557. The woodlouse, called sclater in Scotland (under which name are included the Oniscus asellus and Por cellio scaber of naturalists) is often entrapped along with the earwig. It is almost equally injurious to ripe fruit as that insect.
558. Flies of many different species, and belonging to various genera, may be numbered among the enemies of ripe fruit. The wasp, the earwig, and the woodlouse, Commence the attack, and " sap the blushing rind ;" the flies enter the openings made by these more powerful insects, and extend the devastation. Several muscce are very frequently to be observed, particularly M. tenax, Caesa•, and canicularis. Wherever the juices begin to corrupt, the large blowfly (M. vomitoria) is to be found in every hollow.
359. The caterpillars, which devour the leaves of cab bages, savoys, and broccoli, are principally the larva of Noctua brassica, and N. oleracea. The completely green caterpillar, which frequently preys on cauliflower and broc coli plants, is the larva of Papilio rapx, Lin. (Pontia, Fabr.) The cabbage tribe is observed to be most subject to the attack of caterpillars in the neighbourhood of towns and in long cultivated soils, where much crude manure has been applied. The best and simplest remedy consists in turning up the soil in ridges in the autumn, and leaving it exposed to the action of the winter's frost ; but the application of quicklime is also useful.
560. The wire-worm is an indefinite sort of name for any small thread-like grub, which lodges in the routs of culina ry plants, particularly such as are of a bulbous or tuberous nature. These grubs appear to be principally the larva of different species of Elate?. They sometimes attack also the roots of ornamental plants kept in pots : The remedy, in this case, consists in repotting, shaking the roots clear of the old earth, and using fresh soil brought from some old pasture at a distance.
Tire maggot which infests onions and shallots (§335 and 344), is a small larva, the transformations of which have not yet been traced by naturalists.
For further information concerning the natural history of the insect enemies of fruits and culinary vegetables, we may refer to the first volume of a very entertaining and instructive work, entitled " An Introduction to Ento mology," by Messrs Kirby and Spence, 8vo. London, 1815 ; and to the article ENTOMOLOGY in this work.
561. The other enemies of garden productions can only be very slightly noticed here.
Slugs, meaning principally Limax cinerarius and L. fla ruts, are often very mischievous to wall-trees, which they ascend in the spring months, cutting off the fruit at the time of setting. Inverted flower-pots are sometimes placed as decoys at the bottom of the trees, the slugs being induced to take shelter within them. Ducks are very good destroy ers of slugs ; and a few are often turned into gardens for this purpose ; they must be kept in it for two or three days, and get no food but what they cull for themselves.
Snails (meaning chiefly Helix aspersa of Montagu, or H. hortensis of Pennant) often abound, especially where the garden-walls are old or rugged. In well kept gar . dens they are looked fur in the mornings, particularly after showers, when they never fail to appear, and are destroyed.
Moles (Talta Europua) are sometimes very injurious in gardens, and must be extirpated whet ever they appear. Traps are set for them by persons who have studied their habits: and the expertness of some of these in taking them is wonderful. The moles seem to be social animals, keep ing together in families or societies. The great art in catch ing them depends on ascertaining their recent and frequent ed galleries or subterraneous roads, and in placing the traps neatly in these.
Mice (principally the field-mouse, .11us sylvaticue) fre quently devour newly sown peas and beans, if these have not been duly covered with soil ; and they sometimes like ise attack the beds of tulips, ranunculuses, and crocuses. They may soon be subdued by placing a number offoureh figure traps (as they are called, from resembling in shape the Arabic 4) in the garden : this kind of simple but effec tual trap is figured and described both in Nicol's " Calen dar," and in Abercrombie's" Practical Gardener." Many kinds of birds may be numbered among the ene mies of gardens. Even the beautiful bulfinch (Loxia pyrrhula) destroys many blossoms of fruit-trees, scooping them clean out ; but whether the bird feeds on the blos som, or only nips it off for the sake of caterpillars contain ed within it, is not known. The jay (Corvus glandarius,) the black-bird (Turdus merula), and the mavis (T. musi cus,) make great havock among the best kinds of cherries, where means are not resorted to for saving them. Rooks (Co`rvus frugilegus) often attack pear-trees, and destroy vast quantities of the fruit ; and jack-claws (C. monedula) are sometimes also guilty of this sort of trespass. The common sparrow (Fringilla dumestica,) and the chaffinch (F. calebs), likewise commit great depredations. For the protection of large standard trees, dead birds arc occasion ally hung up, so as to wave with the wind; and such scares are of considerable service in deterring depredators. In the case of espalier and wall-t•ees, nets are generally em ployed, being hung over them, and fixed close to the ground. It may be remarked, that different species of tit mouse (Parus candeue and ater) with the common creeper (Certhia familiaris), and all the Motacillx or warblers, may be considered as useful in destroying insects or their larv?, which are their principal food, and should therefore be winked at in gardens, although they may possibly destroy a certain quantity of the blossom.