REMEDY FOR CATERPILLAR. 133 



Mercy to him that shows it is the rule 



And righteous limitation of its act, 



By which Heaven moves in pardoning guilty man ; 



And he that shows none, being ripe in years, 



And conscious of the outrage he commits, 



Shall seek it, and not find it, in his turn." COWPBR. 



But though the above method of dealing with 

 the caterpillar be sufficiently successful, it is much 

 better for your gooseberry plantation to prevent as 

 far as possible the breeding of that worm. And 

 to this end let the bushes be pruned as soon as the 

 leaf is down, and let all rubbish be raked clear off 

 the ground; then scrape with a hoe the surface 

 earth from the stem of each bush to the depth of 

 two or three inches, not exposing the roots ; and 

 let all remain in this state till the middle of winter. 

 By this I suppose the frost reaches and destroys 

 the larvae lodged by instinct near to their future 

 provision. In digging the ground, make a deep 

 furrow, into which the mound-like rings made by 

 the hoe will be levelled, when a little fresh earth 

 may be laid next to the roots in room of that which 

 has previously been removed. For many years, 

 since I have fallen on this expedient, I have had no 

 caterpillar, or none to cause any trouble. Soapy 

 water, which is best applied in soft weather, and 

 when the earth has been drawn from the roots, con- 

 tributes not a little to prevent the ravages of this 

 insidious and abominable reptile. The suds are 

 an excellent manure, and serve to accomplish your 

 object, either by killing the larvae or promoting in 

 the trees a more healthy vegetation. 



