protecting the birds which protect us from the ravages of intsect; and the club entertains the hope that all our States may follow. And that the secretary communicate a copy of this resolution, to the Legislature of that State.

Unanimously adopted.

Dr. Underhill.-I wish that the crow had been included in the admirable law we have just read. The moral courage required is not less than the wisdom, to pass such a law. If all men were aware of the incalculable benefits which we obtain from the birds, no one would touch an egg, or harm the useful creature. The crow does more good when he follows the farmers plough, and swallows immense numbers of the grey, the black and the white grubs, which do a hundred times more harm to the crops, than the crows do to the seed. Besides it is so easy to prevent this useful bird from picking up your seed corn. Carry a white cotton line around the field, supported on poles about ten or twelve feet high, and crows will not go inside for a long time; but if he should, you may hang here and there bits of bright tin to the line, these turning about and casting reflections, make crows utterly avoid the interior. The good done by destruction of these grubs which are the larva of insects, is double, for both as larva and insects they are enemies of our crops. Further we should soak the seeds over night in a solution of salt petre, made by dissolving one ounce of it in one quart of hot water, when you can bear your hand in it, then put in the grain and stir it well. Next day pour off the water and roll it in plaster of Paris, or wood ashes, so that every grain gets a coat. Soak the Indian corn in the same way, and next day stir it in a solution of a wine glass full of tar in a quart of hot water; when the water is cooled so that you can bear a hand in it. This we call glazing the corn; then roll it in plaster or ashes as above.

Dr. Elliot.-Unless this glazing be very thin there may be difficulty in the growth of the corn.

Dr. Underhill. Some of the small birds, one of the woodpecker can even scrape off from the leaves of the trees with their bills, the aphis of eggs of insects deposited with a glutinous mass to make them stick. The Southern States protect the turkey buzzard by a fine of

ten dollars for killing it. Our little cat bird is a great destroyer of caterpillars; it will hardly touch any thing else for her own eating or for her young. There is a sort of fascination in our wild cherry tree for butterflies. For the deposit of their eggs, no tree of the forest is so much covered with the nests of catterpillars as this. I cut them down. The wren feeds on a variety of insects, helps the bees much, by eating the moths so detested by the bees. The wren busies itself among the bees, all of whom are pleased with its company. Our king bird has been supposed to eat bees, and one of his names is Bee Martin, but that is a great mistake, he watches the bees as they pass him, never touches one of them, but the instant he sees a drone he snaps him up. The bees themselves kill off drones when the supply of honey is a little short.

The Chairman.-That is so.

Dr. Underhill. Within seven years past we have had an invasion from the aphis by millions on millions. They almost destroyed all the leaves in some of our orchards. This occurred after our woodpeckers had almost disappeared from among us; it was then came the myriads of aphis. Our heedless sportsmen had destroyed or frightened our birds; sure am I that they would not have fired upon the birds if they had known their value. Lately some woodpeckers have appeared, among them, the little one which scrapes off the eggs as before observed. The legislature of New Jersey deserves the greatest praise for its moral courage in facing the prejudice of those who do not know the immense utility of the birds protected by this new law. I wish that the prohibition may be extended to the owners of the farms also. Some of these protected birds are among the sweetest songsters of the grove, some of them pour out like the boblink, a deluge of melodious notes. This boblink, is the reed bird of Carolina, the ortotan, &c. We must follow the noble lead of Jersey in this matter. All governments should do so. Encourage the study of entomology [insects] and that of birds in reference to them. The members of this club can do much good by careful attention to the habits of insects, and giving at the meetings faithful statements of what they have discovered. If any man shall find out how to protect his own crops, he will be far ahead of others, for we lose three quarters of our cherries

by the larva put into them by some insect; pears also and nearly all the plums except the winter gage, especially below the highlands of the Hudson.

Chairman. But it has now nearly reached the lakes!

Dr. Underhill. When we have a good crop of plums, it is when we have had an uncommonly cold spring. Among the plums the damson (damascene, or plums of Damascus,) has not escaped. The admirable effect of pure ripe fruit, on the human constitution, induces me to urge the importance of caring for it in all its perfection. No fruit attacked by insects is proper to eat. Professor Agassis, remarked to us that our insects have peculiarities different from those of Europe; and he intended to study them; there is no doubt but that he will attend to it.

Hugh Wardle, of Staten Island, presented a sample of Arnotto manufactured by him at his works on Staten Island, together with the following statement: The colouring of cheese is more important than most persons are aware of. It ripens the cheese, prevents in a great measure the formation of air cells by neutralizing acid, the cheese commands a higher price and is ready for exportation at least one month sooner. To use it in colouring the cheese, pour a half pint of boiling water upon three quarters of an ounce of the Arnotto, or the weight of two cent piece for every hundred pounds weight of cheese, strain the solution through linen, and mix it with the milk, before the rennet is put in.

Mr. Wardle will prepare a statement in writing of his whole process, for the Institute.

Dr. Elliott.-The greatest care is requisite; the curd is first very tenderly pressed &c., by the hand, and but little whey is then taken away from it. It is after this broken up again with increased pressure by the hand, and soon until the last handling; then the curd is heavily pressed by hand.

Judge Van Wyck.-I view the communication of Mr. Wardle, as highly important. The butter and cheese of our country, is of very [Assembly, No. 199. |

34

great value, employing now a large number of our farmers who make enormous amounts for export, as well as home consumption, at a very small expense to themselves; the difficulty has been and is yet, to make a good article. It seems now by Mr. Wardle's statement, and by the experience of many that good management, gives double value to our cheese. The importance of pure arnotto to our dairies is great: adulteration is so easy.

As to the injurious insects, common salt is one remedy as far as it can be applied, and it is also one for mildew. In England Dr. Cartwright applied a solution at the rate of 8 or 10 ounces of salt, in one gallon of water on a wheat field in stripes, and all the stripes sprinkled with it proved entirely free from mildew, and the other stripes not salted, all lost by it.

Mr. Meigs, Arnotto as described by Lindley, in his great work, the Vegetable Kingdom, is of his 110th order called FlacourtiaceaBixads. Almost all of them inhabit the hottest part of the East and West Indies and Africa; two or three at the Cape of Good Hope, one or two in Zealand. The Bixa Orellana contains angular seeds, covered with an orange red waxen pulp or pellicle; this is the Arnotto. It is separated from the seeds by washing. It is chiefly used in the preparation of chocolate, was reckoned an antidote to the poison of the maniot or janipha manihot.

Subject for next meeting-Insects, seeds, planting, grape vine, Starr's exhibition of minute insects by his solar microscope. Adj. H. MEIGS, Sec'y.

On reading the recent law of New Jersey for the protection of that class of birds which protect our vegetation from the ravages of certain insects, and after discussion had thereon:

On motion of Richard T. Underhill, M. D. of Croton Point,

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this club be tendered to the Honorable Legislature of New Jersey for the law passed by it, for the protection of that class of birds which protect us from the ravages of insects in our crops, and the club entertains the hope that all our states will follow this intelligent and noble example.

Resolved, That the secretary transmit a copy of this resolution to the Legislature of New Jersey.

A true copy from the minutes.

Farmers' Club, April 30th, 1850.

Judge VAN WYCK in the Chair. Mr. HENRY MEIGS Secretary.

Mr. Meigs observed that there are now ascertained about 300 species of Curculio. All this race are Coleopters, that is, have shelly covers for their wings. Their larva are very small oblong soft worms, with six legs, which are scaly, and its head also is. Larva signifies mask, owing to the purpose it serves of masking the perfect insect. This larva penetrates grain and wheat; in wheat it obtains the name of weevil. One small species enters the elm leaf and eats a habitation in it on one side, which turns yellow; this dwelling swells a little, and is termed a bladder. At the next stage this curculio pierces the bladder and jumps out of it; its hind legs and thighs are adapted to active leaping.

Lieuwenhoek observed the Aphides carefully, and found that a single pair, male and female, beginning on the first day of June, had in three months seven hundred thousand descendants.

The Greeks called the insect Entoma-meaning cut in two; the Latins called it Insectum, meaning the same thing, the thorax or breast being almost divided from the abdomen or belly. Naturalists have attributed to Solomon, the great King of the Jews, the first writings on the subject of insects, and lament the loss of those writings. From Solomon to Agassiz, this subject has been deemed of great im