168 
DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS. 
and musty, as within the limits of safe employ¬ 
ment for an animal so readily damaged as the 
horse. 
The most remarkable of the insect pests to which 
our gardens and fields are subject, in addition to 
those I have named, are the “ red ant” so injurious 
to walled fruit trees, the caterpillar of the “ cabbage 
butterfly” which attacks so voraciously the leaves 
of the vegetable after which it is named, the“ aphis” 
which injures so many of our green house and 
garden plants particularly the rose, and the cater¬ 
pillar known under the collective name of the 
“ black army” among agriculturists, which makes 
such remarkable ravages among fields of young 
turnips, but which happily rarely visits us; its last 
visit was in September, 1836. As to the “American 
bug” (aphis lanata) there is reason to believe from 
its gradual diminution in numbers, its term of 
existence with us may not be long ; in 1834, its 
numbers were greatly reduced, and now it is known 
but sparingly with us, and chiefly in recital of the 
fears it once caused, and which proved unfounded, 
for its injuries were at most trivial, and were perhaps 
generally speaking, imaginary. In 1835, when we 
experienced a very hot and dry summer, the turnips 
were greatly injured by the “ wire worm,” and it 
was further remarked that simultaneously sheep 
were infested by an insect in their skins which 
prevented the growth of the wool and proved a 
serious evil thereby to the farmer. Though not an 
insect, but a vegetable product, the “ smut” in 
wheat deserves mention, it being such a great 
impediment to the procurance of good flour, and 
because, its occurrence may by the perseverance 
of every industrious farmer be readily prevented; 
the plan which I have understood is found to 
succeed, consists of washing" the seed year after 
year carefully^ using several fresh additions of 
