The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-04-30
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Prairie Farmer.
Frutt Trees aud their EneMirs.
ny a uLYANT.

llessrs. Editors: Your correspond
enl Mr. ilMkness, has asserted Mat Ne
lucky fellows Of lie Sucker State are
possessed Of Tie he'll fruit country 10 the
Union. This may for aught know to
true, as far as it regards he beauty and
flavor Of the iru.:, auI the thI'fy growth
Of the trees. Dat la, no man from thence
imagine that he will be able to raise a
iiie orchard with but li,tle care and aCen-
ZION for if my own experience and OBJ
servauon qualify me To Judge, he will find
the "crlmes and casual les" TO be encoun
tered, neither few nor lTi.ling. intend
at some iutare time to send you some re-
mtrss upon the various insects and acc-
dents by which lrui, trees are injured or
destroyed which have noticed during
ten wears of orchard culture where now
reside. At present | conline myself to
an accoua; Of my lls. years coaiesi with
the canker worm. which may perhaps bC
Of some use To those who have Yet 10
learn the habits OF tbs fell destroyer.
In November, cucirclll my trees
with wool, prepared and applied a,
directed in previous number of the
Prairie Farmer. Last Ntrnh, when Tic
insect began 10 ascend the trees, renew
ed most the belts, which had become
weather beaten, and some Of them dis.
placed. They did not however, prevent
the insect from asccnIiag. Some OF
them did indeed become enting,,L IA the
wool, and coulj get 10 farther, bu! the
greater part got over, and deposited .hcic
eggs in the trees. Then for the first
time discovered The eggs, AMI the man
ner and places OF deposiling them. Mis-
led hy some who have written up1n the
subject, had previously searched, for
them among the young shoots aud a. the
cxHemilies Of the branches; and as | be-.
lave others have done, sometimes MS
took the eggs OF the common caterpillar
for those Of tie canker worm. The egg,
are not, unless in rare cases, deposited
among the young twigs; nor are they ar.
ranged in rows and glued over, as Down
ing states: bnt thrust without any regard
TO regularly, under the scales Of rough
bark. cracks and creyices along the trunk
and principal branches and wherever
place Of cnnceament is found. The
year before | pruned my trees, and as !
usually DO. smeared the wounds with
fresh cowiang aud tied rags ar0uad to
keep the rain from washing it oh'.-'I'he
folds Of some of these were nearly filed
with eggs, also found some in the
punches of dry leaves adhering to the
covering Of small worm, common on ap-
pie trees. The eggs we're Of a shining
pearl appearance; generally of greenish
hue. sometimes Of a blue or purple color,
Assoon as the leaves began to appear, |
removed and burnt all the rags containing
eggs and washed the trunks and main
branches Of the trees with strong ley, and
applying it with hall-warm broom. !
thus dstroyed most Of the eggs, 50 thai
very few of my trees were materially in
jured by the worms. Some however
escaped, and | know not but some may
have been deposited after the application
of the ley. Soon after The worms an.
peared, siled ashes over those trees III
which they were most numerous, in the
manner described in the Prairie Farmer
for Nav last. The result was an eviden
elimination Of their numbers; bu, enough
still remained to give the leaves a ragged
appearance and was forced to conclude
that my remedy, like nanny others
would not answer in all cases. The
worms being very small, and cllngin.
close to the under side of the leaves
were mostly sheltered from the ashes
Just then received tho May number o
your paper, containing Mr.. Jackson's az
couu, Of his success in expelling tn,
worms from his trees by boring holes an,
filling them wiki sulphur. in NJ
dialeIy tried the experiment, according
TO his directions, upon four Of ny tees
but without the slighles! apparent effect
The worms fed on as il nothing had hap.
pened for two weeks longer; when, hay
ing arrived at maturity they all a5anloneJ
the trees al once.
]. J. Thomas, in the Fruit Culurist
says tia, no remedy Tor the clnker worn
has yet been discovered, Of easy. safe
and ctFecIual application. One woulC
suppose that the method ofprevaniing the
ascent Of the miller, by encircling the
uees with tin, as described by Mr. Wal
in The Prairie Farmer for September,
is47, might eaec, the desired object
Bu, even this remedy is not new. rec
olec, reading notice Of its trial. Will
apparen. success in Rhode Island, sever
al years siace. Bot the aparen. sue
cess Of two or three trials does no
prove the general utility of remedy
and i, appears to me tina, if this had beer
found TO answer The purpose, i! woal,
have come into general use. Neverhc
less ] hope that those of your readers VIII
are troubled with this pest will give it
trial, aud report the result.
Princeton, Feb, 1917.