Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1869 — The Increase of Insects. [ARTICLE]

The Increase of Insects.

It is a common remark that insects destructive to fruit and injurious to fruit trees, have been generally on the rapid increase in most parts of the country. The cultivation and improvement of the land,and more abundant vegetable growth, and other facilities for the multiplication of these depredators, have favored this increase. Remedies are talked of and discussed, but uo general effort of an energetic character is made to crush them. At the present time, and for years past, sentimental writers have proposed to throw all the work on the birds. But although some of the birds have Increased almost as rapidly as the insects, the latter still multiply. They have proved entirely inadequate for the purpose, although they may have done some good. Instead of looking idly on, and hoping that birds may save the fruit, cultivators must take hold vigorously with both hands. One active man is worth a thousand birds. As an example, we may mention a single ex-j periment on the orchard caterpillar. ThiffS insect appears in large numbers only occasionally. A few years since, it was found to he rapidly increasing, and threatened on the approach of the growing season to strip a fine young orchard of several hundred pear trees. The birds had proved entirely insufficient to check them. An active man was set to work—-first to cut eff and destroy the rings of eggs in winter, and afterwards to swab nr crush’ the young larvae in their nests. Three days were thus occupied altogether, and the number of insects destroyed was estimated at half a million.' Clean work was made of them. All the birds in the country would not have done it, judging from the slight impression they made on the caterpillars. In another instance a nursery of several thousand pear trees became badly infested with aphides, but the birds did nothing. A man with a few pails of strong soap suds cleared,them in two days. Naturalists and fruit men have been searching for years to find some birds that will take hold of the curculioa. Their search has not been successful, unless we except turkeys, and those have to be fed with young larvae in the fallen fruit, and not with the puncturing beetles. So long as we look on with our hands in our pockets, hoping that some other animal will do the work we should perform ourselves, we may expect failure, For a few years past, during our own experience in employing men, we have the trees bending with heavy crops of plumbs. Before we employed them, we had scarcely a dozen good ones in a season, from tix dozen trees. —Country Cent.

The Atlantic Monthly.—The literary feast famished by the Atlantic tor JMly is summed up-iu the following table of contents: The Drummer Ghont, byJ. W. DeForest; Birch Browsings, by John Burroughs; A Statue, by Mr*. 8. M. B. Piatt; The Foe in the Household Part V.—by the author of “ Victor and Jacqueline" ; Thomas Crawford—a Eulogy, by G. S. Hillat4l Gabrielle de Bergerac—l.—by Henry James, «*>•' Three Years as a Negro Minstrel, by Ralph Keeler; The Restored Picture, by J. T. Trowbridge ; Marrying a Pickpocket, by George B. Woods; The Greek Goddesses, by T. W. Hieginson; Our Inebriates, Harbored and Helped; French and English Art-Writers, by Eugene Benson ; Reviews and Literary Notices. The Atlantic is published by Fields, Ossood <fc Co., I*4 Tremont street, Boston, Mage. $4.00 per year; two copies, $7.00; flve, $18.00; ten, $30.00; twentyotae, $80.00; siDgle numbers, 35cents. Godky’s Lady’s Book.—The illustrations given in the July number are: The Wreck —asteel plate; Colored Fashion-plate-six figtires; The Signal-a tinted picture; The Exchange—a handsome wood-cut; A large extension sheet of fashions, containing thirty-nine engravings ; Four designs of the latest style of bodices, etc.; There aro also twenty-two designs of useful articles In the Work Department; A cottage is also given, with the plans. Marlon Ilarlaad, Ino Churchill, Pique, and Helen Maxwell have first-class stories in this number. The usual amount of valuable Instruction is given in the Work Department.’and many valuable receipts will also be found in their proper place. Published by L. A. Gooey. Philadelphia. One copy one year, $3; two copies, $5; three, $7.50; four, $10; flve, and one extra, sl4; eight, and one extra, s*l; eleven, and one extra, $*7.50.

©ur Young Folks for J Chapter XIV. of the Story of a Bad Boy relates to the Cruise of the Dolphin and the tragic end of one of the Rero's youthfnl companions, who was carried out and lost at sea. The other contents are: Lawrence in a Coal-Mine; In the Happy Valley.. The Unsociable Colt; Navigation and Discovery before Columbus—continued ; How to Write; Twelfth Packet of the William Henry Tetters; In the Cottage; Water Lilies: Lady Moon—a Child’s Song, with Musis; Round the Evening Lamp; Our Letter Box. Amply illus. trated. The publishers announce that an agreeable surprise awaits the reader in the next (August) Instalment of the Story of s'Bad Boy. Fields, Osoood* Co., Boston, Mass. s*.oo per annum; three eoptfcs, $5.00; five, $8.00; ten, $15.00; twenty, $83.00 with extra copy. ,>— ■„ ■ ra « ae m. , ~~ •. - Bad Practice.—You might as well expect to relieve and cure an inflamed eye by dusting irritating powders into it as to expect to subdue apd care Catarrh (which is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the air passages in the head) by the use of irritating snuffs or strong caustic solutions Dr. Sage’s Catarrh Remedy cures Catarrh pTi iu mild, soothing action which subdoes the inflammation and restores the natural secretion of the mucous follicles. It is a pleasant remedy, Its use being attended and followed by a cooling and agreeable sensation. I%s proprietor, R. V. Pierce, M. D., of Buffalo, If Y., offers $llOO for a case of Catarrh that he cannot care. Sent by hull on reoeipt of Sixty Cents. Address the proprietor as above. Par saln-by moat DroggieU everywhere.

• An Englishman wishes to know if the children of Hath were Hamdricans I Dr.&cott, the proprietor and editor of tho Lebanon Star, la a prominent physician Perry Darla’ Pain Elllar, „|d and wall known remedy, which baa acquired a world wide renown' Mr the cure or sudden colder-cooebs. etc., weak atomach, general debility, naming aore month, cankered month or throat. If rar complaint, dyapepals or Indigestion, cramp and pain In the atomach, bowel complaint, painters' colic Asiatic cholera, diarrhea and dyaentery, haa loet none of He good name by repeated triala; bnt contlnnea to occupy a prominent poettion In erery family medicine cheat.— Lebanon Star , Du. lStt, IHSH.