Page:The History of the Island of Dominica.djvu/72

 the whole ubtance, rendering the joint like a tube: after which, it works into another joint, which it conumes in like manner; and continuing its progres, at length detroys the whole cane.

The devatation which thee worms make in a field of canes in a hort time is atonihing; and although everal methods have been tried to detroy them, yet none have been uccesful. If care was taken when the canes were young, on the firt appearance of the borer among them, to rub their tems and leaves with a preparation of lime-water, or alt brine, mixed with oot and mahed pods of Guinea pepper, perhaps they might be detroyed; as by prinkling ome of this mixture on thoe worms it will intantly kill them.

Ants are great enemies to the borer when they can get at them, but they are much prevented by its excrement, which being like filings of wood, and of a gluey conitence, uually