You will remember that excellent treatise on this variety of Shellac,
written by Professor J.M. Stillman at Berkeley, on its chemical
peculiarities.
But all these different forms of utility fall very lightly in weight,
and can not even be counted as an extenuating circumstance, when we
compare them to the enormous evils brought on farmer and gardener by the
hosts of those Coccides that visit plantations, hothouses, and orchards.
To combat successfully against these insect-pests we have first to study
their habits and then adapt to them our remedies, which you will see
are more effective when well administered than those which we possess
against insect pests of other classes.
I give here only the outlines of their natural history, peculiarities
that are common to all, for it would be impossible to go into detail.
Where there are exceptions of practical importance I will mention them.
In countries with a well defined winter the winged males appear as
soon as white frosts are no more usual, and copulate with the unwieldy
limbless female, that looks more like a gall or morbid excrescence, than
a living animal. Shortly after the young ones are perceptible near the
withered body of their mother, covered by waxy secretions that look
somewhat like a feathery down.
These young ones are lively enough, they move about with agility, and
it is not till high summer that they fasten themselves permanently, and
lose feet and antennae, organs of locomotion and perception that are no
more of any use to them.
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