INSECTS INJURIOUS TO PLANTS. 91 
the grub, or the pupa state; the enemy, in these stages, 
is beyond our reach, and is subject to the control only of 
the natural but unknown means appointed by the Author 
of Nature to keep the insect tribes in check. When they 
have issued from their subterranean retreats, and have 
congregated upon our vines, trees, and other vegetable 
productions, in the complete enjoyment of their propensi- 
ties, we must unite our efforts to seize and: crush the in- 
vaders. They must indeed be crushed, scalded, or burned, 
to deprive them of life, for they are not affected by any 
of the applications usually found destructive to other in- 
sects. Experience has proved the utility of gathering 
them by hand, or of shaking them or brushing them from 
the plants into tin vessels containing a little water. They 
should be collected daily during the period of their visi- 
tation, and should be committed to the flames, or killed 
by scalding water. The late John Lowell, Esq., states 
that, in 1823, he discovered, on a solitary apple-tree, the 
Rose-bugs ‘in vast numbers, such as could not be describ- 
ed and would not be believed if they were described; 
or, at least, none but an ocular witness could conceive 
of their numbers. Destruction by hand was out of the 
question,’ in this case. He put sheets under the tree, and 
shook them down, and burned them. Dr. Green, of 
Mansfield, whose investigations have thrown much light 
on the history of this insect, proposes protecting plants 
with millinet, and says that in this way only did he suc- 
ceed in securing his grape-vines from depredation. His 
remarks also show the utility of gathering them. 
“Eighty-six of these spoilers,’ says he, ‘were known to 
infest a single rose-bud, and were crushed with one grasp 
of the hand.’ Suppose, as was probably the case, that 
one-half of them were females; by this destruction, eight 
hundred eggs, at least, wére prevented from becoming ma- 
tured. During the time of their prevalence, Rose-bugs 
