American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-08-16
: Destroying PerniciouS Insects.
II. Glover, the DISTINGUISHED eton

ngist connected with the Agricultural
Department of the Patent Office. has
lately furnished the National Agric ul.
tural Society with most interesting es-
say on destructive insects and birds; and
he enjoins on farmers to study their hab.
its. He says .. '..'. .....
ga close study to the habits and trans
formations of any one of the pernicious
insects, (ball.worm, wheat midge. cat
erpillar, &c, by The practical and intel.
.ligent farmer would prove not only a
source ofgreat pleasure, as leading him
to keener sense of The beautious and
wonderful works Of nature, as exempl-
fled in the singular transportation in
sects undergo, before they assume the
perfect OF fly state, but also source of
great profit, as by experimenting upon
them in all the stages Of their eaistance
he might percliance discover some prac-
tical method by which their extermina-
ton could be affected. Indeed, it is alb
solutely necessary that farmer should
be able to recognize the insects that de-
stroy his crops, in all their various and
wonderful transformations, before any
effectual remedy can be applied as in
one stage OF their life they may be suf.
fered to live and enjoy, lhems elves, nay
even somtimes be protected. whilst in
another stage we pcrsecute aud destroy
them by every means in our power
For example the beautiful butterfly of
the 7'apilio asterias. Any humane and
kind-hearted farmer, unversed in ento-
mology, who should see his children
chasing and killing the beautiful black
and yellow spotted butterfly that was
fitting joyously over his vegetable gar
den, in the spring or early summer, ap-
parently leading life Of mere harmless
pleasure, would no doubt reprove them
for woutonly destroying such q pretty
harmless insect; and yet if the truth
was known, this pretty and much to be
pitiied insect is the parent of all those
nauseous smelling green and black spot
ted worms that later in the season de-
stroy his parsley, celery. parsnips, and
carrots. Yet by merely crushing the
parent fly at Que blow early III the
season, before it has deposited its eggs
he would be sparedthe vexaiion Of Ell
ther seeing his plants devourcd and seed
destroyed, or having the disagreeable
task of picking off, one by one, some
hundreds of caterpillars later in the sea.
son. This fact will become apparent
when | state how incredibly fast some
insects multiply, especially in the warm,
er climate of the South, whoro there is
little frost to destroy vegetable life, and
there are several generations in one sea.
son. DR.. John Gamble.of Tallahassee,
Ella, assisted by myself, dissec,ed fe-
male ballworm moth or miller, Ian in.
sect, which in the caterpillar state is
most destructive to cot,on,) and we dis.
covered mass Of eggs, which when
counted amounted at tho least calCula-
ton, to FIVE hundred, duly hutched, for
the first generation, say one half males,
the rest females; tho second genera
ton, if undisturbed, would amount to
1000, aud tho third be almost meal.
culabIe.
Now, these mother flies are not very
numerous in early the season, owing
to the birds devouriDg them, the rigor
OF winter, and various other accidental
canses, and if practical means were
found to destroy them as early in the
spring as possible. the immense rava8es
ofthe second aud third generations might
be prevented. In one female (mcetcus)
case or hangworm, so destructive to the
shade trees, | counted nearly eight hun.
dred eggs although the specimen was
but small. Now were all these cases
taken from every infected tree In the
winter, when they can most easily be
seen, owing 10 the fall of tho leaf, and
then Immediately burned, tho trees
would be comparatively FREQ tho next
season; and by following this plan for
two OF three years more, the work grow.
ing gradually less and less, the insect
might finally be e&ierminated, inasmuch
as the female never leaves her case, but
forms her nest Of eggs inside; aud yet
these noxious pests are suffered year af-
ter year TO increase, when so little trou.
BILE would destroy them. Olherinsects
again have other habits, which if fully
known, would likewise lead to their de-
struction."