1808.], 
cherry-tree in my garden had, nearly a 
year before, been fastened to the wall 
with an tron-cramp, 1 instantly examined 
it, and found it dead, though, when fas. 
tened, it wasa flourishing, healthy limb, 
at. least an inch in diameter, and nine 
feet in length. : 
Ihave singe Lcsshuauats several peach 
and nectarine trees; and wherever I 
discovered a limb Hee, I invariably 
found that one or more of. the nails 
which fastened it, were 3n contact with 
the bark, A limb of a peach-tree puz- 
zled me for some time. it was dead, 
but [ could not. perceive that any.of the 
nails werein contact with it (the scraps 
of cloth being left pretty long), Aftera 
narrow search, however, L found the 
snud, of winch the wall was built, consi- 
derably stained with rust, immediately 
under the branch; and on digging into 
the wall with my knife, I brought the 
hidden mischief fo. hight—it was part of 
a very large jspike-nail, and which. lay 
about an inch below the surface. 
.On mentioning some of those circum- 
stances to a friend, he observed, that 
about a year before, he had fastened 
some currant-trees'to a wall with aon 
hooks, On. examination,. aimost every 
limb so fastened was dead. 
The ettect of the Galvanism in. these 
cases will probably be found a be great- 
er 1 rainy seasons, as the oxidation n then 
goes on more rapidly than it does at 
other times. 
I could have wished to have made 
sone farther observations on this subject 
pefore [ communicated them tothe public, 
but at presenti have notthe opportunity; 
but [ hope ‘some of your numerous cor- 
respondents wall, attend to the subject, 
and communicate the result of their fur- 
‘ ther observations through the channel of 
your valuable Magazine 
Your's, &c, 
May 30, 1808. OBSERVATOR, 
me ears | 
‘Yo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
ESPECTING the habits and eco- 
L nomy of the moth, which ‘a Con- 
stant Reader” wishes to have some in- 
formation about, in your last number, 
IT beg to say, that I believe there is no 
particular season of the year when this 
insect. begins its -ravages: its eggs are 
deposited in the corner of a box, or on 
éloth, &c. where they remain ‘until a 
worm is produced by the heat of the wea- 
bher, or of the room, and in the course 
Preventatives against the Ravages of the Moth. 
woollen cloth; and it is sufficient 
think 
‘crushing it when In ¢ 
509 
of a few days a chrysalis is formed, si- 
milar to that of all butterflies. It is pra- 
vious to this state that the injury is done, 
by the worm feeding on whatever hap- ' 
pens to have been its nest; and I have 
often destroyed them while they were 
working into the thread of a cloth. 
The most usnal prevenmgtives against 
the injury oecasioned by the moth, are 
cedar-wood and tobacca-leaves. A piece 
of the former put into a box, if suffi- 
ciently large to emit its peculiar odour 
to whatever may be contained in it, wil] 
effectually preserve the cloth from in- 
Jury; and itis well known, that in libra- 
ries where there are books bound with, 
Russia leather, which is tanned with ce- 
dar, no moth or worm will corrupt. It 
is common to put cedar shavings and 
chips into boxes, &c, which answer just 
as well’as the ape itself,” 
‘Tobacco-leaves may be placed at cer- 
tain intervals in the folds of a piece of 
ta €X- 
amune them once in six months, in order 
to renew the leaves, if necessary. 
Many persons wrap their woollens in 
coarse brown paper, and this is found to. 
save them from the depredation of the 
moth. I should conclude that the sinell 
of pitch and tar retained by this kind of 
paper from the rope and oakuim, with 
which it is principally made, causes the 
offence to the moth; and if so, a cheap 
remedy igs easily, obtained, by anointing 
with tar and pit ch the shelves of shops 
and warehouses. 
An exposure to fresh air will free 
cloth, &c. from the worm, by causing a 
quick formation of the inoth: but the 
injury is previ iously done; for Ido not 
that the fly feeds at allon the wool, 
and that when it is met with in pag if 
is then about to deposit the eget 
Tt is remarkable that the moth never 
flies in the day-time, aniless when dis- 
turbed; and then it, soon seeks tor a 
resting-place: this, probably, is the 
cause why it is considered as belonging 
to the class of dormants. At night we 
see it invariably “ fly in circling eddies” 
around # candle, until it is destroyed by 
the flame. f base olten Obseryed it, 
with a wing or leg scorcbed, fall on the 
table, and renew its little fiche as if de- 
termined to be burnt. I have as often 
endeavoured to lessen its sufferings, by 
a wounded state: but 
its sight. seemed to 3 so very perfect, as 
to-enabie it to avoid the touch. 
Your’s, &c. 
M. B. 
For ' 
Landon, June op 1808, 
