90 
EDITORIAL. 
Resolved,  That  by  reason  of  our  stores  being  so  opened  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  those  whose  wants  are  imperative,  a  custom  has  grown  up  in  the 
community  of  calling  upon  the  apothecaries  for  many  articles  not  of  prime 
necessity  which  could  be  as* well  obtained  the  day  before  or  the  day  after 
the  Sabbath  :  that  although  we  do  not  labor  as  upon  other  days,  yet  the 
mere  selling  of  those  articles  has  caused  a  portion  of  the  public  to  regard 
us  in  the  light  of  Sabbath-breakers,  classed  with  barbers,  restaurant  keepers 
and  bar  tenders,  that  the  most  conscientious  observers  of  law,  order  and 
propriety  do  not  hesitate  to  call  upon  us,  in  violation  of  the  Sabbath  and 
the  laws  of  the  Commonwealth,  to  furnish  them  with  medicinal  liquors, 
stationery,  mineral  waters,  palliative  confections,  dietetics,  cosmetics,  and 
many  other  articles,  all  of  which,  in  many  cases,  are  of  prime  necessity 
at  the  time,  and  which  would  be  a  violation  of  the  laws  of  charity  and 
mercy  to  deny  upon  the  Sabbath. 
Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  difficulty  of  defining  what  are  and  what 
are  not  articles  of  charity  and  necessity,  without  inquiring  too  particularly 
into  the  motives  of  others  ;  the  mortification  we  experience  in  denying 
our  customers  and  friends  what  seems  to  them  a  reasonable  request ;  the 
expense  of  keeping  the  store  provided  with  the  same  talent,  heat,  light 
and  other  conveniences  as  upon  other  days  ;  the  dubious  position  we  hold 
in  the  eyes  of  our  best  and  most  conscientious  citizens,  until  they  wish  to 
be  accommodated  ;  the  deprivations  of  the  benefits  and  the  blessings  of 
the  Sabbath  to  ourselves  and  assistants  ;  all  render  it  more  to  our  profit 
and  advantage  to  close  our  places  of  business  on  the  Sabbath. 
Resolved,  That  in  view  of  all  these  facts,  we  are  unable  to  draw  any 
line  for  the  guidance  of  apothecaries,  and  powerless  to  recommend  any 
articles  or  class  of  articles  that  may  or  may  not  be  sold  legally  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Therefore,  we  can  only  recommend  to  each  apothecary  to  judge 
for  himself  of  each  particular  case,  and  dispense  all  articles  of  necessity 
agreeable  to  his  best  judgment,  according  to  the  language  and  intent  of 
the  law.  A.  P.  Melzar,  Secretary. 
Insects  injurious  to  Vegetation. — The  attention  of  our  readers  is  called 
to  the  following  communication,  which  is  extracted  from  Silliman'fc  Jour- 
nal for  November,  and  with  the  spirit  of  which  we  entirely  coincide  : — 
Entomological  Society  of  Philadelphia-. — The  publication  committee  of 
this  Society  propose  to  publish,  and  issue  gratuitously,  an  occasional  bul- 
letin, under  the  title  of  "  The  Practical  Entomologist,"  in  which  papers 
on  the  insects  injurious  and  beneficial  to  vegetation  will  be  given  for  the 
benefit  of  the  American  farming  interest.  They  express  in  their  circular 
(dated  September,  1865,)  the  hope  that  the  information  imparted  through 
this  medium  will  be  of  use  to  the  agriculturists  of  the  country,  by  leading 
them  to  study  critically  the  Entomological  fauna  which  surrounds  them, 
and  to  derive,  from  their  knowledge  thus  acquired,  the  power  to  increase 
the  production  of  their  crops  and  develop  the  interest  which  they  repre- 
sent. It  is  a  singular  fact  that  some  of  our  commonest  and  most  injurious 
insects  are  least  known.  Our  Cotton,  Hop,  and  various  other  crops  suf- 
fer at  times  immensely  from  insects  whose  habits  we  little  understand. 
The  Society  aims  by  its  publication  to  bring  out  the  true  history  of  each 
and  all  of  our  noxious  insects  ;  and  it  is  believed  that,  this  attained,  simp- 
le remedies  will  suggest  themselves,  which  in  certain  cases  may  be  merely 
burning  the  stubble  and  vigorous  fall  ploughing. 
They  ask,  in  order  that  their  plan  may  be  carried  out,  that  those  having 
information  will  send  it  by  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  institution,  at 
No.  518  South  Thirteenth  Street,  Philadelphia,  along  with  alcoholic  phials 
containing  specimens  of  the  noxious  insects  of  the  region.    They  also  de- 
