resu 



^"^ "^ AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 317 



on h 



near the surface. A tree acts upon its roots and is acted 

 upon by the wind, sustaining in common with the whole 

 2 A , forest the force of this element, and it becomes accommo- 

 Jth h dated or naturalized to its pressure. But when left alone or 

 as sp unsustained, it is borne down by the first gale, often to the 

 of J injury of property and even of life.' The Farmer's Assis- 

 Q Q tant likewise says, ' if woods are old and decaying the better 



and ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^' ^^ y^" want to use the wood, and 

 let an entire new growth start up, which will grow more 



'} SU '111 



.rapidly.' 



fuir.i 



INSECTS. It w^ould far transcend our limits to give 

 even a brief description of the various sorts of insects which 

 injure gardens, cultivated fields, &c., and destroy the best 

 productions of our soil. We shall, therefore, confine our- 

 selves to stating, briefly, some of the most approved modes 

 of counteracting the ravages and effecting the destruction 

 of a few of those which are most injurious to the cultivator. 



The preventive operations are those of the best culture, 

 in the most extensive sense of the term, including what re- 

 lates to choice of seed or plant, soil, situation, and climate. 

 If these are carefully attended to, it will seldom happen that 

 any species of insect will effect serious and permanent inju- 

 ry. Vegetables which are vigorous and thrifty are not apt 

 to be injured by worms, flies, bugs, &;c. Fall ploughing, by 

 exposing worms, grubs, the larvas of bugs, beetles, &c. to 

 the intense frosts of our winters, is very beneficial. Insects 

 ' may be annoyed^ and oftentimes their complete destruction 

 effected, by sprinkling over them, by means of a syringe, 

 watering-pot, or garden engine, simple water, soap-suds, to- 

 bacco-water, decoctions of elder, especially of the dwarf 

 kind, of walnut leaves, bitter and acrid herbs, pepper, lye 

 of wood ashes, or solutions of pot and pearl-ashes, water 

 impregnated with salt, tar, turpentine, &c. ; or they may 

 be dusted with sulphur, quicklime, and other acrid sub- 

 stances. Loudon says, ' Saline substances, mixed with wa- 

 ter, are injurious to most insects with tender skins, as the 

 worm and slug; and hot water, where it can be applied 

 without injuring vegetation, is equally, if not more power- 

 fully, injurious. Water heated to one hundred and twenty 

 or one hundred and thirty degrees will not injure plants 

 whose leaves are expanded, and in some degree hardened; 

 and water at two hundred degrees or upwards may be 

 27=^ 



