New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-20
AGRICULTURAL.
New Apple-Tree Destroyer.

Mt b. exceedingly inter, sing al farmers and nursery
r.n in tie States where this insect has made rs appear
sTCs.
Toihe few who do rot know who Or Harris ia were.
usrk ,hs, be holds the first rank among en,omoogs IN
hi. or any other country
TX palmer WOMAN insect. formerly known BY
his name has spp great numbers upon ira ana
or.s, trees during the past month Apple chsry' ana
rlu trees ard snCng forest Trees the wni,e OAK nsNe
suffered or less nom lis eepredsio9s n AL PNs %
Nv England and in the State II Ner York. Commun-
cations cepcernirg H. accompanied by specimens hs's
been sent a. me from Bradford AndoVer ana esoorV'
Ms.sAchweiis from New Haven and S~soury Cont ec-
,rrt and from keene and New Boston, Nes Hampshire
About the 10Th Of June the same insects we're nr ooserv
ed fruit trees in my own garden where no~eSes Insy
have not been numerous sra have nor done nun
In other places their have been deplorSoe AND
have been compared those of csnser worms the leaves
Of trees attacked by them locking though ney hsd oes
scorChed BY ire In orchards they have not spared
the fruit which has been attacked and mostly as
troyed by them. They hsve TO their growth.
spd have dbshed the in their present form for TINS
season.
These insects agree in all respects with the cunts
given Of the palmer worms that prevailed ia many parts Of
New Euglard IN June 1871. IL remarked after this
great visitation. that they did not the year
he same places Whistler anti the present sesson they
have ever again been observed in the ike profuson
known Probably some ii these insects might have
teen found smos, every year by dgeni search Perhaps
ley are the those heretofore called FIRE roru Of
whose history cannot tad anything IN print
A particular description OF the palmer worm may be
N, unnecessary and super uoOs since the insect has
been 20 recently and uoey observed and has bees
pretty vel described IN the newspapers Ba, | have
little more Sdd concerning ~ and have been applied to
publicly and privately for inform atom on the SUBJECT h
nav be- proper put record An account OF - has
passed under my observation. In is early stages,
hi. worm caterpillar though varying somewhat in col
or is mostly pale green with two slender bro vi lines along
the top the back ana pale brown head IL has sixteen
feet x Of which the head, are onied and end with
spgle claw the others merely teshy prOtuberances
without Joints the terminal par being the longest When
fully grown the insect measures half an inch or rather
ore in length snd then bears striking resemblance to
the common bud worm OF the apple tree the back
assuming generally a darker color, ana tns sides
OF the body beng marked with black points Ar
ranged three together each side OF every ring
Two bsckish senicircusr spos marks nay also gen.
eraly be observed 81 tbs period the top OF the hrst
mig \ few short hairs may be seen ON the body by
uesns OF magnify ing glass Ga my oEn trees, hass in
scis have confined themselves mostly 20 the terminal
l.aves and buds on others, 10 places where they have
been they have spread over all the leaves and
the whole green substance leaving only the
network Of veins untouched. They exceedingly active
in their moons moving either forward or back ward At
pleasure with kind Of impatient Jerking motion which
!, sders il difficult 10 bold them When the trees are
shaken these drop and hang Suspended by threads
ike cspker worms Whether they leave the trees in the
same way when they have finished their couse- indeed
they do leave them az this umesnd where they undergo
their final transformations, have not sscertaned being
prevented by other engagements tr m watching their
further progress One vi my correspondents has
TONED ne that these worms mostly disappeared AFTER
late hail storm and another one states that they all
took leave during heavy shower on Monday last.
a W.
covered themselves with thin web OF silk ana some Of
these have already taken the chrysIIs from within their
webs More than half of my specimens have been siunS
by chueumon flies which have depossds single egg in
esch one their victims The bred from these
eggs are now leaving the fress and spinning
themselves up IN white oolong Oval sken pods or co
coons II the palmer worn elsewhere have suffered the
same fate in the hk proportion have little To
f. tor their rsyagts next year The chrysss IL about
one quarter Of uch long of pale yelo wish brown col
or aud differs from that Of the bud worm In not having
isusyerserow teeth little notches around its body.
The final transformation remains 10 be observed ana un
m the insect Is Obtained 10 the winged sr moth state its
scientific pane cannot be Determined
On the morning OF the 2sth of May saw, in the Gems
te-y AT Worcester, immense numbers OF gray whsh
moths abeu twice the size of the common clothes mo.h
ing about almost in swarms, being disturbed from the
grass and trees by my passing Two days sersard sw
IT the le moths seen in my garden and DR.
Ssnborn informed me that his garden was alive with them
on the sd Of May They also very numerous about
tue sane time at New Haven and in other places since
visited by the palmer But whether the latter
or not the descendants Of these little moths would
not be safe 10 say The moths though not wholly un-
known by sight before this spring have heretofore
been So rare that my collection contained only single spe
cinen and that in too poor condition enable salts
actOry 10 investigate its scientific character and sscer
tain to what modern genius il belonged.
As attention has been generally directed to the habits OF
the palmer during the present season other persons,
more iavOrsby situated than sm may be expected To
pursue make known the further history aud transform
atoms Of this destructive insect regret not being able
Ia give better account Of II at this time, and still more
with the continued and further investigation Il would
otherwise please me TO make upont L w. HARRIS.
Camb,idgs Macs July 1855
To this We append the following, which we fnd in The
Boston Transcript We hope the assertion 10 the first
sentence Of the Last paragraph Is an sscsrainsd fact ~
that is remedy easily applied
soTEs FROM TBE NEnORASDUN BOOK % 81. w. sIsrsor,
% sAKOSyiLLE.
June n, ls53-Noticed a worm upon the apple,
cherry and plum trees that eats the leaves and fruit They
are upon all the trees Of these kinds In the garden
June 1.-The before noticed. which Is TO me en-
TREY very d. sructye il eats the tender shoots and
also the The egg OF the perfect insect must De de-
posted the end Of the shoot as It 10 gro wing and be-
tween apples If they chance 10 touch each other
also between two leaves. II all the worms go through
their ansrmaOns there must be swarms enough 10 des-
troy the trees n the next generation This little nag
Conner will requs looking after BY Earring the trees they
by and then again ascend to commit depred atoms upon
the leaves and fruit Deposited three OF the lrye win
an apple under glass 10 note their habits ADD changes
They may be known by three longitudinal stripes on the
back the one the center fsn''hsn the other two.
They have buff colored, heart ped head and are
have s1 fore legs and eight heshy projections,
| With Distinct prop legs.
June 23-fhe lary1 deposited the 10Th have changed
10 cbryssdts IL is very remarkable that TINS insect 10
peryaong the State ard also the adjoining states Almost
every person meet who lives in the country has nonced
them Many persons suppose Il 10 De tns cahksf
but this is mistake The csnker wOrm belong 10 lam
y called Geometers earth that creep WIKI
tie habit OF forming loop IN the back by extending TIC
fore part the bOoy snd then drasDg up the center IN
The shape Of loop This insect creeps ike The common
caterpillar and has remarkable habit Of sprngng BACK
rard uhen taken 10 the hand they do not spin
rOr any tissue Of elk tor projection, while gong through
their cbrysaid state Their length Is about ave sshths
| OF inch.
in,ed proves TO be- little moth, with sings Of dark
! bronze Way, char geabls sppe1ance. Nhen a. resi-,
they have one scollop At The termination and are very