The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1850-10-12
tbe Creole


Mr.. Editor; In my letter to you Of the 30
Of August, | gave your readers a dissertation
on the c~otton.mO,h aud sndeavoFsd 20 some
extent to prove to them, that notwithstanding
the science Of entomology had stripped the
transformation of insects Of that excess of the
marvellous which might once have furnished
argument for the fctiOns Of the a%ncients, that
it yet possesses attractions and beauty sufficient
10 reward any planter, who may have an
idle hour to spare, or the student, who may
profess himself its votary.
In the greater part Of what have written
for the Creole, as well as elsewhere on the sci
ence Of entomology, my main purpose has
been to bring the subject itself directly before
the minds Of those planters among US, who are
capable Of investigating, and to engage them
in its serious and earnes! investigation.
Nov il is not my wish to claim for this
science more than Of right belongs to herr but
in estimating the comparative value Of any one
Of the sciences, we ought to contrast with y
others, NOT SO much for the beauty and the
novelty that may everywhere meet and allure
Us, as for its utility TO the community at large
Now, | am willing TO admit in this State, and
throughout the south west, thingsare notqui'e
as bad as they were when Lady Glsnville's
will was attempted to be set aside on the
ground Of lunacy, evinced BY no other act than
her iondness for collecting insects; and Ray
had to appear at court on the trial as a witness
Of her'sanity; yet, | suppose it will not be cues
toned, that there is not only less knowledge
on this science, as well as less desire upon the
part Of The planters Of the South for this 3e-
s%cription OF Conformation, than isconsistent with
our best interests, as will be seen in this COM
munication.
Since, therefore, tho merits Of entomology
have been so little acknowledged by the great
body of the planters Of the southwest, the
reader will not deem it ihvidious if | advocate
the cause Of this much neglected branch of
natural history, and endeavor to eradicate the
deep,rOOted prejudices which prevail on this
With these remarks, | shall proceed to
notice an agricultural address, delivered in
Canton, and published IN the Creole, and sub,
sequently in the Southern CultiUator. The
writer remarks; "a And il the egg be deposited
on the seed, even il only a small portion be SO
infected, may not the much larger quantity be
innoCulated by being thrown in contact with
those already infected? Based upon the be-
lief that they are reproduced, by the seed; |
would suggest an entire change Of seed, and
from a district Of country not infected by them
if possible to do TO-" Now, nothing can more
lncontrOvertably demonstrate the Importance
of knowledge Of the science Of entomology,
than this isolated fact, An entomologist,
well versed in his science, would at once have
determined the order and genus Of this moth,
and whether it were possible that its egg might
be transmitted along with the seed; and upon
these solid data he could have at once pointed
out the best mode of graduating the pest. DR..
Duncan says: "The only course which is
likely to lead to The discovery of proper rene
dies, is to investigate carefully the habits and
natural history Of insects, in connection with
structure and general physiology Of the plants
which they attack"
Lord Bacon lays down the foundation fol
correcting our reasonings upon this subject
when he asserts that imam is ignorant %ofevery-
thing antecedenl to observation. There is moi
a single department of enquiry in which mln
does not err, the moment he abandons OBJ
servatiOn. The greater part OF all human
knowledge is derived from testimony, but ties
tim1ny does no more than hand down to VI
the observation Of others." Not, however, tt
detain the reader unnecessarily, | will only re
mark that the great source Of confused anC
unsatisfactory reasoning which has obtained
on this subject is, that but few writers witt
us, (as far as my knowledge extendsO hay,
kept steadily in view the great truths con
tanned IN the above Aphorisms.
The great question on which the whole Orgu
ment rests, is this: Does this insect hybernal,
in the egg, larva, or pupa state? l know, By
three years observation, hat it hybernates il
the pupa state, aud l assert without the lea
Of contradiction, that the eggs ure d%eposite,
upon the living plant already, substantial ant
tangible at the time, as the only fit indus an,
the only medium through which the new pro
geny can be transmitted into ife,-consequcnt
ly, this writer is quOd doc in error: his remed,
absolutely erroneous, and therefore, who'll
ineficacious.
"By far the greater proportion of insec,
pass the, winter in but one Of the states Of ego
larva, pupa or imogo, but are never found t
hybernate in but one. Some species, however
depart from this general rule."-Spence,
Many authOrs have conceived that in thes
instances, the perfect insects are females
which BOT having been impregnated, have thei
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