THE CULTIVATOR. 
259 
eral in Spain, a competent person (Dr. Daubeny I be¬ 
lieve) was sent out to examine it, and the great distance 
from the coast was the only obstacle to its extensive im¬ 
portation into England. 
I wish it were in my power to furnish more directly 
important information to your correspondent, whom I 
suspect to be somewhat of a geologist as well as (t prac¬ 
tical farmer.” A large amount of interesting matter up¬ 
on this subject and other similar ones, could easily be 
furnished to the inquiring farmers of our country, and 
when they shall feel an interest in the subject the facts 
will readily be forthcoming. If the farmers would but 
make their inquiries definite, they could readily be an¬ 
swered, but there is far less inducement to give informa¬ 
tion when the writer does not know that even one of his 
readers may care to learn what he is endeavoring to 
teach. 
With my best wishes for the prosperity of your cor¬ 
respondent and all practical farmers, I am 
Very truly yours, &c., James Hall, 
Late Geologist of the 4th District of the State of N. York. 
Albany, July, 1844. 
USEFULNESS OF TOADS. 
In proportion to what he is capable of doing, there is 
not a more useful animal to man than the toad. He has 
not bad habits, and in the pursuit of a livelihood he is 
sure to benefit some body. Yet how often do we find 
him the victim of an ignorant and cruel prejudice. 
Naughty children are allowed to torture and kill them 
through mere wantonness; and the fastidious lady some¬ 
times orders them expelled from her garden, lest her 
nerves might be disturbed by meeting them in her walk. 
The spawn of the toad, like that of the frog, is deposit¬ 
ed in the water. As soon as the young have attained the 
use of their legs, they take to the land, and subsist on 
such flies, beetles, and worms, as they are able to swal¬ 
low—thus in obtaining their subsistence, rendering a ve¬ 
ry essential service to the farmer and gardener. The 
number of insects in this way destroyed, is immense. As 
many as fifteen beetles have been found in the stomach of 
a single toad. It feeds mostly in the night, at which 
time insects are abroad. It is quite amusing to see the 
toad seize its prey. In the dusk of evening, it may be 
seen through the summer season, near the places most 
frequented by insects, snapping up, almost with the quick¬ 
ness of lightning, every bug or worm that makes its ap¬ 
pearance. 
In the days of boyhood, we have often amused our 
friends by the exhibition of a large pet toad. During the 
day we kept him in a little pen in the shade, covered by 
a board. At eventng, we let him out and fed him with 
“ white grubs,” “ cut-worms,” &c., which during the 
day had been detected in their depredations on the corn¬ 
field. Sometimes when his appetite was keen from 
twenty-four hours’ fasting, we would enjoy the sport of 
seeing him swallow a big horn-bug or “ pinching-bug.” 
And such a face as the toad would (t make up!” But after 
scratching and straining a little, he would get him down. 
On one occasion this toad swallowed in rapid succession, 
twelve full grown larvae of the may-bug, (the “ white 
grub.”) This will give some idea of the great benefit 
which results from the destruction of insects by this animal. 
Several years ago, a gentleman advertised in the news¬ 
papers for toads to put in his garden, for which he of¬ 
fered a small sum each, and if others would follow his 
example, and thus induce the boys to save the toads alive 
instead of killing them, all would be gainers. 
Naturalist. 
Messrs. Editors— In the Cultivator of March 1843, 
A. R. McCord complains that the ants injure his peach 
trees. One of the greatest annihilators of ants, as well 
as other insects, in this country, I conceive is the toad. A 
few of these useful quadrupeds in a garden, are a pretty 
sure guarantee against the destruction of plants by ants, 
bugs, worms and flies. Where indigenous to the coun¬ 
try, they can be easily collected and placed in the gar¬ 
den. Not being very swift on the foot, they do not wan¬ 
der far from home, but have a strong attachment for the 
locality in which they reside, and will, terrapin like, 
sometimes return to the place from which they are for¬ 
cibly driven, unless prevented by some obstruction which 
they cannot overcome. The adage says, “ there is no 
telling by the looks of a toad, how far he can hop.” 
They are a very grave and sedate looking animal, and 
if they do not “ go forth at eventide to meditate,” they 
most certainly choose that time to roam abroad in quest 
of food. For this purpose they are furnished with a 
slender and flexible proboscis-like instrument, three oi 
four inches in length, which they throw from their 
mouths with great velocity, snap an insect, and convey it 
with inconceivable rapidity, to the natural receptacle of 
food. This proboscis-like apparatus lies rolled up in the 
mouth, and serves them for the same purpose as that of 
the elephant; is longer and more powerful in proportion 
to the size of the animal. In symmetry of form they may 
well compare with the elephant, bating that necessary 
appendage to the beauty of all quadrupeds—a tail. 
The name of a toad has been too long a bye-word and 
a reproach. They are one of the most innocent and use¬ 
ful of animals. Vegetables they never injure. Why, 
when and how the almost universal antipathy to toads 
took its rise, would be a curious inquiry for the naturalist 
and philosopher. It will probably be conceded that the 
unrivalled English epic poet contributed his full share to 
the formation of a prejudice against them in the minds of 
his readers, by representing the arch fiend as sitting at 
the ear of our primitive mother, insinuating the baleful 
poison of his seductive tongue—“squat like a toad.” If 
the toad had not been one of the most innocent of animals, 
it is to be presumed the prescient Lucifer would not, on 
that occasion, have assumed its shape. 
The toad needs a shady arbor with mellow ground, 
which can be easily burrowed, where he may retire on 
the approach of day-light, to repose himself, sheltered 
from the heat of the noonday sun. 
A few years since I had occasion to remove a bank of 
earth in my garden which had been undisturbed for more 
than forty years. It was filled with an innumerable mul¬ 
titude of ants. As Peter Pindar wished, when the rats 
destroyed one of his most delectable odes, that they might 
fill the maws of cats—so I had a strong desire that the 
ants might fill the maws of toads, I procured a few, gave 
them possession of the premises, and the ants were soon 
missing. 
It is perhaps worthy of observation and inquiry whe¬ 
ther the tree toad may not be uselul in preventing the 
ravages of insects on trees. I have noticed that apple 
trees on which these toads make their home, are seldom 
infested with caterpillars. Goldsmith, in his Animated 
Nature, has omitted to notice this species of the toad fa¬ 
mily. D. J. 
Newbury, Vt., July, 1844. 
FARM SCHOOL. 
Mr. Luther Tucker— The Farm School, which I 
incidentally mentioned a short time since, has com¬ 
menced, under the supervision of Stephen Sweet, Esq., 
late of West Troy. Our motto is, and ever will be, “ to 
improve the soil and the mind.” The school will be 
limited to ten boys, (including my own,) of decidedly 
moral and virtuous character—no others can have an 
abiding place with us, nor can drones, under any circum¬ 
stances, be harbored in our hive. 
That labor is honorable, we intend both to preach and 
to practice. Particular attention will be paid to physical 
training, and it will be our aim to carry out the views ex¬ 
pressed in regard to the Elm Craig School, in your July 
number, to which we would particularly refer. I re¬ 
joice to see the agricultural thermometer rising. It 
speaks nobly for Tennessee. Will Mr. Fanning forward 
us his pamphlet ? We like the extract so well, we want 
the whole story. 
We commence with my four sons only, under the plain 
and unassuming title of Farm School, meaning that merit 
and not name alone shall be our recommendation. The 
growing and cultivating of fruit trees, from the first germ 
in the nursery, to the fruit-bearing tree of the orchard, 
will be taught; and another year, it is intended to attach 
