The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-08-16
Destroying Pernicious Insects.

7. Glover, the distinguished cntomolo.ist
connected with the Agricultural Department
Of the Patent Office, has lately furnished the
National Agricultural Society with a most
interesting essay on destructive insects and
birds; and he enjoins our farmers TO study
their habits. He says:
"A close study of the habits and trans
formations Of any one Of the pernicious in
sects (ball worm, wheat midge, caterpillar,
&c.) by the practical and intelligent farmer
would prove not only source of great
pleasure, as leading him to a keener sense Of
the beauteous and wonderful works Of nature,
as cXempH;icd in the singular transforna-
tons insects undergo, before they assume
the perfect or fly state, but also a source Of
great profit. as by experimenting upon them
III all the stages of their existence he might
pcrciiance discover some practical method
by which their determination could be cf-
fected. Indeed, it is absolutely necessary
that farmer should be able to recognise the
insects that destroy his crops, in all their
various and wonderful transformations, be
fore any ctfectual remedy can be applied
as IN one stage Of their life they may be suf-
fcred to live and enjoy themselves, nay, even
sometimes be protected, whilst in another
stage we perSccutc and destroy them by
the beautiful butterfly Of the yqyjijo 0s'ari-
as. Any humane and kiud-hcarted farmer,
unvers. d in entomology, who should see his
children chasing and KILN. the beautiful
black aud yellow spotted bu tcrtly that was
fitting iOyouSlv over his vegetable garden,
III the spring or carly summer, apparently
leading a life Of mere harmless pleasure,
would, no doubt, rcpTove them ior wantonly
destroying such a pretty, harmless insect:
and yet, It the truth was known, this pretty
and much to be pitlcd insect Is the parent Of
a.! those nauSeOus smelling green and black
spotted wOrnls that later in the season de
stroy his parsely, celery, parsnIps. and car
rots. It by merely crushing the parent
tiy at one blow eaily in the season, before
It has deposited it, eggs, he would be spared
the vcXation Of either seeing his plant. de-
voured and seed DESTROYED. or having the
disagrseable ta>h If picking of, ore by one,
some hundreds OF catrrpil.ars later in the
season. This fact vii. be more apparent
when | state how incredibly fast some in
sccts multiply, especially in the warmer eli
mate Of the South, where there IS little frost
to destroy vegetable life, and there are seye- .
raj generations in one season. DIR. John
Gamble, Of Tallahassee, Fla, assisted by
II ys,lf dissyCted a female bal!-wJrIn moth .
>
state J. most destructive TO cotton and we
discovered a mass Of eggs, which when count
ed amosuici, at the least calculation. to five
hundred, duly ha'cAed, fos the first genera
ton, say one half males, the rest females
the second generation. II unLjsturbei. would
amoun; TO I2j, 900, and the third be almost
Vow, CNe>c UOrnCr HICs arc rot very nu-
mercuS early IN the scasJn, owing Il the
birds dcvouring them, the riE0r of winter, .
and various other accidental causes, and If .
practical means were found to destroy them
as carly in the spring as possible, the i'm
mcuse rayagrS o! the second and third gene
rat;onS might be prevented. III one female
uceiicu>) case or uaHGworra % destructive
10 the shade trees. | counted nearly eight
hundred eggs, although the Specimen was
but small. Now were all these cases taken
igo,n every infected tree in the winter. when
hey can most easily be seen, owing to the
al Of the leaf, and then Immediately burn
ed, the trees would be comparatively free
The next season; and by following this plan
or one or two years more, the work grow
ng gradually less and less, the insect might
inally be eXtcrmjnated Inasmuch as The te-
male never leaves her case, hut forms her
lest Of eggs inside; and yet these noXious
1ests are suffered year by year to increase,
when 50 little trouble would destroy them
other insects, again, have other habits.
which, if fully known, would likewise lead
o their destruction