. The book of the garden. Gardening. 194 CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. being also removed, and treated with the same care, -will possess the same prolific ; Their power of reproduction, as observed by Bonnet and Eeaumer, is such that the count- less myriads of them which appear in our fields and gardens yearly can be accounted for with- out our having recourse to miraculous causes. " With such an inexhaustible power of fecun- dity, it is fortunate for man that no insects are subject to the attacks of such a variety of enemies. Ist, There are the lady-birds {Cocci- weMoâfigs. 14
. The book of the garden. Gardening. 194 CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. being also removed, and treated with the same care, -will possess the same prolific ; Their power of reproduction, as observed by Bonnet and Eeaumer, is such that the count- less myriads of them which appear in our fields and gardens yearly can be accounted for with- out our having recourse to miraculous causes. " With such an inexhaustible power of fecun- dity, it is fortunate for man that no insects are subject to the attacks of such a variety of enemies. Ist, There are the lady-birds {Cocci- weMoâfigs. 14 and 15), which feed upon the aphides both in their larvao and perfect states; 2dly, The aphidivorous Syrphidse, the maggots of which are exceedingly useful in diminish- ing the number of the plant-lice. Then there are the Hemerobii; or golden-eyes, whose larvse are called Aphis-lions (fig. 69), a ferocious fa- mily nearly related to the ant-lions. Another set of insects are parasitic, and deposit minute eggs in the old aphides, which then change to dull ochreous, horny objects, sticking to the leaves on which they had fed, frequently exhi- biting a hole in their sides, from where the parasitic little ichneumon called Aphidius had ; The earwig and ant wage constant war against them, and soft-billed birds work wonderful destruction amongst them; and to these we may add, as valuable to manâ The Aphis-lion, fig. 69, of which there are numerous species. They belong to the family Fig. , GRUB, AND EGGS. Hemerobiidas and order Neuroptera. The pre- servation of this family should be sedulously cared for, as they are bred, live amongst, and feed upon the plant-eating species of aphides, and are of the greatest importance to man. The aphis-lion makes its appearance in May, and may be observed walking about upon the leaves of plants, resembling more in appearance a small mass of cottony-like matter than a living insect. This covering is composed of the fragme
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectgardening, bookyear18
