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XLVI. An Account of an easy method of destroying 

 Caterpillars on Gooseberry Bus/ies. In a Letter to the 

 Secretary. By Mr. Richard Williams, Gardener to 

 Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F.R.S. $c. tyc. President. 



Read June 3, 1828. 



Sir, 



I have taken the liberty to send you the following account 

 of an easy method of destroying Caterpillars upon Goose- 

 berry Bushes, which is not known, I suppose, to gardeners, 

 as I frequently see great damage done by these insects. 

 Whilst my master was absent in London in the spring 

 of last year, a very large number of Caterpillars appeared 

 upon almost every Gooseberry Bush in the garden here. 

 Their number was so great that I thought it useless to at- 

 tempt to destroy them by picking them off, or by any other 

 means which I had employed in former seasons ; but having 

 some quick lime fresh from the kiln ready for other pur- 

 poses, I sprinkled some of it upon the Caterpillars, and I 

 saw that as soon as it touched them they dropped from the 

 Bushes. I then proceeded immediately to sprinkle every Bush 

 in the garden, taking up the lime in my hands at first, and af- 

 terwards in a small wooden spoon, standing on the side from 

 which the wind blew, and dashing it in among the leaves of each 

 Bush. As soon as all the Caterpillars had fallen off, I placed 

 with my hands round the bottom of the stem of every Bush 

 about half a pint of lime, to prevent the Caterpillars climbing 

 up, and I saw no more of them. But in about a month after- 

 vol. vii. 3 G 



