}86 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



ter, and, vrithin the first and twentieth of June, 

 the moth emerges from its chrjsalisand cocoon, 

 an I flics towards the meadows ; where, after 

 the hymeneal rites are celebrated, and the eggs 

 deposited, it dies. 



The moth is the perfect state of the insect. — 

 There arc two varieties, as to colour, corres- 

 ponding with the caterpillars from which thev 

 are produced. From the dark caterpillar and 

 brown cocoon proceeds a moth with ash-colour- 

 ed wings; and, from the lighter coloured larva 

 and cocoon, is disclosed a moth whose upper 

 wings are white, as are also the under wings in 

 some individuals. These colours do not desig- 

 nate the difference of sex : for though the upper 

 wings ol'the male are invariably while, those of 

 the female are not as invariably ash-coloured ; 

 but this diflerence or variety of the female will 

 be more distinctly described below. 1 would al- 

 so mention that the male, and the light-colour- 

 ed variety of the temale, both proceed from 

 caterpillars and cocoons of the same colour. 



The male moth will be tirst described. 



Head and tliroax white ; eyes black ; anten- 

 na; black, and doubly pectinated. Body orange- 

 coloured, with six black s|)ots on the top of 

 each ring, and a white line betvreen a double 

 row of black spots on each side ;* beneath the 

 abdomen is a single series of four or live small 

 spots : tail white. Upper wings white above, 

 orange coloured beneath, spotted with black 

 upon both surfaces: under wings both above 

 and beneath orange-coloured, with a kw large 

 black spots. Thighs orange coloured ; legs and 

 leet white, spotted or banded with black. 



Female — Head, thorax, tail, both surfaces ol 

 the upper and under wings, under part of the 

 abdomen, and the thighs entirely ash-coloured. 

 The wings are spotted with black. Upper part 

 of the abdomen as in the male. Antennse doub- 

 ly (but slightly) serrated, not pectinated. 



V'ariety of the female — Head, thorax, and 

 tail, white. Upper part of the body as in the 

 male. Upper and under wings white upon both 

 surfaces, and sjjoi'ed with black. This variety 

 very much resembles the male, when the wings 

 are closed, 'or then the under wings are not to 

 be seen, 't 's however easily distinguished from 

 the nii"'e by its antennas which are serrated : 

 and when we examine the under wings, and the 

 i.iferior surfaces of the upper wings, and body, 

 we tind them to be destitute of the 3'ellow or or- 

 ange-colour, peculiar to those parts of the male. 



] would only add to this description, that the 

 motha, of both sexes, are furnished with a short 

 tongue, separable into two filaments; and have 

 also two scaly palpi, above the mouth. 



This insect is closely allieil to several others, 

 very common in Europe, and some of which are 

 also found here; such as Bombyx erminea,t &c. 

 These form one family, and are arranged under 

 the genus Arctia of Latreille, and Leach. This 

 genus contains those moths, which have two 

 scaly feelers ; pectinated or ciliated antenna; ; 

 a short membranaceous tongue, composed of two 

 separate filaments; and trigonate,dfcilexed wings; 

 the caterpillar having sixteen feet. 



Professor I'cck, to whom this moth was shewn, 

 considered it as a nondescript ; anil proposed to 

 call it pseud-crmiiiea, bastard ermine, -rom its af- 



* The upper consi^tinaf of six, in number and sizr 

 corresponding with those on tlie back, ;»nd the lower 

 of 4 or 5 spots whirh are f-Tiallt-r than the fcrmcr. 



t Arctia hibricipedu. Leach. Arctia Menthastri.' 



finity to the above mentioned Bombyx erminea.* 

 I would therefore define the subject of this me- 

 moir. 



Arctia (pseud-erminea) alis masculis anticis 

 albis ; posticis fulvis, utrisque nigro punctatis : 

 tergo fulvo, sex maculis nigris supra notato; 

 ventro quinquefarie nigro punctato. Focmina 

 variat alarum colore. 



Larvae gregatae ; vcrrucis luteis piliferis. 



Pupa folliculata. 



Interdum maculam septimam super postrema 

 corporis parte videmus. Fuemina alis (anticis 

 posticisque concoloribus) albis vel cinereis, ni- 

 gro punctatis. 



There are two facts, in the history of these 

 caterpillars, that should be ascertained. First — 

 the place where the eggs are deposited ; this 1 

 have not as yet been able to discover; those 

 eggs, which 1 obtained, were laid under glass 

 vessels upon paper. Probably they would be 

 found around the culm of the grass, or regular- 

 ly arranged upon the leaf. Secondly — whether, 

 by bringing home, with the hay to our barns, 

 the caterpillars when fully grown, we are not 

 liable to introduce them eventually into our up- 

 lands, where they miglit become as it were 

 naturalized ; and thereby increase the evils we 

 already suffer from their devastations. This we 

 have some reason to fear; since we know that 

 the caterpillar at one period, (and that some- 

 times for several days,) feeds indifferently upon 

 all green herbage. Some observations, made 

 upon doubtful specimens of the larva and per- 

 fect insect, found occasionally on the upland-, 

 favour this opinion. The peculiarities in the 

 appearances of these specimens may possibl)- 

 have arisen from a want of the food most naturti 

 to the caterpillar. Still both these points ar* 

 as yet merely matters of conjecture ; furthei; 

 examinnlion must establish or rel'ute them. 



From observation and experience I would re- 

 commend the following plan, by which we may 

 lessen the evils that we suffer from this enemy. 



First, to cut the grass early in July ; and sec- 

 ondly, to burn over the marshes in March. In 

 defence of early mowing, it may be said, — that 

 it is the only way by which we may save the 

 crop from those meadows where the caterpil- 

 lars have multiplied to any extent. The prece- 

 ding history furnishes the data, from which to 

 calculate the best time for affecting this purpose. 



We have seen that the caterpillar is hatched 

 about the twentieth of June, and that its ravages 

 are continued seven weeks. If then the mead- 

 ows, in one vicinity, are mowed about the fourth 

 of July, the caterpillars, being small and feeble, 

 will be deprived of their means of nourishment, 

 and being unable to wander far, will die, before 

 the crop is gathered into the barns. By the 

 process of making the hay, most of the succu- 

 lent juices are evaporated, and the grass be- 

 comes so dry and hard as to rceist the efforts of 

 these little devourers. Thus we see that the 

 Black-grass, by ripening early, is rejected by 

 them, and the crop is saved. 



By the practice of late mowing, where the 

 caterpillars prevail, the crop is diminished, im- 

 mense numbers of caterpillars and grasshoppers 



* Bombyx (Menthastri) alis deflcxis albis nijro sub- 

 pnnclatis ; abdominis dorso fulvo, nigro pnnnctato ; fe- 

 rihu3 anticis I'lttis. 



AbdoaK n album, quinquefarie nigro punctulatnm ; 

 dorsoquc fulvo. Antennsc snbtus nigrax. 



Fabr. Entomolog;. Systematica. 



are left to be dispersed npon the uplands, la it \4 

 multiply and increase the existing evil ; or are US'"' 

 brought in to perish in our barns and stacks, »««'" 

 where (hey communicate a most unpleasant fla- k^J' 

 vour to the hay, rendering it unpalatable to ourt* 

 stock, and occasioning a waste of fodder. 



Many beneficial effects result from burning 

 over the marshes in March. This has beea 

 long practised in the British province of New- 

 Brunswick, and is getting into use in this vicin- 

 ity, to the manifest improvement of the crops. 

 By It the stubble or " old fog" is consumed, 

 which becomes more necessary from early mow- 

 ing, in the preceding year. By this means also Lw 

 we may destroy innumerable eggs and larvae of 

 grasshoppers concealed in the grass* the past 

 autumn, and which, if matured, would produce 

 a host more formidable than that of the cater- 

 pillars themselves. The roots of the grass are 

 not injured by burning the stubble ; they are 

 fertilized by the ashes, and in a short lime af- 

 terwards we shall be gratified by seeing the 

 grass springing from the blackened surface with 

 increased strength and fresher verdure. 



The ]>receding observations on the history of 

 these insects, are the result of the inquiries, in- 

 vestigations, and experience of the writer for 

 several years; and the practice here recom- 

 mended is one that was tirst suggested by neces- 

 sity, and whose good effects have been reaped 

 by many. 



Tills little memoir is offered to members of 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural .Society, with the 

 humble hope that they may derive some profij 

 from what has been a pastime to the author. 



Milton, 1822. T. W. H. 



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From the Mass. Agricultural Repository. 

 P.4STEL, OR VVOAD, 4ND ITS eul^ I UKt. 

 We insert with great pleasure, the following 

 communications on the culture of Woad, (Isafis 

 Tinctoria.) and General Dearborn will permit 

 us to express our sense of the obligation which 

 the public are under to him, for his continued 

 efforts to introduce the cultivation of this plant, 

 now so important to cur manufactures. During 

 the late war. General Dearborn made some in- 

 teresting experiments on a small scale, to prove 

 the practiciiiility of raising this important dye- 

 stuff in the United States. Though his exper- 

 iments were not extensive, tliey were entirely 

 satisfactory. He did more. He compiled and 

 wrote, and published at his own expense, a trea- 

 tise on the culture of this plant, which contains 

 all the information neccs-ary lor a cultivator of 

 it. The peace came; with it, low prices; and 

 the subject lost a portion of its interest. But 

 great changes have been wrought during the last 

 seven years, and the culture of woad has again 

 become a subject of deep interest. The fact, 

 that an extensive manufacturer, like Mr. Crown- 

 inshield, has found it for his interest to cultivate 

 this plant, and has proved its value practically, 

 seems to set the question at rest. We invite 

 our cultivators generally, to read with attention 

 these communications, to procure Mr. Dear- 

 born's work on Woad, and to make some mode- 

 rate experiments upon this article. 



Mr. Dearborn''s letter to Mr. Lowell, April 9, 1 823. 



Dear Sir — I inclose a letter from Richard 



Crowninshield, Esq. on the cultivation of woad, 



which, if you think proper, please to cause to 



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