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the members of the committee are at a diftance from the 

 immediate feats of obfervation, and cannot obtain that ac- 

 curate knowledge of fadts, which is requifite to infure the 

 principles they adopt from errors^ However, this is not 

 thought a fufficient objedion to their doing all in their 

 power towards putting fo interefting a rcfearch on a plan 

 of inveftigation, and furnifhing gentlemen, of learning and 

 leifure, ia the places where the mifchief prevails, with 

 huats that may ferve as a bafis to fuch a feries of obferva- 

 tions and experiments, as may probably be produdive of 

 the defn^ed difcovery. 



It is faid the injury of wheat from flies began in North- 

 Carolina, about forty years paft, where it has been diffi- 

 cult to preferve it ever finee, unlefs in fpring houfes, or 

 other cool places; and that the Indian corn of that coun- 

 try being of a foft and tender quality, is alfo liable to be in- 

 jured by the fame infeds, but may be preferved from them,: 

 "by keeping the cob covered with the under leaves of the 



hullv. 



That thefe mifchievous flies have extended gradually 



from Carolina into Virginia, Maryland, and the Lower 

 ^ Counties on Delaware ; to the laftof which places they did 

 not arrive 'till fevcn years ago, and had not yet penetrated 

 into Pennfylvania, or pafled the Delaware, That in the 

 tranfit they have been principally confined to low level 



moift lands; and when they have been found in high dry 

 lands, they have been but few in number, and did not re- 

 main longer than one feafon* From whence we may ra- 



tionally infer, that the high dry lands do not afford them- 

 equal convenicncles for fubfiftancc and propagation, that 

 the low level moifl; lands do, where many things confpire^ 

 to make all grain raifed in them,- of a foft fpungy quality, 

 and peculiarly adapted to become the food and nefts of ten^ 

 der infeds; and therefore thole are the places in which 

 fuch infeds will abound, and the wheat raifed in them, is 

 the only kind which they can pierce and injure. The truth. 

 or falfehood of this Inference may readily be afcertaincd,. 



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