

 the corner of a leaf, into which it retreats on the 

 first appearance of danger ; the canker worm rare- 

 ly eats the fruit, if it can get leaves ; this is now 

 eating into and spoiling and disfiguring the fruit. 

 Of the insect which produces them, I know no- 

 thing. My neighbors say about 3 or 4 weeks 

 aince, they noticed an abundance of small millers of 

 an ash color, and they may have proceeded from 

 them. If this insect, with its habits, are unknown, 

 we have before us a work of careful observation, 

 as the first descent of these depredators threatens 

 more injury to our fruit than any other insect 

 which has attacked our trees. If there is not 

 enough to spoil my trees and fruit entirely now, I 

 am sure that double the present number on those 

 of my trees which are most eaten would not leave 

 me an apple or a leaf remaining. I wish for in- 

 formation on this subject — are they in other pla- 

 ces? Or is Sherburne exclusively favored with 

 their presence ? Have they been known before ? if 

 so, can they be prevented or driven ofi"? 



R. C. Stone. 



Sherburne, June 21, 1853. 



on each side, a short space intervenes, and then 

 there are four legs, two on each side. Halfway 

 along the body, there are two protuberances which 

 strongly resemble the spinneret of the house-spider, 

 and two more of nearly the same shape at the tail 

 or termination of the body. These do not termi- 

 ntae with claws as do the legs, but are blunt and 

 have the appearance of being soft and spongy, and 

 if used in walking, operate as does the flies foot on 

 the pane of glass. We are inclined to think that 

 these instruments are used both for walking and 

 spinning its web, though in our examination of the 

 insect under a pretty good glass, we did not see it 

 spin as we have the spider. 



We have received several short communications 

 relating to the insect which we shall publish, but 

 look, with some impatience, as we know many 

 others do, to Professor Harris for a better knowl- 

 edge of this new invader. 



Remarks. — We regret that this article came a 

 few hours too late for last week's paper. The in- 

 sects spoken of have been numerous in this State, 

 in New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and 

 New York, and probably in other States : but we 

 have heard only from those mentioned above. 



Your description of the insect generally agrees 

 with our observation ; but we can ^nd only six 

 legs instead of sixteen, as you say. The head is 

 shaped like that of an otter, and near the back ex- 

 tremity of the under jaw tliere are two legs, one 



IS THE MOLE A DEVOURER OF VEG- 

 ETABLES ? 



We answer no — he is a benefactor to the plant- 

 er and gardener, instead of a destroyer of vegeta- 

 bles. Away, say we, with the erroneous ideas that 

 they feed on garden vegetables and the newly plant- 

 ed seeds of the field crops ; let us hear no more 

 complaints against this little royal ermine coated 

 friend, who is only a seeker and devourer of earth- 

 worms, and bugs, and the larvEC of insects deposit- 

 ed in the rich garden mould, or the manure drills 

 of the cultivated fields. Ignorance is a greater ty- 

 rant than Robespierre ever was, and it is surpris- 

 ing that the natural history of at least all the 

 more common animals, is not better understood, 

 even amongst the educated aud intelligent. Thank 

 God ! with all the introductions from old Europe, 

 — she has never sent us a professional mole catch- 

 er — such lazy louts, as those who, with springs 

 and snares, do jobs of mole-hanging for the garden- 

 ers of old England, at so much a head. The mole 

 is a study for the lover of nature. His snug nest, 

 deep in the earth, with walls of oak leaves, and 

 lined with the most delicate grasses, shows that he 

 is a considerable architect. The long galleries 

 which lead out into those pasture grounds abound- 

 ing in his favorite food, are scientifically construct- 

 ed, and show him to be nature's engineer. His in- 

 dustry — flying by peculiar locomotion, with great 

 rapidity, from one point to another — is a lesson to 

 biped sluggards. It is true, that in search of food, 

 he is a perfect earthquake amongst young vegeta- 

 bles ;. for he has no respect for their radicles when 

 he plunges through the soft mould in quest of the 

 insects and their larvce, which feed upon their 

 roots. The chief food of the mole, according to 

 Bacuman, is the earth worm, (Lumbricus terrenus,) 

 and he says that they would each devour forty or 

 fifty worms to satiate their inordinate appetites. 

 They invariably rejected vegetables of all kinds, 

 but would feed on flesh, chrysolides, and, even on 

 each other, when not supplied with their proper 

 food. One lived on a d«ad pigeon for a long time. 

 These facts prove their carnivorous nature ; and 

 we would hazard little in saying that the mole is 

 highly beneficial in destroying these insects. Veg- 

 etables are often cut and drawn into the ground, 



