322 Ob servatiom on the Pea Fly^ ^c\ 



the fruit trees on the sea coast and brackish water^ were 

 free from the ravages of this destructive insect ; this^ 

 suggested to me an idea, that the sahne vapours were 

 pernicious to them, and hence I imagined, that if we 

 were to go to the trilling expence of showering our 

 choicest fruit trees with a weak sohition of common sea 

 salt, once or twice a week, it might answer the same 

 end of preserving the fruit, and by persevering farther 

 in a little more expence, in extending the same care to 

 our orchards, we might in a few years expel them. 

 But this is only a conjecture, having never made the 

 experiment. 



[January 1808. The foregoing paper being found 

 among the papers of the society, was sent to Mr. Bar^ 

 tram for the purpose of revision, and to enable him to 

 add such* additional facts, as might have occurred to 

 him. He returned it with the following note..] 



" I have nothing more to add, but that the spring 

 following, I put the experiment of showering a plum 

 tree on tryal, with a weak solution of sea salt dissolved 

 in w^atery but being too strong of salt, most of the leaves 

 and fruit fell off in consequence of it, otherwise the ex- 

 periment might have produced the desired effect, as 

 what fruit remained were not touched by the insect, 

 though small and disfigured by the strength of the brine; 

 yet a few arrived to their natural size and ripened, so 

 that I am induced to believe, that with care in temper- 

 ing the solution, it will be found to be the best and 

 cheapest remedy against the ravages and encrease of 

 those pernicious insects yet discovered. It should be 

 so weak a^ just to taste of salt. 



