64 
POPULAR REMEDIES. 
The time occupied in tliis round of existence is very 
variable : many of the eggs laid in May, before the middle 
of the month produce grubs that go through every change 
and are on tlie wing by the 24th of June ; and eggs laid 
about that day, will go through their changes as far as the 
cocoon by the 10th of July, or 15th at the latest : the first 
brood thus taking about twenty-eight days, and the second 
generally remaining under ground till the next spring. It 
is not however clear that in all instances this insect has 
two broods : on the contrary, I am nearly certain that 
many of the late hatches never reproduce during the year, 
but the time of their first appearance is so variable, that a 
constant succession is kept up, the earliest having repro- 
duced before the later hatches are gone down. 
In my war on blight I always weigh well the remedies : 
many a tree has been killed to get rid of its blight; this 
plan is efficient but impolitic, energetic but unwise : some 
will white-wash a gooseberry-bush, the effect of which is 
cheerful and pleasing to the eye but rather injurious to the 
leaves, and moreover gives a very unpleasant flavour and 
grittiness to the berries : some will water the bushes with 
strong brine, thereby greatly annoying the grub by killing 
the leaves : quicklime has a very similar effect. It strikes 
me that no nostrum will ever be found that shall be per- 
fectly efficient as regards the grub and harmless as regards 
the tree: it would therefore be my plan to attempt to 
lessen an evil that is not to be cured. I have already 
mentioned the good effects of smoke ; the jpicking of the 
perforated leaves I have also recommended : another bene- 
fit will arise from treading the gi'ound very hard about the 
roots of the bushes. An observant gardener cannot fail to 
notice that when gooseberry-bushes stand singly at the end 
