Na 151.] 515 



Corn ought not to be shelled until it is wanted for grinding. The 

 prejudice against corn in England has in a great measure arisen 

 from the frequent examples of heated musty corn received there, not 

 being fit for animals to eat. We should kiln dry it, brand it appro- 

 priately, and then send it abroad. Many countries can furnish wheat 

 much cheaper than we do, but cannot furnish corn so. I see a no- 

 tice in a newspaper, that wheat from Tbraila in Wallachia, with all 

 the expense of shipment (about one hundred per cent) still sold for 

 fifty cents a bushel! 



Chairman. — Spain has an admirable soil and climate for Indian 

 corn. I have seen it grow there finer than any where else. The 

 climate is a blessed one, the most so of any in the world. France 

 is troubled with severe hail storms; Spain not at all. I often found 

 the corn from our country when it rcdched its destination, ruined by 

 heating on the voyage. It had become musty and of little or no 

 value. Kiln drying is absolutely necessary to preserve it for expor- 

 tation. We must learn and practice the best mode of kiln drying 

 it 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



July 14, 1846. 

 Jonathan L. Hyde in the Chair. 



Dr. Underbill. — Before I enter on this discussion I wish to correct 

 an error in some printed reports of my remarks at the last meeting. 

 I spoke of the good effects of peeling off carefully, (not injuring the 

 sap beneath,) the rough or diseased bark, or instead, shaving off 

 the bark with a drawing knife till nearly through the old bark, w^hen 

 new will be formed, that this process w^as favorable to the growth 

 and fruiting of barren trees. I did not speak of it as a means of 

 destroying insects particularly. 



This subject of insects is a wide field, and it is one of immense 



importance. I present here for your examination, branches of quince 

 and pear trees, showing the destruction caused by the sting of some 

 insect a few feet below the outward ends of the branches. You per- 

 ceive that the wood is turned black and hard like ebony or black 

 walnut. I also present some quinces, nearly covered with an orange 

 colored moss or excresence, the interior of the quince, as you see, full 

 of worms. I caused my quince trees to be whitewashed, body and 



