NEW ENC}L.AWI> FARMER. 



Published by John B. Russell, at Au. 5'i JVorlh Market Street, (over the Agiieiiltvml ff'arehottse). — Tkomas G. Fessenden Editor. 



VOL. VI. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBEIl 7, 1827. 



No. 7. 



AGRICULTURE. 



REMARKS ON THE SCARAB./EUS ROSE- 

 US. OR ROSE BUG. 



(fiMiduded from page 42.) 

 In about 20 days from Iho time of deposit, gen- 

 orally, the infant Iaiva5 burst from tlieir confine- 

 ment and are about one tenth of an inch in length. 

 At this time, they are found lying with the body 

 doubleil, nearly in contact. The head is largo in 

 nroportion to the body, and is covered with a 

 smooth, corneous substance, which soon acquires 

 a faint yellow colour; fnpiished with mandibles 

 of a light red, especially on the out side. The 

 antenna: are visible. The body is small, white, 

 nearly transparent, composed of 14 segments, and 

 has here and there a few minute light coloured 

 hairs, especially on the posterior part. The legs 

 are six in numbei% placed near the head, short, 

 clumsy, transparent, and thinly covered with short 

 hair of a faint yellow colour. At this time, they 

 appear to subsist on the -nutritious parts of the 

 earth. 



About the last of October, the larvs arrive to 

 their full growth, or nearly so ; nearly 6 lines in 

 length and abont IJ through the body. They are 

 found, at this time, lying in a curved form, at va- 

 rious depths in the earth. The head is now a 

 faint reddish yellow, and the end of the mandibles 

 are black. The body is white, smallest in the 

 middle, and in the posterior part a dark subs%nce 

 IS seen through the skin. There is a striking re- 

 semblance between the full grown larvte of the 

 rose-bug and that of the May-bug, when about one 

 fourth grovv'n — the former has been taken for the 

 youth of the latter. 



As the cold weather advances, they descend 

 into the earth, perhaps below the frost, which, if 

 severe, it is probable thpy could not endure. In 

 this situation they lie torpid through the winter. 

 As warm weather, approaches, in the spring, they 

 ascend. On March 21, (weather cold) they were 

 found about 18 inches below the surface of the 

 earth ; and on the 6th of April following, (weather 

 warm) they were found near the surface. 



About the first of May, they descend to a cer- 

 tain depth in the earth, (not deep however,) and 

 form cells, large enough for them to turn about 

 conveniently. In these cells, they lie in a torpid 

 state, preparing to take the chrysalis form. There 

 may be some little dificrence as to the time of 

 forming the cells — cold may retard the progress 

 of the larvffi. In this torpid stale they continue 

 several days, or until the time of change. This 

 change is preceded by various motions of the in- 

 sect, now on the confines of the chrysalis state. — 

 The skin of the larv.i separates from the incipient 

 chrysalis, at the head, and by repeated e.xertions 

 of the insect is thrown off. ond left at the apex of 

 the body. The insect now appears as different 

 from what it was hpfore the thunge, as if it were 

 a distinct production of nature, or belonged to an- 

 other order of insects — bpi"g an intermedinte form 

 between the larvse and the perfect insect. 



The chrysalis is fibout half an inch in length, 

 the head is bent forwards ; the eyes the elytra, 

 and the segments of the body are visible through 

 the skin that encloses them : the le^s are enclos- 



ed iu serarato membranes without the body of the 

 chry.sulis ; and the whole appearance i-3 of a light 

 yellow colour. In this state they lie dormant un- 

 til all the parts, as wings, legs, &c. arc complete- 

 ly formed and matured. And it is probable, that 

 they are generally prepared by the first of June, 

 to emerge from the earth and become denizens of 

 air ; and only wait for a sufficient degree of heat; 

 aud then, by some exertion, burst the membrane- 

 ous substance which surrounds them, rush from 

 their cells, dig their passage to, the surface, com- 

 nic'.ice a new kind of life, pursue new proponsi- 

 tii\s, and bagin their ravages on vegetation. — 

 Those that lie near the surface, probably appear 

 first, as the necessary degree of heat arrives to 

 them sooner, than to those that lie deeper in the 

 earth. 



We have now traced our common depredator 

 through his various gradations, which are all com- 

 pleted, in succession, in the space of one year. 



For the general destruction of our enemy, we 

 must look to some powerful operation of nature. 

 Several species of insects have nearly become ex- 

 tinct, in certain districts, in one season, by the 

 power of frost, or some other cause. Here is our 

 hope ; but in the mean time, let us be vigilant and 

 persevering in devising and prosecuting such plans 

 of partial destruction, as circumstances may re- 

 quire. They are so numerous, scattered over our 

 farms and our forests, and possessing the means 

 of spreading themselves in every direction, that 

 our means of defence are extremely limited. 



Many supposed antidotes have been tried, but 

 with little cfl'cct. Fumes of sulphur will disturb, 

 t • : not destroy them, neither prevent them from 

 feeding on the leaves, about whicli the fumes 

 have ascended. Lime water was found ineffectu- 

 al. A solution of green vitriol was. tried, but the 

 effect was such that it gave me no confidence in 

 it. Strong tobacco-water applied to the foliage 

 as a was!) had only a very limited effect in defend- 

 ing plants. Strong pepper water (pepper seed 

 pulverised, 2 oz. strong tobacco 1 oz. gum arabic 

 1 oz. boiling water 2 quarts,) applied with a brush, 

 either to young fruit, or to the foliage of plants, 

 had the greatest effect of any thing thaf was 

 tried ; but they ail come short of the end desired, 

 so far as the writer has proved them. 



Millinet spread over plants and well secured is 

 an efl^ectual defence. All my grapes were des- 

 troyed the two last years, except those defended 

 in this way. Suppose for instance, that the vines 

 be trained horirontally on a frame, standing east 

 and west, make a tight board fence on the north 

 side of the frame, and from the top suspend the 

 millinet over the frame and on the south side. — 

 The millinet should be bordered with coarse cloth 

 or 8 inches wide, for the better securing it. — 

 The covering may be removed during the night 

 and in rainy weather. This plan has been pursu 

 ed with a few foreign grape vines for the two 

 years past, nnd the proprietor has been amply re- 

 munerated by the fruit thus preserved from des- 

 truction. Small plants are easily defended in this 

 way, by a frame covered with millinet. 



The only mode of partial destruction of the in- 

 sects, which the writer has found advantageous, 

 is the following — Take a large new tin pail, with 



one or two quarts of water therein, and with one 

 hand, hold it under the branches of young trees, 

 shrubs, or plants, and with the other h;»nd bond 

 the branch or plant towards the Aater, and give a 

 sudden shako, or gently grasping the branch and 

 leaves, and with a virmicular motion of the hand 

 and fingers, rub them off — in either case the bugs 

 fall into the water, and the moment they arc wet, 

 or strike the water, they cannot fiy, neither can 

 they escape by crawling up the tin. When in this 

 manner 2 or 3 quarts are collected, pour on them 

 boiling water, and they have done.* By this pro- 

 cess, their numbers may be greatly lessened, and 

 a garden saved from their ravages. In my gar- 

 dens, which are small, about .3 pecks (after scald 

 cd) were destroyed in 182.5, one perk of which, by 

 measure, was taken on the 10th Uth and 12th of 

 June. In 1826, about 5 pecks were destroyed iu 

 the same way. Two pecks, by measure, were 

 caught in a garden of only 16 square rods, four 

 quarts of which were taken on the 8th of June, by 

 one person. 



Almost all species of insects are made subser- 

 vient to another class of animals; but no creature 

 is known to the writer to prey on this species of 

 scarabseus ; unless it be a species of the dragon 

 fly, so called, which insect appear." equal to the. 

 task, and may destroy several in a day, grasping 

 the culprit with his legs, and bearing off tlie vic- 

 tim beneath his body, like a well balanced log un- 

 der a draught. Should these friends of man great- 

 ly increase, they maj' in time, relieve us, in some 

 small degree, of a " destruction that wasfeth al 

 noon day." 



roSTSCRIPT. 



It was the iiutr.ion of the writer to have made 

 the foregoing communication at an earlier dale, 

 but circumstances, which he could not control, 

 prevented. It may be proper, in this place, to no 

 lice the progress of the insects the present season. 

 \ few appeared on the 8th day of June, and grad 

 ually increased from day to day, until the 24th, 

 soon after which, there was a gradual decrease, 

 in my gardens, until the 18th of July, after which 

 none was observed. From the best information, 

 there were not more than one half as many in this 

 vicinity, as in the last year. In my gardens they 

 were about one-fifth as many as in 1826. The 

 cause of the general decrease was, probablv, the 

 severity of the last winter. One great cause of 

 decrease in' my gardens was the largo numbers 

 destroyed the last season. Although my gardens 

 were this season visited with few rose bugs in 

 comparison with the last ; yet, they succeeded in 

 destroying nearly all my grapes, that were not 

 covered, almost all my nectarines, most of my 

 poaches, and mutilated my young plum trees, rose 

 bushes, &c. The same vigilance was pursued 

 this year, as in the last, and only about one peck 

 of the insects was caught. 



From several circumstances, which have occur- 

 red, it appears that the larvse in their early infan- 

 cy are not very hardy; that a certain degree of 

 moisture is favourable to their growth, and that a 



* If the insects be immersed in cold water 12 hours, and lie 

 come apparently dead, and then be exposed to the sun in a dry 

 place, many, il'hot all, will resuscitate, and resume their depre» 

 dations. 



