Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-19
Calls and Their Origin.

"GALLs," as all unnatural growths on
trees or plants caused by lnsecIs are
termed, are found on almost every de,
scription of vegetable production, on all
parts, such as root, stem, tWlg, lea!' ana
even tendril, and of every concelVaole
shape, size and color. Each species OF
gall, however, is as a rule connneo 10
distinct species of plant, though some
plants are attacked by very large mum
Der Of different kinds; on the various
kinds of oaks on this continent, iof IN
stance, Baron Osten Sacken enumerates
the discovery of about sixty species Oh
gals, and Mr.. Walsh has considerably IN
creased the number. The great majority
of gals are produced by insects OF the
same family and order as that menIloneo
I'VE. Some are made by saw mes, some
by small moths, some by plant-nce' anu
others by gall. gnats, which are TWO.
winged mosquito like insects, ana OF
which the wheat Jointly is not an una
miliar instance. In most cases, Inc le.laie
insect punctures the plant, ana deposlss III
the cavity one or more eggs, togeCheI
with drop of poison this produces q
swelling of the infected part, lnslae ol
which the egg matches out, ana the larva
feeds on the vegetable tissues I'LL IL Is
ready to come out as perfect ny. IN the
case of the plant-lice, the mother insect
as well as her children, inhahlts the gan,
and brings up an enormously numerous
family in the circumscribed area OF otGen
times less than that of pea, far outdolng
in this way the exploits, celebrated IN
nursery and rhyme, of the " old woman
who lived in shoe"
The so-called oak-apple is familiar in
stance of an ordinary gall. OF some
what similar character are the apples OF
Sodom, or Dead Sea fruit, often mention
ed by ancient as we'll as modern travellers,
and described as beautiful to the eye, put
as filing the mouth with bitter ashes II
tasted. Until recent times they were
considered very mysterious objects, ouI
modern entomologists have discovered
that they are actually oak gals, " two
inches long and an inch and half In dl-
ameter, of beautiful rich glossy pur-
plish red, exteriorly, and filled with an IN
tensely bitter, porous, and easily puiVer,
lied substance, surrounding the insect
(Cypiys iq1spn0 Wested) which has given
birth to them. The presence OF a i've IN
sect inside gall that had no visible inlet
or outlet, was great puzzle TO the PM
losophers of olden times. Some ascrlbed
their origin to spontaneous generation,
and derived marvellous representations
of future events from the appearance OF
the included insect Others gravely ar
gued that they were produced from the
eggs of insects laid in the earth, but drawn
up by the roots Of trees along with the
sap, with which they were carried to all
parts, finally stopping in the leaves or
twigs, and there Matching out or producing
gals! An ingenious solution certainly
but derived entirely from the lmaglna-
ton.
No insect, not even the bee, the cochi-
neal, or the Spanish fly has been OF so
much value to mankind as one OF these
gall-fiies, that, namely, which produces the
gall-nut of commerce, one OF the chief IN
gradients in the manufacture of ink.
"How infinitely" to quote the words of
Kirby and Spence, care we indebted to
this little creature, which at once enables
us to converse with our absent friends and
connections, be their absence from us ever
80 great, and supplies the means by which,
to use the poets language, we can
Give to airy nothing
A local habitation and name
Enabling the poet the philosopher, the
politician, the moralist and the divine to
embody their thoughts for the amuse-
ment, instruction, direction and reforma-
ton of mankind" These gals are found
on the leaves of species of oak that is
very common in Asia Minor. They are
about the size of school,boy's marble,
very hard and round, and rather rough
externally. Each one is the home and
food of single insect. The most valu-
able are those that contain the worm, and
which are called the blue, green, or black
gals. When the worm has completed its
Transformation and emerged as a fly, they
are called white gals, and are not nearly
so valuable.
The great majority of gals, though sub
iects of interest, may be considered in
furious to vegetation, and when found
upon valuable plants, such as the grape,
should be cut off and Destroyed Canada
Hu9D1ep ...-. ..-'. .-