OAK APPLES. . 37 



Amelia. I have seen acorns upon it fre- 

 quently ; and have often heard of oak apples.'' 

 I perceived that several of the auditory could 

 smile at this apparent absurdity ; but, on wait- 

 ing a due time, I found that none of them 

 could correct it. Mrs. Heathfield observed, 

 that oak apples were a disease on the oak, 

 caused by the wound of an insect. 



That insect," I added, pierces the young 

 wood, and leaves its eggs in the wound. This 

 occasions a stagnation, or stoppage, in the sap, 

 and at the same time, an increased action in 

 the vessels, which causes the juices to flow^ to 

 that part in greater abundance ; so that the 

 bark swells out, as you have seen, in a globular 

 shape, and sometimes to the size of an egg. 

 This forms a residence for the young maggot, 

 and also supplies it with nourishment. When 

 fully grown, the sagacious inhabitant pierces 



