Smyrna times., 1872-10-09
MiSce/IUM u f o IL S .
Tie Gentle Cockroach.

Inquiries made in Paris by StrOnin, and in
Berlin by Ehlert, show that the valuable char
acter of the cockrOach as a scavenger and sanl- |
tary agent has not been underrated by the ig |
norant classes. StrOnin says that in all those |
quarters of Paris where the paper and paste are |
accumulated the people encourage the multi |
plication of these insects, and even undertake
to tame and breed them; and he attributes their
immutiny from cerebro-spinal menangltis, and
kindred diseases, Is a great part to this TACT.
A recent writer in the North american Re
uielc, whose sanitary information and statis-
tica style lead to the suspicion that he occupies
an official position, states that the journeymen
bakers Of this and other cities have long been
aware of the preference which this insect has
for putrescent iarinaceOus food. " The cellars
where the work is done, he says, swarm
with these animals, and in one place, occupied
by Germans, | found that the vessel in which
they kept their yeast, and which was never
covered from the air, for obvious reasons, was
favOrte resort of the cOckrOaches The yeast
every morning was thick with them, and the
workmen, before using 1t, were in the habit OF
| carefully straining the animals out through a
coarse sieve" The same writer naively re-
marks that 'such is the firm belief of certain
bakers in the sanitary efficacy Of the insect that
they frequently insert 1t in the loaves them
| selves
| The awakening OF public attention to this
hitherto neglected but valuable animal has also
led to the discovery that there are, in certain
English seaport towns, distinct class OF cock
roach ianciers. This fact, and the success OF
the importation of English sparTOws in destroy
ing the measuring worm nuisance. led no doubt
to the recent attempt to import English cock
reaches These insects are not unlike our OWL
Lldttd OrientdLS The box containing six thou
! ! | sand which was recently sent to the park com
missi0ners from Hull, were blOoded insects
( and. il is said, had been crossed with the kaker
|. lack of South America. Experiments Instituted
bv the commissioners for the purpose OF ascer
4 tanning the vOracity of the breed were perfectly
h. satisfactory. 1t was calculated that tour hun
/ dred of the animals would clean a billboard il
n an hour This is an important consideration
e if, as Dr. Brdedalil insists, "a billboard, al
things going equal, is equivalent to the dealt
iee of three huRdred people,
ty At meeting of the entomolOgists in Salem
- Mass, recently, number of cOckrOach breed
in ers were present on invitation, and a very II
I'd teresting exhibition was made of insects.
~ was there shown that the English breed is 81
g perior to all others for scavenger purposes
aud, what is of no less Importance, 1t was col
H. tended that the popular antipathy to the lnse
en- is groundless the animal being harmless ar
N capable of the greatest affection for Its keepe
Now that the cultivation of the cockroach
qp becoming an intelligent pursuit, directed
lb- scientific knowledge and prompted by santa
per- motives, we shall doubtless soon have the !
md sects introduced into the parks and streets u
red der such regulations as will protect them fro
D r%; the malice of small boys and the depredatlo
ID; d; of kindred animals. .-Ne0 York paper.