258 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



these insects should live; some years they are in great plenty, in others 

 we hardly see any. 



In relation to the time of tlie seventeen year locusts {cicada), coming out 

 of the earth, was not only exact to a day, but to an hour, and in case of its 

 Leing leap year, tlie time will come a da)' earlier. 



Mr. John G. Bergen contended that the temperature always regulated 

 the periods, so that the time never could be calculated with certainty in 

 the case of the locusts, nor any other insects. It is heat that warms into 

 life the germs of vegetables and insects. Without it both perish. 



Dr. Trimble. — Seeds have a regular fixed period in vegetating, even 

 when the heat is at the exact right temperature, and insects the same. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — I am surprised to hear the remarks of the gen- 

 Llemen from New Jersey. I hope to see the day when we shall have a 

 remedy for these pests. It is well known that our farmers have destroyed 

 the birds, and now we are infested with this moth and caterpillar so destruc- 

 tive to our orchards. We have work to do. I hope our farmers will use 

 every known means to destroy them — lighting fires at night in our orchards 

 do a vast deal of good. 



In a conversation with a gentleman -from Michigan, he stated that 

 these insects were spreading to an alarming extent in that state, so much 

 so, that it Was creating considerable excitement. It is useless for us to 

 wait until the Ichneumon fly destroys these worms. The hog will destroy 

 the apple moth. 



Dr. Trimble. — As to protecting birds, I have used every means in my 

 power to get the wren to live in my garden, but I have never been able to 

 get more than one pair at a time. The oriole is an excellent bird. I had a 

 pair of these birds with a nest of young ones; they feed very ravenously on 

 these insects, and while the birds were young, they required a great num- 

 ber to satisfy them. I have seen apples remain on the trees until they are 

 ripe, contain these worms, and I have often seen a dish of apples contain a 

 number of them. The moth of tlie appleworm is very beautiful, although its 

 life is very short, perhaps not longer than a day. 



As to the use of fires at night, probably it destroys as many insects use- 

 ful, as those that are injurious. I have seen persons hang vials filled partly 

 with sweetened water upon these trees; these bottles are often filled with 

 insects, probably there were a number of the Ichneumon fly which were 

 after their prey. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — I would ask the last speaker whether he has 

 abandoned the use of the sheet, which he advocated with such pertinacity 

 some years since, and also whether he discontinues the use of the hog 

 in his orchards. 



Dr. Trimble. — I have abandoned nothing. If the insects are so far ad- 

 vanced as to be upon the trees, I use the sheet, but I was not the person 

 who advocated the plan. 



A Rare Fibrous Plant — What Was It? 



Mr. Robinson stated that during, the clearing out of a lot of old papers 

 in the State House at Albany, Mr. Wilson Miller of this city had picked up 

 the report that he held in his hand, which he read as follows: 



