618 [ASSEMBLT 



Mr. Meigs. — Some plants are not liable to the attacks of insects; 

 the Ailanthus seems to be one, and a very singular fact is stated re- 

 lative to the Lycopersicon — the tomato — that when legions of lo- 

 custs devour all plants, poisonous and all — night shade, crows' foot, 

 &c., there has always been one solitary exception, and that is the 

 tomato. This fact was especially not ced in Estreraadura in Spain. 

 I venture to hint that such plants as are avoided by the insects might 

 possibly be planted around pieces of ground, so as to afford protec- 

 tion to others. I say this, because in seeking for an unknown result^ 

 it is safe to try theories or conjectures. 



Col. Skinner. — You are aware of the importance of the article 

 turpentine, of the fact that the long leafed pine which produces 

 it, is disappearing, leaving no young growth to supply its place. 

 And this is also attributed to an insect working at its root. Great 

 numbers of noble pines of three feet in diameter and 150 feet high^ 

 stand, some of them stretching their naked arms abroad, others pros- 

 trate on the ground, and no successors of their kind. 



• 

 Man meets with vast power in insect life. What ravages are 

 those of the little ant. In some countries it is probable that no written 

 documents or records can long escape their ravages. They devour all. 

 Whole forests have been killed by beetles! In some forests of South 

 Carolina ninety trees out of one hundred have been killed by a smalE 

 black winged bug ! 



The ornithologist, Wilson, justly complains of the destruction of 

 birds, more particularly of the wood peckers, red headed and ivory 

 billed, whose services in destroying insects are of such great impor- 

 tance. I refer to James Rennie's Essay on Insects j it is very inte- 

 resting. 



Dr. Underbill. — I must again urge the exceeding usefulness of 

 birds in destroying noxious insects. A cat bird will destroy for her-^ 

 self and for her young, hundreds in a day. 



Our crows must be preserved. On my place I have a rookery of 

 many thousands; they are many of them in my orchards all winter. 

 In summer they follow my plows all day long, feasting on grubs 

 and worms and beetles. I save one hundred dollars for every one I 

 lose by my crows. Young corn is easily protected from them. I 

 stretch cotton twine around and across my fields and the crows never 

 put foot in them; they suspect a trap. During very snowy winters-^ 



