12 



the 3d of March, the thermometer at 2 o'clock in the afternoon 

 stood at 76 in the shade in Boston — a degree of heat perhaps un- 

 precedented for the season of the year. But before the week was 

 out, viz., on the morning of the 7th, the mercur^^ was at zero and 

 lower in this vicinity. It is difficult to say which of these remark- 

 able changes caused most injury to fruit trees ; it is not unreason- 

 able to suppose that all of them had more or less to do with the 

 destruction of fruit-buds and the general derangement of the 

 functions of the trees which has been alluded to. 



In this section, the injury to apple trees was mainly confined to 

 the blossoms, the greater portion of which were killed. Pears, 

 except the most hardy varieties, were considerably injured. The 

 crop of apples Avas the smallest known here for many years. Of 

 pears, there was a greater crop in proportion to the number of 

 trees, than of apples ; showing that, contrary to the common 

 opinion, the former may be produced here with as much certainty 

 as the latter. 



During the past summer an insect called the " army-worm," 

 has appeared over the country from Virginia and Kentucky on 

 the south, to the Canadas on the north. The name mentioned has 

 probably been given, in different sections of the country, to several 

 species of insects ; but the one hei-e specially alluded to, has been 

 pronounced by Dr. Fitch, entomologist to the New York State 

 Agricultural Society, and other entomologists, to be the Leucania 

 punctata. It has, at various times, been a fearful scourge to 

 farmers in some of the Southern States ; but it has not previ- 

 ously been so common in this section and the country farther to 

 the north, as to be generally recognized by the present inhabi- 

 tants. It is the opinion of Dr. Fitch that it is not a new insect 

 here, but that it is always to be found in particular localities, from 

 which, owing to certain favorable points in the season, it from 

 time to time spreads over the country. Whether this view is 

 well founded, or not, might be settled by close observation of 

 many persons from year to year. 



The insect prevailed in some parts of Rhode Island to a greater 

 extent than in any other portion of New England, though in some 

 districts of Connecticut, and a smaller number in this State, it did 

 more or less damage. Its appearance in this County in such 

 numbers as to attract attention, was hmited to a few places. We 

 have heard of four only, viz., the farm of Caleb Stetson, in Brain- 

 tree, that of E. P. Carpenter, of Foxboro', Alvord Baker, of West 

 Dedham, and Francis Guild, of Dedham. In the first named case 

 they appeared on spring rye, in all the other cases on oats. In 

 no case did they do much damage beyond the field or crop where 

 they first appeared ; and, singular as it is, no traces of the insect 



