Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-12

upon millions, yet they fall back in good
order (the survivors dO), and before the
next train appears are sufficiently rein
forced to present a formidable front and
offer q determined resistance. They
are, take them all in all, the most an
noying little devils that ever got on
earth, except, perhaps, those seven that
are particularly mentioned in scripture.
Naturally, and heretofore, at this sea-
son, no country could present more
beautiful and cheering prospect than our
forests clad in their habiliments of YER
dure. Now, however, they are dreary
and bleak. The noble oaks which have
always in April and May afforded ample
shade and shelter and concealment at
least for squirrels, are as bear now as
bean-poles, and the biggest one, If every
leaf were a cabbage, could not afford
substance enough to set q bachelors pot
a-boiling. That is not all. They are
surely destroying ali the timber. This IS
an alarming fact, but fact neverthe-
less, and unless by the importation of
| English sparrOws or some other means
land none other has ever yet been found
to answer the purpose) their progress
can be stopped they will continue their
depredations and destructive attacks on
| the forests until they desolate the
whole country. This is q serious matter,
and the policy of sending for English
sparrows, is well worthy fhe attention
not only of individuals and communi-
| ties, but of boards of county supervisors,
and city and town authorities, through
ont the south: for, wherever the cater
pillar has not yet gone he Will surely go.
| have said that | can't find it in my
1 = l.. ov,x-l,orl-y oDxrfhfn0-r1nf
| even the devil-but it would afford me
an infinite pleasure to despise these little
inns of old Harry, if despisiDg them
would so hurt their feelings as to induce
| them TO get away and die out. They
are beyond doubt poisonous, or else
chickens, or birds, or hogs, or something
would eat them. Hogs will devour
| snakes with avidity, but these little dew
| lis 90 lust where they wist and ask nobody
i anV odds, and nothing will interfere with
them in the least. They penetrate
every crack or opening about house,
and the other morning, after a cool
night, | found one wrapped up snugly
between my sheets, where he had slept
comfortably ali night, having consider
ately condescended to take me for bed
fellow. Had I known it, / think my
dreams would have been anything but
pleasant that night. But I knew moth
| ing of the liberty which had been taken
with my bed, and 1 therefore slept
soundly and sweetly. "Where igno-
rance is bliss tits folly to be wise" Be
sides the forest, our fruit trees are being
DESTROYED, and there is no telling where
this destruction will terminate. There
was a delightful Sunday-sehOol picnic
here on Monday, but the pleasure was
marred by these pests, for they got
a foothOld in the church, and
waited to be ''excursioned" out, and
around town by the scholars and others;
and up at the grove, where the dinner
was spread, it is estimated that hun
dred and seventeen dresses were dam
aged, if not ruined, and that each lady
old and younger rather say, eacE
craft-carried away seven hundred anC
twenty "varmints," slowed away IL
comfortable Out-of-the-way places about
the rigging. A general brushing anC
shaking was very necessary TO comfor
that evening, and it took place.
All this about caterpillars, and yet (ai
the fellow said in describing the beauty
of his sweetheart) 1.-the half cannot b'
told" Enough; the welfare and pros
perity of the country, and the peac'
and comfort of families, demand thei
destruction. Here's "war to the knife
and the knife to the hilt."