1. 
1800. } 
Io the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. | 
SIR, 
S I find that various recipes have 
been given by Dr. Anderfon in his 
Recreations of Agriculture, &c. and by 
the Highland Society, for deftroying the 
Goofeberry Caterpillar; allow me, 
through the medium of your very extenfive 
publication, to give the public what ap- 
peared to ne fimpler and more eafy than 
either of the above methods, though com- 
ing from fuch refpectable authorities. 
‘Dari ing fix weeks every fummer [ allow 
my/elf an excurfion through different parts 
of this ifland, as a relaxation from a very 
Jaborious profeffion. Laft fummer I vi- 
fited the wonders of Cardiganfhire, at Hafod 
and the Devil’s.Bridge, and confels my- 
felf much over-paid for the badnefs of the 
Radnorfhire roads, by viewing the great 
change of that part of the country, though 
the exertions and tafte of a fingle indivi- 
dual. Whillt I was waiting for the .gar- 
dener, at Hafod, to fhew me the grounds, 
I obferved a cone made of coarfe painted 
tarpaulin, covering three or four hoops of 
woods. I enquired of Mr. Todd, the 
gardener, what it was for? He an{wered, 
that it was a very fimple and effectual con- 
trivanee of Colonel Johnes’s, for deftroying 
the Goofeberry Caterpillar: Tafked if the 
Colonel made any fecret of it. So far from 
it, faid the gardener, that I am {ure I fhall 
pleafe him very much by giving you an 
account of this, or of any thing elfe that you 
may wifh to know refpecting his improve- 
ments. JI fhall at prefent confine myfelf 
to this bufinefsS, and, perhaps, may at a fu- 
ture period, fhould youdefire it, give you 
more particulars refpecting the improve- 
ments, &c. at Hafod, by this truly pa- 
triotic and public-{pirited gentleman. 
Whenever- any goofeberry-trees are af- 
fected by the caterpillar, the gardener ftrews 
a fmall quantity of hot lime all under and 
around the tree, he then covers the buih 
with the aforefaid cone, and filling a com- 
mon fumigating bellows with tobacco and 
fijphur, in equal quantities, with a bit of 
charcoal, or any other piece of fire-wood, 
thrutts the pive of the bellows through a 
fmall hole of the painted cioth at the ‘bot- 
tom of the cone, when a few moments are 
fufficient to fuffocate all the caterpillars; 
they are finifhed by falling on the hot lime, 
and ferve as* a manure tothe tree. Nei- 
ther leaves nor fruit are in the fmalleft de- 
gree injured ; and the caterpillar does not 
for fome years return again to the fumi- 
pated tree. Mr. ‘Todd faid, it was  per- 
gectly effectual as tothe deftruction of the 
Made of Deftraying the Goofeberry Caterpillar. - 
_ ftood it. 
105 
caterpillars, and not of the fmalleft injury 
to the trees.f He faid, he would engage to 
deftroy all the Sater vailars: fuppoling his 
very large col lle€tion was affeéted by Soa 
in two hours. Wann, eC. 
_. J. EVANson. 
Greenwich, Dec. 25, 17996 
ee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR». 
S you are frequently confulted by your 
correfpondents refpecting points of 
antiquary learning, fuch as the origin of 
names, cuftoms, ” proverbs, Cat have. 
taken the liberty to fend you this fhort re- 
quilition on a fubjeét which has long per- 
plexed many of my friends as well as your 
humble fervant, and which yet we talk 
about as glibly and freely as if we under- 
I have, indeed, often remarked 
that certain people will talk fo long about 
certain things without knowing the mean- 
ing of what they fay, that, when the en- 
quiry comes, it is found extremely dificult 
to find any meaning at all. But to pro- 
ceed: 
It is probably well known to you, that 
of late years all bodily and many mental 
complaints have been termed zerwous, and 
that moft indifpofitions, from the molt fe- 
rious of the bed-ridden clafs, down to the 
common tea-table dont know-howi/huefs, 
have been refolved into certain operations 
of the zerves. ‘Now, fir, what I want te 
know is the origin of thefe zerves. Where 
did they firft appear ? Are they indige- 
nous, or were they imported? Are they 
aborigines or ftranpers? If indigenous, 
when were they frtt vifible? Are they in- 
nate ideas, or fuperinduced by. reading 
and education ? who was the firft man that 
had nerves?) Who fir convinced his fel- 
low-creatures that they had nerves? -If 
imported, from what country did they 
come, and in what fhape? Were they 
{mugeled over, or came they in the fair 
way “of trade?’ If in the way of barter, 
what did we give in exchange? I appre- 
hend it muft have been mufcles and bones, 
but of that I have no direct proof, and 
therefore mention it with fubmiffion. My 
information is extremely f{canty, and I do 
not wifh to build theories any more than 
I would build houfes without materials. 
A very worthy friend of mine has in- 
fpested the Cuftem-houfe entries for the 
lait firty years (a period longer than nerves 
have been known), but cannot find them — 
mentioned, and this, in lack of other. 
proof, 



