STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
799 
OAK. LIMBS. 
sizes, the coarse¬ 
ly dotted parts 
of the two first 
, indicating the 
ragged broken 
ends of the 
woody fibres, the 
Ends ofT^UhAbs as cut off by the Oak pruncr—designed to show that remainder being 
where the limb is small it cuts it all off except the outer bark: "hen sm00 th sur- 
tho limb is larger, it leaves a ring of wood on one side, in addition to . 
the bark; and when very large it leaves a largo piece of wood unsev- lace cut by tUO 
ered—showing also the hole out of which the worm comes. worms, and the 
large black dot representing the perforation loading up the limb to where 
the worm lies. The first of these figures was taken from the limb already 
spok-in of as ten feet in length, and here it will be noticed that a portion 
of the stouter wood towards the center of the limb was preserved, as 
though the worm had been aware that the weaker sappy fibres outside, 
next to the bark, could not be relied upon for sustaining a limb of this 
size, as they are where the limb is smaller. With such consumate skill and 
seemingly super-terrestrial intelligence does this philosophical little car¬ 
penter vary his proceedings to meet the circumstances of his situation in 
each particular case ! But by tracing the next stage of his life we shall be 
able to see how it is that he probably performs these feats which appear so 
much beyond his sphere. 
Having cut the limb asunder so far that he supposes it will break with 
the next wind which arises, the worm withdraws himself into his burrow, 
and that he may not be stunned and drop therefrom should the limb strike 
the earth with violence when it falls, he closes the opening behind him by 
inserting therein a wad formed of elastic fibres of wood. He now feeds at 
his leasure upon the pith of the main limb, hereby extending his burrow up 
this limb six or twelve inches or more, until he attains his full growth 
quietly awaiting the fall of the limb, and his descent therein to the ground. 
It is quite probable that he does not always sever the limb sufficiently in 
the first instance, for it to break and fall. Having cut it so much as he 
deems prudent, he withdraws and commences feeding upon the pith of the 
limb above the place where it is partially severed, until a high wind occurs. 
If the limb is not hereby broken, as soon as the weather becomes calm he 
very probably returns and gnaws off an additional portion of the wood, 
repeating this act again and again, it may be, until a wind comes which 
accomplishes the desired result. And this serves to explain to us why it 
is that the worm severs the limbs at such an early period of his life. 
For the formidable undertaking of cutting asunder such an extent of hard 
woody substance, we should expect he would await till he was almost 
grown and had attained his full strength and vigor. But by entering upon 
this task when he is but half grown he has ample opportunity to watch the 
result, and to return and perfect the work if ho discovers his first essay 
fails to accomplish the end he has in view. 
