No. 149.] 251 



significant as he appears, has a choice of food, and selects the 

 sweetest as well as the richest for his repast. If he follows in 

 the track of industry and civilization, and lays waste the pro- 

 ducts of these, he does no more than more important beings have 

 done, and for the same reason, as here he finds the choicest and 

 most valuable spoils. Famine and pestilence in the old world 

 have often followed on the track of both, and both in different 

 periods have made the human race suffer for not checking him 

 in season, but letting him become too powerful for resistance. 

 Modern Europe has sufiered frequently from the ravages of in- 

 sects, and sections of it have more than once been desolated by 

 them, and reduced to a state of famine or near it. Of late they 

 have learned wisdom from their sufferings, they studied the 

 character of their enemy, and combated him in every way when 

 he threatened an invasion, and repelled him. The people of dif- 

 ferent neighboring districts, acted in concert, and by simultane- 

 ous movements attacked and crushed him, or as large a portion of 

 him as they could. The public authorities paid them for these 

 efforts, and employed men, women and cliildren to join in the 

 contest, and rewarded them according to the numb'-r or quantity 

 of the enemy they slaughtered. They have gone further, they 

 have encouraged and protected all the natural enemies of the 

 common enemy. All birds and animals known to make war 

 upon and kill insects and devour them for food, have been pre- 

 served with the greatest care, and not any permitted to be kill- 

 ed hy spoiLsmeii or, others under severe penalties, and these en- 

 forced with rigor whenever the law was violated. 



Our sister state, New Jersey, has lately set us an example in 

 this respect; she has enacted laws preserving birds that are 

 known to prey upon insects, inflicting penalties upon those who 

 destroy them. Our State, and others, will be obliged before long 

 to follow so laudable an example, if we wish to preserve our 

 plants and fruits ; some years the products of our agricultural 

 industry generally are diminished almost one half, and a few en- 

 tirely destroyed. Many of our farmers and people don't appear 

 to be aware of the real cause of the injury, they are apt to ascribe 

 it to something else, the season, or a neglect of doing at the i-roper 

 time or manner what their soil and plants require. It is diilicult 



