the human head, than hoar frost. These dead-like insects operate as before, and inevitably render the tree sickly. When the leaves drop, they are suffered to remain at the bottom of the tree until the insects have had time to quit their hold and ascend the tree, and fix themselves upon the young shoots, where they pave the way for a fresh blight, which will inevitably take place upon the same tree the next season; and so on. Thus it happens, that when the blight once affects a particular tree to a considerable degree, it is ten to one but it will be affected with the same disease for many succefsive years, as every one knows is the case; and it can be only owing to some accidental circumstance if ever this disease is got rid of. Such are the consequences of that prepofsession which blinds the understanding, and unnerves the hand of industry. Shall man remain for ever under the influence of this fascinating power? If I endeavour to arouse attention in such a case, the attempt surely ought to be received with indulgence.

The eradication of this insect, from a careful attention to the facts above stated respecting its transformations and habits, appears to be a far lefs difficult task than many of those in which man has happily succeeded. In the first place, if the twigs were care fully brushed early in the spring with a hard brush in the direction of the buds, many of them might be detached, and thus their numbers would be greatly reduced. Where the insects are very numerous, and where, of course, they are placed very close together at the points of the twigs, these points might be cut

The young shoots at the beginning of the season are sullied by immense crowds of the coccus that I have above described, which had been bred on the same tree during the former season, and been suffered to increase without molestation. In consequence of the numerous ifsues for the sap that are opened by the insects, not only that which goes to sustain them, but that also which (perhaps in greater quantities) falls among the leaves and is difsipated, the tree becomes sickly. As the insects increase in size, and come nearer to maturity, their operations are more powerful, and it becomes almost wholly exhausted; so that the leaves sometimes fall off entirely. No sooner, however, do these insects give over eating, previous to going into their nymph state, than these drains are suffered to dry up, and the plant begins to acquire some vigour. None of the males after this requiring any food, and it being uncertain whether even the females, while in the state of gestation, require any, the sap, now allowed to resume its usual course, produces its natural effect by pushing forth leaves and shoots, which go forward in their course till the young fry are hatched, and have acquired strength to go about in search of food. They now disperse themselves in myriads all over the parent tree where they have been hatched. Nothing can be more suitable for their use than the tender leaves upon it that have so lately been produced there. They fix themselves upon these leaves in multitudes, where they remain immoveable in the form of that powder above described, which upon a near examination is found to be more like to those small scales sometimes generated among the hair of

1

the human head, than hoar frost. These dead-like insects operate as before, and inevitably render the tree sickly. When the leaves drop, they are suffered to remain at the bottom of the tree until the insects have had time to quit their hold and ascend the tree, and fix themselves upon the young shoots, where they pave the way for a fresh blight, which will inevitably take place upon the same tree the next season; and so on. Thus it happens, that when the blight once affects a particular tree to a considerable degree, it is ten to one but it will be affected with the same disease for many succefsive years, as every one knows is the case; and it can be only owing to some accidental circumstance if ever this disease is got rid of. Such are the consequences of that prepofsefsion which blinds the understanding, and unnerves the hand of industry. Shall man remain for ever under the influence of this fascinating power? If I endeavour to arouse attention in such a case, the attempt surely ought to be received with indulgence.

The eradication of this insect, from a careful attention to the facts above stated respecting its transformations and habits, appears to be a far lefs difficult task than many of those in which man has happily succeeded. In the first place, if the twigs were care fully brushed early in the spring with a hard brush in the direction of the buds, many of them might be detached, and thus their numbers would be greatly re duced. Where the insects are very numerous, and where, of course, they are placed very close together at the points of the twigs, these points might be cut

means certain, that these creatures have as yet lost their locomotive power; so that if the twigs be thrown at the bottom of the stem, they may re-ascend it. Where the insects are exceedingly numerous, all the young twigs even might be cut out, especially if Mr. Forsyth's plaster be applied to tip the wounds. In this case, it is true, the fruit will be in a great measure lost for that season; but the tree will be thrown into such high health, as to be in the finest order the next year. After all this has been done, however, the tree ought still to be examined with the strictest attention towards the end of April and beginning of May next season; by which time the female coccus, having attained to its greatest height, will become easily perceptible, when each of them should be carefully detached from the branch to which it adheres, by means of a blunt knife having a very thin blade, and carefully deposited in a vefsel for being carried out of the garden. About three thousand eggs will be destroyed for each of these gall-like insects that is thus cut out; so that great progress may be made in a very little time. The empty exuviæ of the males, which are now readily distinguishable, may be neglected; and as none of either sex are to be found on the shoots of that season, it is unnecefsary now to examine them, so that the labour is thus greatly abridged.

If this procefs shall be performed with care, very few will be suffered to escape: and it is of so much consequence that it be done with care, that no person ought ever to grudge the trouble; for I cannot too often repeat it, that as every insect is produced from seed, if these seeds be fairly eradicated, all future trou

ble respecting that insect will be entirely obviated; that is, if it be not a winged insect, or one that can otherwise transport itself easily from elsewhere. It happens fortunately in this case, that the coccus cannot be transported from any considerable distance; so that one radical and thorough cleaning will prevent the necessity of repeating it; whereas a partial thinning of them will only give occasion for unceasing labour during every succefsive year. Considered under this point of view, it were better to eradicate the trees entirely, as many persons at present: find it necessary to do in order to get rid of this disease where it has been once firmly established, than to attempt to remove it by these careless and slovenly palliatives; but this eradication is what I would by no means advise; for, besides the purchase price of the trees, which would do much more than pay the expence of cleaning every twig of the tree one by one in the most careful manner, it is well known, that many years must elapse before a young tree can be brought to bear half so much fruit as an old tree (under proper management) might be made to produce the first year after this sort of cleansing. I myself tried what could be done last year by cutting off the vine coccus that I found had taken possession of my trees in the house; and though it was past the proper time to begin before I had thought of it, as some of the young had been hatched, and thus made their escape, yet I find that I have not this season one for perhaps a hundred that I had last year.

Nor is the above the only practicable way of getting