C 76] 



VII. On the Destruction of Caterpillars on Fruit Trees. By 

 Mr. John Sweet, Corresponding Member of the Horticul- 

 tural Society. 



Read November 6, 1821. 



In May last I found the Gooseberry Caterpillar had begun 

 its usual ravages on the leaves of a quarter of Gooseberries 

 in my nursery near Bristol. 



In the last and former season, among many other appli- 

 cations which had been tried in vain, lime had been used, but 

 in a dry state ; I resolved this year to try the effect of it in a 

 different way ; a bushel of stone lime was therefore slacked, 

 and covered up for a few hours, to make it more soft and 

 fine, it was then sifted through a mason's sieve, of the finest 

 kind, which made it an almost impalpable powder. A man 

 with a light garden engine was then directed to play water 

 in different directions among the leaves, so that every part 

 of the plants was wet ; another man followed closely with a 

 coal-box full of the fine lime-powder, scattering it with his 

 hand, so as to cause it to appear like smoke, and to spread 

 itself on the under as well as upper part of the leaves, so 

 that not a single leaf was left untouched by it. In the course 

 of the day I noticed that though some of the insects were 

 still alive, they were much injured, and in the following day 

 I could find none alive; some stragglers came on some 

 time afterwards, but they were so few that I did not think 

 it worth while to apply the lime a second time. After the 



