V E R 



V E II 



Snails, alfo, during the winter, the fame writer alTures us, 

 gather themfelves together in cluilers ; and in that feafon 

 are frequently found in great numbers behind wall-trees, 

 and in holes of the walls. They fliould be carefully picked 

 off and crufhed, which is the only effeftual way of getting 

 rid of them. If any (hould efcape, they ftiould be de- 

 ftroyed as they make their appearance in the fpring. As 

 they alfo depofit their eggs in the ground, the borders 

 fhould be well watered in the above manner. 



Wafps and flies are highly dellruftive of all forts of fruit ; 

 therefore, as foon as the wafp and large fle(h-fly make their 

 2ppearance, it is proper to get ready feveral bottles or 

 phials ; then mix up grounds of wine or beer, with fwecp- 

 iags of fugar, honey, or grounds of treacle, and with this 

 mixture fill the bottles half or three-quarters full ; then place 

 fome of them at the bottom of the wall, and hang a fuffi- 

 cient number up by a piece of yellow willow, or pack- 

 thread, on the nails againft the walls in different places, ob- 

 ferving to empty them frequently as they fiU with flies and 

 wafps ; firft pour the liquor into an empty bottle, and then 

 fhake out the dead infefts, crufhing them with your foot, 

 that none of them may revive ; then poiu- back the liquor 

 into the bottles and phials as at firft. In this manner a 

 great many may be deftroyed, it is fuppofed, before the 

 fruit becomes ripe. If you begin to hang up the bottles as 

 foon as you fee the fly, which comes much earlier than the 

 wafp, you will be able to deflroy great numbers of them, 

 and will have the bottles ready for the wafps when they 

 make their appearance. The fly will be found as deftruc- 

 tive as the wafp to grapes. And when the weather is hot, 

 and the wafps are numerous, if they do not enter the bottles 

 faft enough (which will happen when the fruit is very ripe), 

 a little oil may be put in a cup, and with a feather dipped 

 in it touch their backs, and they will inftantly drop down ; 

 when you will find them turned black and green by the 

 effects of the oil. See Wasp. 



Birds attack fruit much when it begins to ripen. The 

 beft preventive in this cafe is, Mr. Forfyth fuppofes, to 

 cover the trees with nets, or bunting, a fort of cloth of which 

 fhips' colours are made. See Vitis. 



There are many other vermin of the infeft tribe that are 

 likewife highly deftruftive to fruits and garden-crops, but 

 which are noticed under the articles which they are found to 

 injure in moft cafes. In fome they may be beft deftroyed, 

 however, by gathering them by the hand as foon as they 

 begin to appear in a fmall number, by plentiful fteammg or 

 watering ; in others, by fmoking and powdering with tobacco; 

 and in others by different compofitions, as thofe of foap-fuds 

 and fulphiu-, or lime-water, and other fuch matters. Some 

 are beft taken by artifice, as ear-wigs and others of the fame 

 kind, as in the cafes of wafps and flies. See Caterpillar, 

 Aphis, Coccus, Thrips, &c. 



Vermin, in Sheep, the different fmall animals which are 

 troublefome and hurtful to them. The maggots produced 

 from the ova or eggs of the flefti or fheep-fly, are a fort of 

 vermin which are to be particularly guarded againft in the 

 later fummer months, as they are then foon hatched in any 

 wound, filth, or dirt, that may be in or hang about the fliins 

 of them, often producing great pain, uneafinefs, and eating 

 into the flefti and deftroying the ftieep, when not fpeedily 

 removed. Confequently, when they are feen to be uneafy 

 and difturbed, to frequent rubbing places, negleft their 

 food, he down frequently, and bite themfelves with their 

 teeth, they fliould be carefully examined ; v.-hen, in fome 

 cafes, large bUftcrs may be difcovered, under which the 

 vermin are conceded ; or the part is fou]id of a dark colour, 



and quite wet ; and even fometimes large holes are eaten 

 into the bodies of the ftieep. 



In all fuch cafes the wool is to be carefully chpped off, 

 tlie bhfters, when prefent, opened, and the vermin picked 

 out from the injured parts, which fliould then be gently 

 waftied, either with foap and water, with fpirits and vinegar, 

 with lime-water, with ftale urine and black foap, or with 

 infufion of tobacco, being afterwards anointed with tar, or 

 the fame fubftance mixed with butter and fulphur or red 

 precipitate. In this way the vermin are foon removed and 

 deftroyed, and the ftieep reftored. In order to prevent the 

 vermin, whenever ftieep are wounded by the ftieers in cUp- 

 ping, by the bite of dogs, or in any other way, a little tar 

 ointment is to be applied to the pai-ts. 



Dirty layers or paftures are faid to be liable to produce 

 this kind of vermin, which moft commonly attack lambs, and 

 often appear about the hips of fuch as are affefted with 

 loofenefs. 



There are other forts of vermin which are very injurious 

 to ftieep. See Tick. 



The fox too is an artful and formidable enemy of ftieep 

 and poultry, as well as the wild cat, which is extremely 

 fierce and ftrong, and veiy deftruftive of lambs and fowls. 

 The foumart is alfo very mifchievous among weak lambs. 

 Eagles are likewife frequent in the more northern diftrifts, 

 the ftrength and depredations of which are well known to 

 ftieep-farmers ; but ravens are probably more deftruftive, 

 being ready to attack ftieep in all cafes of diftrefs, and ex- 

 ceedingly quick-fighted in difcovering fuch inftances. All 

 • thefe forts of vermin ftiould, confequently, be exterminated as 

 much as poffible, by offering premiums for their claws, Ikins, 

 &c. and other proper means of different kinds. 



VERMINA. See Vermine, and Vermination. 



VERMINATION, Verminatio, the aft of breeding 

 worms, and other vermin ; particularly bots in cattle, &c. 



Vermination is fometimes alfo ufed among phyficians, 

 for a fort of tormina ventris, or wringing of the guts ; in 

 which the patient is affefted, as if worms were gnawing his 

 inteftines. 



VERMINE, Vermina, a colleftive name, including all 

 kinds of little animals, or infcfts, which are hurtful or 

 troublefome to men, beafts, fruits, &c. as worms, lice, fleas, 

 bugs, caterpillars, ants, flies, &c. 



VERMIS, Worm, in Natural Hiflory. See Vermes 

 and Worms. 



Vermis Aureus. See Aphrodita. 



Vermis Carukus. See Cjervlxvs. 



Vermis Cerebri, the worm in the brain, a name given by 

 fome writers to an epidemical fever in Hungary, attended 

 with terrible deliriums. 



VERMIVOROUS Animals, are fuch as feed upon 

 wonns. 



VERMONETA, in Botany, Juff. Gen. 343, a manu- 

 fcript name of Commerfon's, for a fuppofed genus of hi?, 

 referred by Juflieu to their own Blaekivellia, which we 

 are much difpofed to unite with Homalium ; fee the 

 latter. 



VERMONT, in Geography, one of the United States of 

 America, fituated between 40° 42' and 45° N. lat. and 

 3° 35' and 5° 27' E. long, from Waftiington ; and bounded 

 on the N. by Lower Canada, S. by Maffachufetts, E. by 

 Connefticut river, which divides it from New Hampftiire, 

 and W. by New York. Its extent from N. to S. is 152 

 miles, and its breadth from E. to W. 60 miles : its area is 

 8700 fquare miles, or 5,568,000 acres. It is divided into 

 thirteen counties, containing the number of townftiips and 



inhabitants. 



