The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-02-01
THE FARMER.
From the New-England Farmer.
CANKER WORM.

At HAVING lHSli Jtot dIltRSQ " OcdTlHR
state. felt an unwilingness to yield it up
to such an apparently insignificant foe with
out conflict; therefore in the years 1903
and 1909, tarred my trees with care and
perseverance. In the same years my neigh
bours generally used the same weapon of
defence; but there were few exceptions.
And when the foliage of the apple tree made
its appearance in the spring of 1910, it was
found that those trees which were not tarr-
ed, and those trees which were tarred, wei e
alike freed from the rayages Of the canker
worm.
The cause of their sudden exit was attrib-
uted by some to severe storm which fell
Immediately after the worms had taken their
station on the leaves, and while they were
extremely small and tender; but whatever
the cause might be, this is certain, that we
have experienced no great harm from them
until the present year, nor is the damage
great and universal in this vicinity; yet it is
sufficient to give the alarm and teach us
that we must again have recourse to the
means Of an exterminating war, or suffer
the consequences which will result from
sloth and neglect
Although it may in truth be said that fif-
teen or sixteen years have elapsed. during
WHICH time there has been no actual neLes-
sity for the owners OF orchards standing in
hostile array against the canker worm; yet
the fact is there has not been single year
since 1910 but have discovered the enemy
in my orchard, and he is in some others,
lurking upon the trees. have also for the
last three years discovered gradual in
crease of their numbers; but / should have
supposed their numbers to have increased
during the last year at least four fold.
recollect having read, several years since.
in one of the Boston newspapers, the result
of an experiment used as preventive a
ganst the canker worm, which was, to the
best Of my recollection, in substance as fol-
lows.
A quantity of lime was collected from the
sweeping OF a lime store, and spread on the
ground around a certain apple tree, some
time in the month of November, the foliage
of which tree had been destroyed BY the can
ker worm the preceding summer, the ground
at the time being in pulveri2ed state, the
lime was spread as far from the trunk Of
the tree as the droppings from the branches
extended; the effect was stated 70 be, the
entire disappearance of the worm, and an in
creased vigor of the tree.
now mention this wholly from memory,
and in the hope that there may be some
one whois acquainted with the fact who will
have the goodness to give the details to the
puDllc.
To use tar as preventive with complete
effect, my experience teaches me, is a long
and tedious process, and from which if anv
other means can be devised equally as eff
cacious, equally cheap and more expeditions,
confess should be glad to have an exemp-
tion. 1t has been found necessary in some
years in the tarring process to commence
the operation in the month of November
and if an orchard be planted on warm soil
and on southern declivity, the grub has
been found to be on its march every warm
evening from November, to some time in
April, provided they be not impeded by fro
2cn ground.
have seen great numbers caught in Feb
ruary; and the same year it was necessary
to tar from that time until the middle oi
April, every evening when the state of the
atmosphere was so warm that the grount
did not become frozen by sunset. To those
however, who may have occasion to tai
their orchards the year ensuing, and whc
choose to travel i'll the old and generally
approved track, would recommend the ap
plication of two or three dressings of tar Il
their trees at proper intervals, about the pc
riod OF the Matching of the worms, or yer,
soon after; as experience has discovered
that when the female grub is defeated il
ner purpose OF ascending the tree, anc
there dcpositing her eggs on the branches
she will deposit them within the loose bark
OF the trunk, and thus perpetuate her proge
ny; and to limited extent defeat the ex
pectations Of those who make use of tar as
preventive. One other means of prevep
tion in degree sufficient to preserve th
fruit from the ravages Of the canker worn,
will mention, as there are yet several per
sons living who will attest the tact.
From thirty to forty years ago the canke
worm prevailed very generally in this vi
cnity, during the whole of those years.
some person. tarred their trees, but tn
greater part did not at that time one &
my neighbors had an orchard which was di
vided by road 80 feet wide; on one side {
the road he planted potatoes every year.
on the other it was generally in grass;-tha
portion OF his orchard which was plante
with potatoes, yielded every other year
very handsome supply OF apples (the tree
being all OF one kind under any circumstar
ces never bore every Year, while that po,
ton of his orchard that was in grass WI
from year to year stripped of every gree
leaf. until at length it became exhausts
with its efsrts to produce two generation
Of leaves year, for so many years in SUI
cession; the trees became tired of the effo
and perished.
Z