t'lir. fl. 



L\ SECTS. 



fruit-trees, and occupying fifty acres, 

 had been for many years completely 

 divested of most of their foliage and 

 young fruit in the spring months. 

 "V\'ashing the stems and branches with 

 lime and water (as might have been 

 expected) was found ineffectual for 

 the destruction of insects which feed 

 only on the young buds and leaves. 

 The instrument in question consists 

 of a canister twelve inches long, sev- 

 en inches wide at its broadest, and 

 four inches on its narrowest part ; 

 the handle (a) is five inches and a 

 half long. The top of the handle is 

 fitted with a cap (b), which is put on 

 when the lime is to be thrown on low 

 trees ; but when high trees are to be 

 operated upon the cap is removed, 

 and a pole of sufficient length to reach 

 the height required is inserted into 

 the handle. Quicklime pulverized 

 (and often sifted through a fine sieve) 

 is put into the canister, and shaken 

 over the young foliage just as it was 

 expanding. The time for doing this 

 is in the dew of the morning, or 

 whenever the leaves are damp ; and 

 if there should be a gentle breeze suf- 

 ficient to carry the dust obliquely 

 through the head of each tree, it is 

 the more quickly performed. Under 

 favourable circumstances of this na- 

 ture, Mr. Curtis says, ' I found that 

 three men, provided with the powder 

 in a large box on a light wheelbar- 

 row, could dress from two to three 

 thousand trees in a day : when the 

 wind changed, I had the trees dress- 

 ed on the other side. Although used 

 ever so freely, no person need fear 

 432 



any injury, from the caustic quality 

 of the lime, on the most delicate and 

 fresh expanded foliage ; it is only prej- 

 udicial to insects of all fcrnds, and to 

 dead vegetable matter.' (Horl. Trajis., 

 vol. vi., pt. 2, page 124). We know 

 not whether the lime-duster has ever 

 been tried upon hop plantations in- 

 fected by the green fiy or plant louse ; 

 but it appears to us equally well adapt- 

 ed to effect a great destruction among 

 those insects. 



" Grain of all descriptions that is 

 infected by weevils, or by the grubs 

 of other insects, should be spread in 

 the sun, and frequently turned : the 

 warmth will bring the animals out of 

 the grain, and considerable numbers 

 may be destroyed. It has been said 

 that they may be kept away by strew- 

 ing boughs of elder or branches of 

 henbane among the grain, but this 

 wants confirmation. It should be 

 steeped in strong brine. 



" Hand-picking, independent of the 

 foregoing methods, is too tedious and 

 too ineffectual for general adoption 

 in large crops, but is probably the 

 best that can be resorted to in gar- 

 dens or small enclosures. In this 

 way the different esculent vegetables, 

 and the common and low kinds of 

 fruit-trees, as currants, gooseberries, 

 &c., may be cleared of a vast num- 

 ber of caterpillars. 



" Catching the perfect insect is un- 

 doubtedly the most certain plan for 

 preventing a return of the same in- 

 jury the following year, for the death 

 of one female will cut off a generation 

 of a hundred larvae ; but from the dif- 

 ficulty that attends an extensive adop- 

 tion of this plan, it is not likely to be 

 much attended to. 



" Worm-like Animals injurious to 

 Agriculture. — Of worms {Vermes, L.), 

 generally so called, there are but few 

 which may be considered as injurious 

 to agriculture. The principal of these 

 are the various species of slug (Arion, 

 F., Limax, L.) and the large and small 

 snails {Helix horlcnsis and nemoralis, 

 L.), mostly found in garden planta- 

 tions. The earth or dew worm {Lum- 

 brieus lerrestris, L.), unless existing in 

 great numbers on a single spot, can- 



