The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-10
LETTERS IRON OSrARIO.
4 City of Trees-How Nature Keeps n
Caterpiliars In Check.

q
Caterpiliars ia Check.
ToHoNro. ONT, August 25.-While the
people of Toronto are strict observers of tls
fourth they are persistent vIOlatOrs Of tho
second cOmmandment--they are idolataB
They select large lots employ expensive az.
chitects. buy costly materials and build them
selves beautiful homes. and If they canuo.
find almost literal forests 70 hide them behind
they proceed % plant double, triple and some.
times quadruple rows OF trees between tho
roadway and the houses thoy have taken
time. trouble aud expense T. erect. = Trees
seem TO be the great idol of Iorontonian-.
and rather than fell tree that e1ectually con
ceaissOme handsome residence they wOuldTlde
on street-car on Sunday, henOus as tho
crime is. Ask q TorontOnan what is tho
greatest work Of God and straightway en-
trely forgetful of himself or OF the Virgin
ians he has seen, he Will say, tree. As4
him what next 20 violating tho Sabbath daf
is the greatest sin and he will spontaneously
reply, cutting down a tree and ask HIM
finally what is the use Of money, brains, taste,
fine materials. etc, and no will reply. 10
combine them all into beautiful home fol
the purpose of concealing IL behind "A thick
grove OF trees not IN words DO they thus
reply but in actions which We all know alo
the most eloquent forms Of speech. So ]
think ! say truly that Torontonians are tree
wOrshiDers.
Fortunately, however, all are not idolater.
for sometimes | come across dwellings where
helOye OF nature hasnot stlHed the love OF art
and where. though there are trees, they are
made 30 enhance and not 10 conceal the skin
and taste Of man, and on coming upon sucn
dwellings ! feel as if a flood of warm sunshine
had suddenly burst from cold, sullen SKY. Tho
old lady vino once complained that she could
not sec the town for the houses might Well
complain that she could not see Toronto iof
the trees. However, Toronto well Tepays tie
visits OF the thousands of tourists that thr0ng
her streets every summer.
Trees naturally suggest entomology, tof
many trees naturally many worms. lie
caterpillar season ls nearly over, and tho
few that crawl around are TOO near the end ~
their earthly pilgrimage TO do any harm. bli
that caterpilars must be troublesome 10
Toronto and IN some seasons "a source OF con
siderable damage Is shown by the vast mum.
Der Of their cOcoons. twenty-five Of which
found on one tree ia seven feet Of the ground,
one secs everywhere. not only ia cracks and
crcyices but also on flat surfaces. II these
enormous muititudes Of chrysales were allow.
cd 10 hatch the following spring there would,
unless everybody neglected everything rise
and waged war determination, be Imminent
danger Of every green leaf being dev0urod.
But nature necessarily puts check upon
dangerous multiplication Of any OF her works,
and So ] ind in the case Of the caterpillnrs
Bena struck by the sight. | examined many
OF tho cocoons aud. although they are fresh
creations, | found nearly all the inmates dead
and deyoured OF dying. For a time
could not understand this. AZ first,
finding white frothy exc rescence over
which q soft. gray. wngless insect the siz,
OF pea sluggi5hly stood guard upon many
cOcoons, l thought IL was tho destroyer of th.
chrysnles. Bat slight knowledge Of en'o I
mology told mo thatif this gray, wingless insect
was probably q consequence. 10 could not Do
the cause Of the destruction Of the chDsales
Further inspecti0nshow one chrysales fl.el
with eggs. another with eggs party hatohed Z
another stuffed with maggOts. doyOuring =
flesh, and tho final transformers
was the gray. wingless insect laying It's e--
and protecting them from winters wrii.
with the white frOthy covering. IL woli +
seem that an ichneumon-hy had deposited ~ +
eggs ia the BODY OF the caterpillar during ~
lifetime: that they bal Matched early IA in
chrysalis stage and had al once proceeded y
deyour the chrysalis thus ehectually rem0r
ing the danger Of the destruction the fol- "
lng spring Of any green leaf If the chrysl.1
had been allowed 90 mature.
Thus Il il all through nature: abundance o.
food abundance of life. abundance ln ta'
lower causes. abundance IN the higher grade
OF life. all the way up % man, when the abun'
auce OF inferior creation produces sul el
abundance ot men. when nature comes aiois
and Dy means Of war, famine. disease or -
thence. removes the excess within the ah.IH
Of the earth properly 10 support More anon
RIcnNoNp.