The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-18
A Chapter on CaterpsaIars.

OUR PUBLIC PARKs-THE woRMs-THE ALASTHUs-
! THE DIET or wORMsW
/ What 10 the dist of worms2 Walk into Washington
square, end behold your the foliage Of tho
trees designed for the purposes Of shade cool air and
shelter from the intense heat of the summers sun The
spectacle presented entering within the rates Of the
old parade ground may be interesting TO the
sgs but is perfectly disgusting to ordinary every
day people, and absolutely frightfu to the children.
Worms cover the trses and depending from them,
pended upon the fly thread like that of SPIDERS Web
innun,exabe monsters hang in festoons from tho top
most branches to ths. ground The ground is covered
with the; they swarm in the grass they are Ike the
plague Of Egypt, everywhere, upon everything within
reach of the infested rees. These horrd vermin see
to be limsd TO single specics and it probably the
Palmer wo-U which for years past has been
structive to the orchards and forests in the New England
States, and the devasatiors Of which during the
present threaten to be more extensive thags.
ever heretofore. This worms caterpillar, varies
from an inch to two inches in length he l.
Of rusty black color, rather slender has six feet
claws close to his head and at its other extremity
has beautifully contryed apparatus for sczng and re
tanning firm hold upon anything It's process of
motion is PECULIAR being expressly adapted to this pecu
liar organization Lying nat upoa the ground for
pie his tail Is drawn plump up to his head the body
being thrown into The form Of arch seizing hold
firmly then, with his hind feet hrs head thrown for
ward TO the full length of the body, which again lies fat
upon the ground ready to repeat the motion just de
scrbed and thus this makes his way through the
world From this singular style of ocomotion we pre-
sumo it derives its name--the Palmer worm from the
palm of the hand-the movement being similar to the
motion of the hand in measuring the length of table,
by spanning it or it may be called the Palmer
from Mr.. Palmer in whose orchard its appearance
may have first been noticed or ii may not be the
Palmer worm at all. Certainly he is a vile monster and
his unexpected multiplication this season. while it may
well excite fears for the future ought TO challenge
the attention Of naturass witregard to the means of
his determination.
During the last summer, little later in the season.
we noticed in the Park and in Washington square many
varieties OF caterpars, the Larvae of many distinct
species of moths or miers As the perfect insects
called Perhaps the grand my of these combined
forces has yet to appear. These Palmer worms may be
but the first nstalment but they promise leave very
slim pickings for their We noticed also the
last summer the modus operandi of Conspicuous
variety Of these caterpillarsfrom the egg to the full
blown moth. Upon the bark of the tree cluster Of
eggs covering the space of finger nail firmly soldered
these eggs cluster Of small insects are hatched by the
sun They climb up the trse, fasten upon the leaves
and soon become ca ergars of inch and half long
They then swing from the tree by web creep
the trunk, until they find suitable cavity in the bark
where G they wrap themselves up in cocoon similar to
transition from the grub to the beautiful aying
miller We believe that all these distinctive ver
min known as ca'erillars the offspring of bugs or
of moths miliers distinguished from the but
terhy The miller from the tobacco is beautiful
insect Many Of the smaller varieties Of these worms
are but the lurva Of bug But this of the sub
,ect cannot be satisfactorily discussed in a limited news
paper article. 1t IL theme for a volume
The trees most infested by these Palmer worns as we
and the 6ors6 enerfn. the linden, the elm, ihs willow
ed in Wasngton M square The ems look as i seosned
millions of worms without much apparent suffering; but
the horse chcsnuts look if riddle by hail. Even the
1oaf nd dr,t h,nu
is not exempt from these monsters and they fattcn
the silver leafed poplar with its foliage tlicy
which is absolutely and entirely free fro this any
other caterpillar worm, g or bug Of any kind,
may be seen, interappins with tho branches of the
alanthus but while they stripped to the naked
branches, not leaf OF the aianthus is touched.
trunk of this tree instructive dread Of it, otherwise
they would be occasionally found upon it by mistass
has been said that decoction Of the aanthus leaves
is rank poison. may be but II Is necessary
for the purposes of shade to be limited to such trees
adapted for making tea cannot admit this alleged
quality of poison objection to the aanthus has
also been said that the odor OF the female aanthus when
some Perhaps this may be 80, but we are not aware
of mortality OF serious indispostion
have resulted from this cause even in those localities
where the alanthus most abounds. The fact is,
consider that all the objections raised against this
tree fallacous, or but trfing, compared with
the paramount advantage of a beautiful thrifty and
hourishpg shade tree, entirely free from their dis
gustiDg vermin Of every kind with which all other
trees less infected.
The great object of trees in cities ornament and
sbade but when they eaten up with worms they
are neither ornamental shady-thcy simply dis
gushing We take it, therefore, that that tree which
has in itself the elements of complete protection against
vermn, and which is at the same time beautiful aud
ornamental Is the tree for city Such tree is the
alapthus and willing, at least to endure eight
days Of its peculiar aroma in view Of its clean and
grateful shade through The whole Of the summer. We
shall stand by the aanhus at all events until city
authorities, savans, naturasts shall have applied
or discovered efficient remedy for the nuisance Of
| these worms upon other trees.