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NEW E N G L A N n F A P A' E R 



MABCH ig, It4<>. 



may fall in cadence more mournful than the .u. 

 blast siplis throngh its branches, until the oree; 

 leaf withers, and the outstretching arms fall ''i"' , 

 and the tall trunk decays. They commence their 

 attacks upon our labors ere the seed has germinated 

 in the earth, and continue not only while the ten- 

 der blade is pushing itself upward, hut they rub our 

 foliage of its verdure, extract tlie fragrance from our 

 flowers, cause our fruit to fall prematurely to the 

 earth, and as " snugly as a niovBC in a mill," they 

 leave the rudiments of another generation wi th that 

 whicli ripens, ready to spring with it into existence 

 and become sources of vexations and isapp t- 

 inents when we look for wavy fields and luxuriant 

 harvests. 



Although insects are tlie source of much mis- 

 chief to t!ie farHier, they still have those among 

 their clan possessed of redeeming qualities, and 

 really act in subservience to his comfort and inte- 

 rest. Many of them, like ourselves, are carnivo- 

 rous beings, and make thtir existence valuable by 

 destroying those of a more feeble, but perhaps as 

 the annoyers of man, a more calamitous character, 

 as also those whose existence tends directly to his 

 interest. Thus spiders not only feast upon nther 

 varieties of their species, but they weave the subtile 

 web which proves the fatal net of many an unwary 

 fly. The Galeria Cerea is, unless efficient mians 

 are taken to prevent its invasions, in continual war- 

 fare on the honey bee. Even tJie little ants de- 

 light in warfare, and do not restrict their hostilities 

 to otiier nations, but are hostile to those of j.e 

 own who are guilty of differing from themselves in 

 some family traits. In short, in every class, order, 

 &c. of llie insect nations, wo find a system of war- 

 fare, a spirit of extermination, continually at work, 

 no, only upon other insects, and ujjon vegetable na- 

 ture, but their ravages are cnrried to the higher 

 order of things, and deposit their eggs so that 

 generations may trespass upon the quiet and often 

 become the murderers of the animals which 

 liolds as his particular friends, such as the innocent 

 sheep, the ox on which lie depends for labor, and 

 the horse, given to strength and beauty, — and 

 even man himself is subject to their invasions, for 

 who has not been disturbed by the stingino- of a 

 gnat, the harpooning of a mosquito, or that most in- 

 vidious of all midnight intruders, the gnrmandizinn-, 

 blood-seeking, sleep. banishing b<rd-bug .' 



Now the department of science whicii embraces 

 the insecttribes is exceedingly comprehr-nsive. Will 

 it repay in any way or shape f.r its investigation ? 



The wheat insect, which made its appearance a 

 few years since, is annually destroying its thousands 

 of busliels, and in many places its ravages are .so 

 complete, that farmers have abandoned the cultiva- 

 tion of tlie article it preys upon, and substituted 

 those in place of it which are exhausting their lands 

 and of course depreciating their value ; in the mean 

 time there has been- a lack of brcailstuffs incur 

 country. Is it jvorth our while to search out the 

 habits of this inspct and stuy its rav.iges ? The 

 latter cannol be effectually done witliont tlin former. 

 Or is it best for us as an enlightened, independent 

 people, to let it go on until some nnliiral cause 

 check ita-career, and independantly buy our bread 

 of foreign nations ? If we rise as a nation to ex- 

 terminate this foe, who are to be the chief warriors 

 in the conflict.' Will the physician leave the dy- 

 ing man, or the attorney his client, or the clergy- 

 men his desk, to sit as committee of investi'^ation .' 

 No: their labors are in anotlier field, while the/ar- 

 mer stands at the post of daily and hourly obssrva- 



1 tion, and should be continually " taking notes" and 

 "reporting progress" of the advancement or retreat 

 ] of the common enemy. 



It is so in other cases. An insect, a worm as 

 j is often the case, may attack his corn while yet the 

 blade is scarce springing up. Its work of destruc- 

 tion does not move slowly and heavily along, but 

 in the present state of things the remedy maybe 

 I beyond his reach. Vet tliere wus a time when a 

 preventive was at his conrmund, and perliops he i • 

 the fly as it hovered over the field, now and t 

 descending and depoisiting its retinue of eg 

 which circumstances to which his own labors have 

 contributed, have hastened to give up thoir living 

 ones, his present relentless foes. Science, we say, 

 [a knowledge ofihese insects, might have remedied 

 the evil. 



The turnip fly, wliich annually occasions damage 

 enough, which if avoided, would more than furnish 

 those who sustain losses by its operations, with 

 valuable works on this important science, has cer- 

 tain qualities -which, if knoivn, would make an 

 easy victim to destruction ; and it is so with the 

 whole host of them. 



The locust is a valuable tree, (if rapid growth, 

 and one which would become a subject of extensive 

 cultivation, were it noL for the borer, which under 

 certain circumstances so fatally attacks it. These 

 little engines of mischief do not stop their depredn- 

 tions with the spoiling of the tree on which their 

 labors commence, but as sure as they destroy one, 

 they will attack the many shoots which spring up 

 from its roots, and thus they are transferred from 

 place to place with the young trees, and will, unless 

 destroyed, continue ilie work of destruction to the 

 latest generation. Enlightened liberality has oflar- 

 ed rich rewards for their dsstruction, but it has not 

 slain the deadly foe ; consequently, we may sup 

 pose that money, or even talents, unless directly 

 applied, will never effect their destruction. Sci- 

 ence, however, if placed in tlie hands of those who 

 can take notes of observation when they lie down 

 and when tliej" rise up — when they walk by the 

 way and when they sit under the green shade, will 

 effect the object, and probably by some very sim- 

 ple process, perhaps nothing more than feeding the 

 leviathan with warm water instead of the rich jui- 

 ces of the tree. Indeed we have known them ef- 

 fectually destroyed by pouring boiling water into 

 the orifice of their own formation. 



But the destructive power of insects is not stayed 

 by the maturity and death of the objects upon 

 whose vitals they feed when the life-flood is in 

 free circulation. They infest our granaries after 

 the wheat has been separated from the chafTand is 

 snugly stored awn)'. They are among the first visi- 

 tants to the flour barrel, when it has been placed 

 where none but the good housewife should have ac- 

 cess to its treasures. Tiicy devour the pine tim- 

 bers of our buildings, when years have elapsed since 

 the tool of the carpenter has given them tlieir finish- 

 ing. In short, the emblems of destruction have 

 been scattered by them every where and abouteve 

 ry object. 



We ceiininly think there is much propriety, aye 

 and neccssit)'' too, in the farmer's being an ento- 

 mologist. Yet we would not advise him, like the 

 English nobleman, to rliase butterflies all day, 

 [though we think his course quite as useful as that 

 of some Americans, who put themselves in pursuit 

 for whole days and nights, of those of their own 

 species who, by every method that art can devise, 

 affbct to assimilate themselves to butterflies and va- 



rious other insect tribes,) but to tak the subjects 

 of this part of nature's realm when and wherever 

 he can find them, and never let them go until his 

 acquaintance with their nature and habits has passed 

 the ordeal of a thorough investigatio lUit there 



are new insects continually intruding themselves 

 upon us. Of this we are well aware, and it is tho 

 privilege ofthoso upon whoso border they com- 

 mence their depredations, like the men at Lexing- 

 ton, to g've the Jirst battle, and if the enemy wro 

 too powerful, to sound the alarm through the sur- 

 rounding regions, and call their country's friends 

 and theirs to their aid. Then might Hcssiin Hiea 

 and the whole host of these marauders, lijie retiring 

 Hessians, sound a retreat, and gladly forsake a 

 country which offers no quaiters to a cominnu fo-^. 



VV. i;. 

 Mount Oscfola, F^b. G, 1840. 



LETTER FROM HON. WM. FOSTER, 

 Read at the Sixth Agricultural Meeting. 



Boston, 17th Feb. 8 0. 



Mr Colman — Sir — Having attended with some 

 profit, I liopo, the various lectures of this lecture- 

 loving city ; but still, though old, desirous of know- 

 ing something more, I was induced by that insatia- 

 ble thirst for knowledge which characterizes the 

 present age, to attend two of your agricultural meet- 

 ings, and thCT-e I found, as I expected, a display of 



the sound good sense of New England farmers, 



knowledge springing from its native source — txpe- 

 rience — tested by facts, and unadorned by any su- 

 perfluous parade of science, or fanciful specula- 

 tions. 



I heard Mr Hill's very instructive lecture, and 

 W'as carried by his glowing description of the great 

 English farmei-'s establishment, (Mr Coke, of Holk- 

 ham,) to the most pleasant period of my life, when 



I was something betwixt a farmer and a soldier 



being obliged then to have my arms not far from 

 my tools. It was in France, during the revolution, 

 in the rebellious provinces, where I held lands, and 

 had a family to protect. 



Several topics discussed by Gov. Hill, brought 

 to my mind analogous subjects, and the successful 

 practice and ripe philosophy of my father-in-law, 

 who was a large landholder and a scientific agri- 

 culturist. 



However imperfect may be my recollection of 

 events more than forty years old, and however small 

 might have been my rural knowledge, I liave thou o-ht 

 that it might be of some use to call to memory 

 what I can, and to offer it through you, sir, to the 

 agricultural community, for I am convinced that 

 the fainte.st hint, if it only suggest any thin" new- 

 will soon be brought to maturity by Yankee ino-e- 

 nuity. This fact I know, by experience, by the 

 success of several mechanical improvements, which 

 I have seen to grow out of mere liints of the prac- 

 tice in other countries, where tlie practice was far 

 from being important, for the want of that proper 

 application which has since been made of it by our 

 intelligent countrymen. Some ofthese hints I gave 

 myself, being an amateur of mechanics. 



The Commissioner at that .meeting spoke of the 

 importance of making good butter, which, he in- 

 formed us, might be made to command double the 

 present price. Bo far as this article is the product 

 of tho soil, it must appear evident that no mechani. 

 cal improvement in culture, or chemical improvc- 

 nent in manures, can be expected to ofl^cr a supe- 

 ior result, viz. doubling the net income. 



