FRUITS. 17 



injurious insects is so long and formidable as to 

 be discouraging. Undoubtedly, the injury done 

 by vegetable and animal parasites far exceeds 

 the general apprehension. And the evil will 

 constantly increase unless held in check. The 

 codling moth is rendering many apple orchards 

 worthless. The curculio destroys all the plums, 

 if unmolested, and so infests the cherry that the 

 fruit in the market which is free from the im- 

 mature larvae is rather an exception. Mildew 

 is the scourge of the vineyard. The peach falls 

 a victim to " the yellows," and the pear to the 

 "fire blight." Manifold are the difficulties, as 

 every cultivator can testify. But in these days 

 of inventive genius, when weapons of human 

 warfare are brought forward which are to mow 

 down whole armies at one discharge, or shake 

 cities to their foundations in the twinkling of an 

 eye, are we to acknowledge our inability to cope 

 with these minute insect enemies? The truth 

 is, we are gaining knowledge of the habits of 

 these enemies, and methods for their destruc- 

 tion, with great rapidity. There is now scarcely 

 a case where good culture and a vigorous appli- 

 cation of remedies will not obtain the mastery. 

 The list of diseases seems long and formidable, 

 but, in practice, the surprise will be how readily 

 they yield to treatment. The difficulty is that 



