24 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
ing grounds and the court-house happened to be in 
their way, a proxy was appointed to represent the 
accused insects, who debated the whole subject with 
the accuser, after which judgment was rendered, 
invariably against the accused insects in the form 
of an excommunication, which was carried into 
effect only when the insects disappeared at the time 
of pupation.” 
The suggestion which Washington is said to 
have made upon the constitution whilst that in- 
strument was under discussion, is not inapplicable 
to the present subject. A clause having been pro- 
posed that the standing army should be limited to 
five thousand men, he suggested that another clause 
be inserted forbidding any foreign power to in- 
vade us with more than three thousand men! 
It is probably advisable to provide for inspection 
of plants at ports of entry, but too much should 
not be expected of such examinations. The exam- 
ination soon comes to be largely a perfunctory 
matter, and the most serious pests may easily slip 
through the hands of officers. It is probable that no 
law could be devised which could have kept the 
codlin-moth, Hessian-fily, gipsy-moth, and a seore of 
other pests, out of the country, to say nothing of the 
fungous diseases, which are more difficult to detect. 
Then, again, one can never tell what insects are likely 
te become troublesome upon introduction into a new 
country. Many insects which are comparatively innoc- 
uous in their native country, and against which, there- 
fore, no suspicion exists, may become scourges in an- 
