INSECTS. 85 



dent that we cannot attack them in the egg, the grub, nor the pupa 

 state; th3 enemy, in these stages, is beyond our reach, and is subject 

 to the control only of the natural but unknown means appointed by 

 the Author of Nature to keep the insect tribes in check. When they 

 have issued from their subterranean retreats, and have congregated 

 upon our vines, trees, and other vegetable productions, in the com- 

 plete enjoyment of their propensities, we must unite our efforts to 

 seize and crush the invaders. They must indeed be crushed, scalded, 

 or burned, to deprive them of life ; for they are not affected by any of 

 the applications usually found destructive to other insects. Experi- 

 ence has proved Che utility of gathering them by hand, or of shaking 

 them or brushing them from the plants into tin vessels containing a 

 little water. They should be collected daily during the period of 

 their visitation, and should be committed to the flames, or killed by 

 scalding water. The late John Lowell, Esq., states, that in 1823, he 

 discovered on a solitary apple tree, the rose bugs " in vast numbers, 

 such as could not be described, and would hot be believed if they 

 were described, or at least none but an ocular witness could conceive 

 of their numbers. Destruction by hand was out of the question" in 

 this case. He put sheets under the tree, and shook them down, and 

 burned them. Dr. Green, of Mansfield, whose investigations have 

 thrown much light on the history of this insect, proposes protecting 

 plants with millinet, and says that in this way only did he succeed in 

 securing his grape vines from depredation. His remarks also show 

 the utility of gathering them. " Eighty-six of these spoilers," says he, 

 " were known to infest a single rose bud, and were crushed with ono 

 grasp of the hand." Suppose, as was probably the case, that one half 

 of them were females ; by this destruction, eight hundred eggs, at 

 least, were prevented from becoming matured. 



During the time of their prevalence, rose bugs are sometimes found 

 in immense numbers on the flowers of the common white weed, 

 or ox-eye daisy, (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum,) a worthless plant, 

 which has come to us from Europe, and has been suffered to overrun 

 our pastures, and encroach on our mowing lands. In certain cases, it 

 may become expedient rapidly to mow down the infested white weed 

 in dry pastures, and consume it with the sluggish rose bugs on the 

 gpot. 



Our insect-eating birds undoubtedly devour many of these insects. 



