The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

FROM THE ALEXANDRIA EXPOSITOR

THE CATERPILLARS.

This pest, which has so suddenly burst into existence, is the subject which now absorbs the general attention. Our accounts from the head waters of the southern branches of Potomac, from the borders of James River, Culpepper and Orange counties, in Virginia, and the state of South Carolina, are truly alarming. In this vicinity they seem to attack only particular spots of earth, and to confine their ravages principally to wheat & grass. In a very beautiful wheat field near this town they have stripped the leaves entirely from the wheat, eaten the three or four lower grains from the ear, & seem apparently to have absorbed the milky substance from those more exposed to the heat of the sun. Several gentlemen in Alexandria are preparing to watch the transformation of this animal, whose natural history merits, and will no doubt receive attention. An idea, however, prevails, which we can but deem unfortunate, viz.-that the wheat will ultimately prove not to be injured by them-We shall not enter into the physiology of Plants, nor enquire into the truth (which, however, is believed) of the assertion, that leaves are necessary to the nourishment of plants, but content ourselves with observing, that such an idea is productive of indolence; and where it is believed that these caterpillars are innoxious, no attempts will be made to get rid of them. Impressed with an opinion that they are destructive, the Editor of this paper procured some powdered Plaster of Paris:- on some of them he let fall small quantities of it, others he surrounded with it, & he placed some of it immediately in the path of others; the result of these experiments give room to hope that this valuable substance may be usefully employed, if not altogether to destroy them, at least to preserve our fields from their ravages, as it appeared almost instantly to kill some on whom it was placed, and occasioned others to eject a quantity of greenish matter; those that were surrounded seemed to search every passage to escape without passing over it, and those in whose path it was strewn took a different direction. Upon the whole it evidently appeared as if all disliked it, but the small scale on which these experiments were made will justify no positive assertion, and it is therefore hoped that some of our intelligent agriculturalists will give their attention to the facts stated.