90 



likely to result. It was because of the possibility of danger that in the beginning 

 we were very slow to recommend the wholesale spraying of orchards with the 

 arsenical mixtures, but experience has shown here, as in other cases, judicious 

 and cautious use is attended only with benefit, and that the possible harm is re- 

 duced to such a minimum as to almost justify its being left out of consideration." 



Ant Hills and Slugs. — I have resorted to many expedients to get rid of 

 the ant hills that disfigure my lawn and sometimes seriously injure plants and 

 shrubs, and have finally succeeded in conquering them. I first hive them, — 

 break up the nest pretty thoroughly and if it is near the roots of a plant draw as 

 much of the debris as possible a little wa}^ from it and turn over it a large plant 

 jar. The ants will promptly appropriate the jar, remove their larvae to it, and 

 fill it with pellets of earth. I then drench this with kerosene emulsion reduced 

 to a strength of 2 to 3 per cent., which will kill every ant thoroughly drenched 

 with it. It is more destructive to them than pure kerosene, which does not 

 adhere to them. In this way I have thoroughly conquered the ants. 



The rose slug and the currant worm I keep completely under by use of 

 hellebore, a tablespoonful to a gallon of water, and forcing it violently among the 

 foliage with a hydropult. Commencing in the spring before I can find a slug or a 

 worm, and repeating the drenching once a week for three or four weeks, I can 

 destroy them completely befgre they do any damage. On one hundred roses I 

 was able this spring to find only two slugs, while the foliage of some common 

 sorts I did not spray was completely destroyed. — [M. C. Read, Hudson, Ohio, 

 n Insect Life. 



Good Insectivorous Birds. — The following birds are to be classed among 

 the most helpful kinds in the general warfare against insects: Robins, for cut 

 and other earth worms. Swallows, night-hawks and purple martins, for moth 

 catchers. Pewees, for striped cucumber bugs. Wood thrushes and wrens, for 

 cut worms. Cat birds, for tent caterpillars. Meadow larks, crows and wood- 

 peckers, for wireworms. Blue-throated buntings, for canker worms. Black, red- 

 winged birds, jays, pigeons, doves, and chippies — strawberry pests. Quail, for 

 chinch bugs and locusts. Whip-poor-wills, for moths. Hawks, all night birds, owls, 

 tanagers, black- winged summer red birds, etc. — curculios. There may also be 

 mentioned the following insect pest destroyers : Indigo birds, nut crackers, fly 

 catchers, chimney swifts, chipping and song^ sparrows, black birds, mocking birds 

 and orioles. 



There is little doubt that for every bird which is injurious to fruit that is 

 killed, there are a hundred killed that are beneficial. Of course the whole life of 

 the bird must be considered, for very many are fruit eaters The only question 

 is, does the bird, on the whole, do most damage or good ? 



The man who indiscriminately kills the birds in his orchard and berry patch 

 is not fit to live, and he will surely lose more than he will gain even from a 

 financial point of view. — Prairie Farmer. 



Resistance to cold by a Caterpillar. — Mr. Otto Dugger, St. Anthony 

 Park, Minn., gives in Insect Life the following instance of resistance to extreme 

 cold hj a caterpillar of the Dusky Spilosoma (>S^. fuliginosa, Linn) : — " December 

 3, 1889. Found to-daj^ in a little depression of the soil a clear cake of ice, and 



