horrible brackish taste clings to the tongue after | Nature, and follows her slow but sure dictates,

eating the grapes." Says its present owner, "Even the birds turn up their bills at them." We would naturally conclude here that Imagination might be exercising her spells, but it is not so. The present proprietors knew nothing of the doctor's experiment. It fully illustrates that there are mysteries in the laboratory of Nature which may be very successful in some localities, and utterly ruinous to men's hopes in another, requiring from them that practice which experience alone can give or justify.

Now that we are planting vineyards, and starting in the race with other nations in producing something which may "gladden," not blacken, the hearts and stupefy the heads, it is to be hoped-not mixtures of drugs labeled and sold as vintages from other sunny lands-should we not take these peculiarities of the vine into consideration, and humor this beautiful offspring of Nature in all its requirements? We have climate and we have soil, and all we require is judgment and industry. If a vine is planted in a wet, damp, acrid earth, you must expect a watery, sour vintage, and your "must," as the vintners call it, will soon convince you of labor lost, time and money uselessly expended. The way a trellis faces on which a vine clings will change the qualities of a grape; how much more the earth from which it draws its sustenance, or the air which fills its lungs?

will be the greatest benefactor to his race, and will have the more success with his vineyard. In this, as in all other things, we are ambitious to reach the highest pinnacle on the wings of the eagle, instead of following the path around the Mount of Success. We wish to accomplish in a few years that which it has taken other nations many centuries to attain. Look at the vineyards of France. How far they extend back into the Past; what tales they can tell of joust and troubadour; and no man will deny that they have done great service to their country, in the light and refreshing beverages so common among the working-classes. We must have time for

"Those banks which bear the vine, And hills all rich with blossomed trees, And fields which promise corn and wine." There can be no doubt of ultimate success, although it may be attended with delay, when we may speak of "our vintages" standing the test of time. But for this consummation we must study the secrets of Nature, and not plant a vine where she has decreed that only an oak or a pine shall grow. She is inexorable, and her dictates must be heeded to give us any thing like success. Bacon has left us a whole volume of excellent advice in one pithy sentence: "Nature is only conquered by obeying her." This is not the place, however, to discuss agricultural Probably among all the blessings appertain- cccentricities. Grapes will always be capital eating to the comfort of man which a Divine Prov-ing, no doubt, even if they can not be made to idence has bestowed, not one administers more "gladden" men's hearts in a liquid state. directly than this in its results. That man must and will have something wherewith to gladden his heart, has been most fully demonstrated since the day Father Noah carried the experiment too far until this present year of grace. How necessary, philanthropic, and charitable it is, then, that this should be pure, light, and unadulterated-making the blood glad, not rendering the heart sad or the head insane; and he who gives a light, pure drink to his countrymen deserves all the ancients decreed him to be considered a benefactor to his race. It is no use to shirk the question. Like every other truth, "the Master" recognized it in His first miracle at the wedding in Cana; and man ignores himself when he sets his nature at defiance. The race which should now be run is who shall do his neighbor the greatest justice in the produce of his vineyard-so often the symbol of prosperity and happiness in that holy book; so often the recipient of our Father's blessings when giving man the result of his labors.

But the vine has other despoilers than man's ignorance and prejudices; and I propose to show you a few of those from among the host who love it as a dwelling-place and a home of delights.

The insect kingdom, like our own, exhibits a great preference for the vine. Scarcely any herbivorous member of it in the larva state will reject the vine as food. Even the absolutely exacting silk-worm will sometimes prefer it to its own proper tree-the mulberry; and the splendid moths we have, belonging to the maple, oak, and hickory, can be raised with great success upon it. The strange but very beautiful Lema and the splendid Regalis will become vine-caters alone, and give splendid specimens. This I mention for the aid of collectors. We will now turn to some of those strictly appointed to the vine. They are numerous enough, so that there is no difficulty in choosing. We will commence at the root and go up.

I have before me a pretty moth, the Ægeria The effort attending the culture of the grape labrusca-the "Root-Borer of the Wild Vine." among us, so far, has resulted in much success; It is marked in some cabinets as E. polistaadding to the luxuries of life and the employ-formis. I find a marked difference between the ment of additional workers, who would other-two, although they may be varieties of the same wise have stood idle in the market-places of the Old World until the day was, for them, far spent. But there is much yet to learn. There are no royal roads toward the culture of a vineyard. They are as well beaten out as those to the Temple of Knowledge; and he who listens to

insect. The habits of the first I know; those of the other may be presumed from analogy, if they are not the same. The Egeria labrusca has been introduced into vineyards from using the wild grapes of the country for grafting purposes. It has been said that the scuppernong is

not touched by this insect or other borers. This | covered them in old wood, fully grown, and havis an error, as the wild vines in the Middle States ing to undergo but one change of skin, as early will amply prove. It is a great lover of warmth, as March, and they did not go into pupa until and has not as yet strayed in numbers very far the next fall. The beetle is long-lived. I have north or east, although in dry seasons they are before me one which I found in the month of frequently numerous. There is one of this fam- April four feet under ground, where a friend ily, the Omphale of Florida, one of the most was renewing an old post in his garden. When beautiful insects known. This Egeria is of a first brought to light it was the prettiest thing dark rich brown color, shaded and banded with conceivable. A very delicate pearly green, with yellow. The thorax, shoulder-covers, and head the black spots very brilliant; the thorax sevare all edged with yellow; the feelers, legs, and eral shades darker, the legs and abdomen splenantennæ are of the same color. The fore- didly bronzed. It was torpid, and I supposed wings are a brown dusky mixture; the hind- dead, but the warm sun and air soon revived it. wings are as transparent as glass, beautifully It was the largest specimen I ever saw. I placed veined and edged with black. The female has some of the sand in which it was found in an two bright orange tufts on each side of her tail; inkstand, the body of which was in the form of the male has four-two on each side-the mid- a bee, the wings composing the cover. Here dle longer than those on the outside. They are this pretty creature lived many months, bearing larger than the generality of their family. The patiently all the various experiments I made on mother moth deposits her eggs, just where the the power of hearing they possess, which consoil touches the trunk of the vine, in the month firmed me in my theory of this sense being only of June, and according to the weather they are conveyed to them through the shock given to hatched. The caterpillars are pellucid and the nervous system. You might call with a fire white. They commence boring their way up-trumpet and receive no recognition, but tap with ward, and when they are numerous the vines will be soon worth very little. When full-grown they measure very nearly two inches. They change their skins four times, and when ready to transform they collect shreds of bark, small fragments of wood, and dry stems, all of which they gum together and spin over with silk, always being sure to place themselves snugly away under the fibrous bark hanging in strips around the trunk of the vine. You may find them easily in the fall by loosening the bark, the small silken patches extending from the crevices will soon inform you where to find this enemy. The chrysalis is of a delicate brown. It has many points on the rings, which enable it to push its way out of the cocoon the easier. The tonguecase is always very much exposed, bent either on one side or the other. They are easily kept under subjection if watched for a season and taken-such as feigning death-when the table was in time. They do not all come forth at once, but at different times, so that they are seen flying around the vines from June to October.

Pelidnota punctata is a beautiful and large beetle, the Pelidnota punctata of Harris. It belongs to the family of Rutilians-the link connecting the famous tribe of Scarabæus and the Melatonthada, or "May-Chafers." They belong to the wood-eaters in a larva state, and live on the leaves of the vine in the imago. The mother beetle deposits her eggs in the earth, near decayed wood, and in old stumps of trees; so if your arbors and trellis-work become decayed, and you allow the evil to remain, you must remember you are preparing the home for the young of this pretty insect. The grub is of a pale yellowish hue, with a dark head and very strong jaws. The tail is very much larger than the head, resembling the larva of the May beetles. The last ring is thick and horny in appearance, and of a brownish color. I can affirm, almost with certainty, that they live more than one season in the larva state. I have dis

a pencil ever so gently, the earth would begin to move, and out would come the pretty greenish head. It lived upon apples, grapes, or any fruit in season. Twice during the week I would give it a cold bath by dropping water from the tips of my fingers. The sand was always kept moist. If left to become dry it would work up to the surface, raise the cover with its back, and walk forth to remind you of your negligence. It was a celebrated personage in its day, and the inquiry, when I was met by friends, was usually, "How is the beetle?"

I was anxious to test the length of life they possess; but this died in the course of the twentieth month I had enjoyed its companionship. It must have been at least a year old when I got it; so we have so much of a data. It had been exhibiting some of its odd tricks to our friends

struck. Coming to, softly, peering around, and then gathering itself up, it would scamper over the side of its domicile, and hide away under the sand. There waiting a while, and feeling no other movement, it would cunningly come up, loth to relinquish the apple feast, peer around, come to the edge of the china rim, and tumble itself over, knowing this would be eventually the way it would reach its repast, as it could not walk down so smooth a surface. Then to watch it like a hound tracking the apple over the table from its perfume, and many other instinctive manœuvres strange to contemplate. After this performance it was left uncovered; and in the morning nothing remained of my little pet but its beautiful wing-covers and its legs. A mouse had devoured it from the traces discovered around the inkstand.

They are very full of instinct, and will well repay any one for their care, if only to look at. The antennæ are what is termed lamellatæ, or lamellate-folding like a fan when not in use. The folds of this fan represent the most beauti

ful golden leaves in the most minute construction. The veins are as distinct as veins of gold. The jaws are firm and strong, and leave ridges in an apple as deep as one of your nails could form; consequently the depredation must be great when many are devouring the leaves on a vine. They descend into the earth to undergo transformation, gluing sticks, stems, and old leaves together for an outside covering, lining the interior very nicely with a silken texture.

When ready to go into cocoon they commence by drawing the tendril around them, gluing the cocoons on to the stem on one side. They are tough, oval, and rough. You would take them to be only punctures in the bark. The chrysalis is a delicate brown. You have often seen vines as if a fire had run over them, scorching and withering every leaf. Then it is these little creatures were working out their mission, and yet you will see men gather up all these leaves, each with its burden of eggs for the next season, and heap them into piles for manure. Could they more effectually comfort and aid their enemy? And they wonder where it is possible for this nuisance to come from, when they appear

The chrysalis is covered and cut, stamped and decorated with such a variegated pattern that two pages would be exhausted in description, and then I should not convey to you the beauty of its elaborateness. It is indeed a wonderful piece of Infinite workmanship-marvelous the next season to repeat their depredations. to examine, and impossible to describe.

Tortrix philampella-"Vine-Leaf Roller"—is The Aphis vitis-" Vine Aphis"-is a very a very pretty, delicate little moth. It belongs, delicate little insect, resembling the "plant from its habits, to the Linnæan order Tortrices louse" found on the rose, geraniums, etc. Its "Curlers" or Twisters;" but from the oddanatomy is the same as the aphis of the corn. ity of the antenna of the male, which is thickIt punctures the veins of the leaves with its ened in the middle, it should constitute a subtube, causing them to turn brown and wither, genus. They are, I am sorry to say, increasing and showering the honey-dew around as food rapidly enough to form one. This insect swarms for their young and their particular friends, the some seasons, over the Isabella and Catawba ants. These have no downy covering, but are grapes in particular. The moth is dusky, or translucent, varying in color from a delicate rather a mixture of black, gray, and brown green to a ruby red, according to the grape feathers intermixed, the black predominating. they are on. Toward the autumn, when the The fore-wings have white dots, with half cirfemales are exhausted, the males are brought cles of white under them; the hind-wings have forth, feed their time, and when ready to cast each a semicircular white dot. She deposits the last skin and attain their wings, they clasp her eggs in clusters near the large veins of the with the hooks on their fore-legs the back of leaf. In a few days, if congenial, they hatch; the stem, the skin bursts open, and the perfect feed together until they have changed their first insect emerges-the daintiest, prettiest little skin and grown stronger; then each rolls up a thing imaginable. The old females now cast leaf, tying it nicely together with silk, coming their last skin, become rejuvenated, having dis- forth from under cover to nibble at every thing covered the fountain of youth in their wings. around them. The principal food, however, is They join in a danse d'amour, deposit their eggs the fine portions of the leaf between the vein or for the coming season, and then they both dis- fibre. When full-grown they are of a delicate appear from their green summer home. But green, with black dots scattered here and there this bower of bliss has its deep shadow in a over the segments. They are very lively and small, pretty ichneumon fly belonging solely to brisk; and should you find one straggling away this sub-genus, which deposits its eggs in the from his home, touch him, and you will see him body of the aphis to be fed and nourished by it. spin out a line of silk and drop down like a They are very numerous, and perform great ex- flash on it to the ground, until the danger has ecution among these atoms. Half a dozen lady- passed, when up he will go like a sailor on his birds (Coccinella) domesticated on your vines rope, and wander on until he discovers his own will soon remove, by devouring, this little pest. domicile again. When they have eaten suffiProcris Americana is the representative of the ciently, they spin firm knots of silk to the side European vitis-"Vine-Eater”-in this country. of the leaf, into which they pass the hooks which It is of a blue-black color all over, except the they have at the end of the chrysalis. The leaf collar around the neck, which is of a bright or- may be the sport of every blast of wind, blowing ange; the tail is forked apparently by the tufts here and there over the earth; but the little of feathers being sloped in this manner as they creature is snugly and securely moored until fall. Sometimes you may meet a specimen not spring time comes again. quite so sombre, and these are found north and These are easily kept in subjection by gathereast, having a few yellowish scales on the body.ing from the vines all the leaves you see nicely She deposits her eggs in clusters under the leaf. In a few days, if warm, they hatch.

The caterpillars are gregarious, feeding together, until ready to go into cocoon, when they separate. They are of a faded yellow color at first, turn green as they change their skins, and attain after the last moulting black bands around each segment. They are now rather hairy.

rolled up and burning them. You will hereby destroy a host of pretty creatures; but your own conscience must settle the result between the loss of life and the luxury of the grape.

Tettigonia venustus. - This insect is the "Handsome Vine-Hopper" par excellence—a most exquisitely pretty creature. They belong to the harlequin family of the insect kingdom,

and are so numerous that one is puzzled where | Weber. to find names sufficient to designate them.

They are the merriest, most active, leaping, flying, joyous creatures in existence-Anacreons, in a poetical light, and most luxuriantly epicurean in the juice of the grape. I have chosen this from among the many, because I have found it solely on the vine-having seen them so thick on the under part of a leaf that you could scarcely wedge a pin's point between them. But touch the leaf and trace the host with the eye if you can. They are greater leapers than the flea or grasshopper. When they have attained their wings the leap is trebled. Examine the leg: under the glass it is as if composed of glass and golden spines; the hooks are like cut rubies. But with all its beauty use and strength are combined. The mother insect deposits her eggs along the veins of the entire leaf. When hatched they are scarcely to be seen by the eye unaided. They thrust in their beaks immediately, and continue to imbibe without moving from the spot for nearly a week. The skin then bursts, and after a space they try their legs with a leap to a new leaf. So it continues until they reach the last change before they obtain their wings. They have now a piquant and most dandified look, with the tip of the abdomen contemptuously turned up. If the weather is unfavorable they will remain two or three weeks in this stage. Small and frail as they look, they are very hardy, many remaining over all winter. They are in habit, structure, and transformation Cicada in miniature.

The Greeks called these last Tettix, and these little people Tettigonia. The head is semicircular, large, and flat; the eyes are very distant, placed at the side of the head; are flat and expansive, not globular like those of the Cicada. The sucker is strong and horny, and on each side shielded by a bristle. It has a most lugubrious aspect to our eye; but be assured that if any creature on this ever-changeful busy earth knows happiness, joy, and content, it is this tumbling, leaping atom. It is positively to be envied; and as you watch them in their gambols, you might, with no great stretch of imagination, think you heard them shout with exuberance of life.

You have often, doubtless, noticed vines growing yellow, sickly, and dying prematurely, as if autumn had arrived in mid-summer. Examine the vines closely, and you will see that the leaves have a bright, shimmering light in the sun. Look closer, and you will find that these light specks are the cast-off garments of these merryandrews. The depredation they commit is easily distinguished from that of others from the utter withering of the leaves. Here, again, is the fallacy exhibited of using leaves for manure until they have been decomposed by some chemical process; for thousands of eggs remain over, as well as the perfect insect, to renew the family the next season.

Attalabus analis-"Red-Tailed Attalabus." This little beetle is the Attalabus analis of

I have retained its designation, although it has been classed by other American authors under other names, which must, of course, become synonyms. It has taken a new thought into its beetle head: to desert the oak, its own tree, for the vine in a great measure. They are constantly found of late years in this location. The oak-tree disappearing so rapidly from among us, it has been thrown upon other resources.

Under the breast, head, antennæ, and legs, are blue-black; the thorax, abdomen, and wingcovers are of a very ugly dull red; the wingcovers are deeply punctured in straight rows. They have strong, firm snouts, which they thrust into buds and young fruit, and would, if not disturbed, soon ruin a vineyard.

The mother insect contrives, with her legs and snout, to twist and bend the thick veins of a leaf so that it can be folded together to form a compact nest, where she deposits her eggs, where they are hatched, and where the young live until they change their skins and have arrived at maturity. They are thick white grubs, with their segments very much hunched; no legs, only fleshy membranes on the under part of the body. This grub is very destructive in forcing its way between the young grapes and gnawing a ring around their stems, which causes the small, green, dried-up specimens we see mixed in bunches with the full-grown, rich clusters. But it is not to be blamed for all such kind of mischief. It has a number of assistants in this way of destroying the vintage in the other orders of insects.

It is rarely that they are

This beetle generally selects her leaf for the nest high up, well-sheltered by others. The young are scarcely ever seen during the day, but are very active at night. The mature beetles can be found sunning themselves at noon upon the arbor or trellis-work. seen at other times. It is found likewise on the rose at some seasons, doing much injury.

To secure the vine from much depredation no other plants should be placed near it; for it is wonderful to see with what alacrity other insects, when sufficiently near, hasten to luxuriate upon the vine. Its coolness, always moist state, shade, and tempting fluid can not be withstood by them. They evidently share with man his love and admiration of this solace.

I have space for only one more of these-the most common and usually met with every where throughout the country. But you must remember that the vine has as attendants belonging especially to it some of the most brilliant and beautiful insects in the Lepidoptera order. But the pen can give but mere shades. The superb colors and commingling of hues can be only represented by the brush.

Pterophorus margarita-dactylus-"Pearly Plume of the grape vine." This moth, which I have seen rapidly on the increase for the last seven years all over the country, differs so very essentially from Fitch's Pterophorus periscelidactylus-the "Gartered Grape-Vine Plume"that it must receive another name. He has