170 
TO DESTROY WORMS ON ROSE-LEAVES.—THE PHYSICIAN AN AGRICULTURIST. 
tile and be maintained in that condition ? This, 
which forms the second part oi my subject, I re¬ 
serve for a future communication. 
D. P. Gardner, M. D., 
Lecturer on Agricultural Chemistry. 
New York , April , 1844. 
We really hope that no one will be deterred from 
reading these valuable essays of Dr. Gardner in 
consequence of his Using a few scientific terms. 
Our readers will find them unavoidable, that he 
could not otherwise express his ideas, and that 
they are generally explained as he goes along. 
He treats his subject (the Culture of Tobacco) in 
a different manner than it is usually written upon ; 
and his observations will be found worthy of all 
attention, especially by the Virginia planters, whose 
soil has become somewhat exhausted by severe 
cropping. 
TO DESTROY WORMS ON ROSE-LEAVES. 
I observed in one of the numbers of Hovey’s 
Horticultural Magazine, published some two "or 
three years since in Boston, that the cultivators of 
the rose in that city and its vicinity, had been, and 
were at that time, very much annoyed by the rav¬ 
ages committed upon the rose-bush, by a peculiar 
kind of worm, which destroyed the vitality of the 
leaves, giving them the appearance of having been 
scorched, and preventing the bush from blooming. 
The cultivators of the rose in the city of Brook¬ 
lyn, have also suffered in like manner, and by the 
same kind of worm, for these five or six years 
past. This worm is easily distinguished from all 
others infesting the rose-bush, by its peculiar man¬ 
ner of eating the leaf. They are in length from 
one quarter to three eighths of an inch : the 
body slender, and of a very pale-green color. They 
appear in immense numbers, and are always 
found upon the upper surface of the leaf; and com¬ 
pletely eat off all the soft green substance of it, 
(they never eat any other part,) leaving the original 
form of the leaf entire, and having the appearance 
of net-work, which soon assumes a brown color. 
There is no other worm which confines itself in 
eating, solely to the soft green substance; all others 
eating on the edge, and destroying the whole leaf. 
This particular difference renders it easy to distin¬ 
guish them. They are peculiar to, and confine 
their ravages to the rose-bush; and I believe are 
never seen beyond the cities and their immediate 
vicinities, as I have not known the rose-bushes in 
the country to be infested with them. They make 
their appearance in June, and if not checked, will 
destroy every rose-bush in the garden, so far as 
blooming for that season is concerned. They dis¬ 
appear as soon as they have destroyed the leaves 
on the bushes. 
My object, particularly, in writing this commu¬ 
nication, is to make known the means of effectual¬ 
ly preventing their appearance; and of instantly 
destroying them when they do. 
I had for two years tried various experiments to 
destroy these worms, and preserve my bushes 
from injury, but did not succeed, until I thought 
of trying dry Scotch snuff, with which, for the last 
three years, I have fully succeeded in preventing 
their appearance, thereby obtaining a fine bloom 
of roses. For two years previous, my bushes did 
not produce a rose, the buds turning yellow and 
falling^ off, in consequence of the leaves being de¬ 
stroyed by this same kind of worm. 
I use a round tin box, inches in diameter, 
and about 4 inches deep, perforated at one end 
like a pepper-box, with a cover on the other end, 
in which I put the snuff. With this I dust well 
all the leaves of my bushes, which should be done 
when there is no wind. To prevent, effectually, 
the appearance of these worms, the leaves should 
be dusted with the snuff as soon as they expand in 
the spring, and be continued once a week until the 
rose-buds begin to open and expose the petals, 
when it should be discontinued, as the beauty of 
the rose would be destroyed by being dusted with 
snuff. The worm above spoken of, seldom or 
never appears after the bushes have bloomed ; at 
least, I have never seen them, where the snuff 
was properly applied ; nor have I had occasion to 
use it after that time. The leaves are not in the 
least injured by the snuff, and can easily be rubbed 
off, leaving them perfectly green. Should its use 
be neglected until the worms have made their ap¬ 
pearance, their ravages can be immediately stop¬ 
ped, by dusting them well with snuff, as they do 
not live but a few seconds after. Another reason 
for recommending the early use of the snuff, 
is, because of another kind of worm, which ap¬ 
pears much earlier than the one first mentioned, 
and is to be found frequently in the folds of the 
leaves before they have expanded, so small at first, 
as scarcely to be seen, which perforate the young 
leaves and buds. This worm grows to the length 
of from half an inch to an inch, is of a green color, 
and has a brown head. After attaining a certain 
age they roll up the leaves, forming a webb in¬ 
side, which the others do not. The early applica¬ 
tion of the snuff will prevent this kind of worm 
also from appearing, but will not destroy them af¬ 
ter they have attained their full size, as it will the 
worm first mentioned. 
M. Van Beuren. 
Brooklyn , April 8, 1844. 
THE PHYSICIAN AN AGRICULTURIST. 
Apart from the debasing pursuit of politics, the 
physician of a village or remote settlement is often 
one of the most influential members of the com¬ 
munity. Let me hope that you will not be want¬ 
ing in your duty to your country. She has a right 
to expect from you, that you will elevate the gen¬ 
eral tone of society, and spread the arts and re¬ 
finements of life. Wean the old, and preserve the 
young from debasing and immoral pursuits by en¬ 
couraging a taste for reading and social intercourse. 
Be ever ready to join in associated efforts for the 
promotion of education, temperance, and other 
laudable objects. It is one of your peculiar priv¬ 
ileges in the study of your profession, to have ac¬ 
quired a knowledge of vegetable physiology, and 
organic chemistry. This knowledge leads by 
