Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-03-11
agrtrultural, sc.
TuE APPLE TREE BoRER.

THE APPLE lKEE DOhbR.
This destructive insect is one of the great
est drawbacks on the fruit culture of Penn
sylvania. Its stealthy habits are such thatit
requires the greatest care to enable one to
change its progress, which could nevertheless
be accomplished if simultaneous effort were
made by all the fruit growers in large dis
trict Such an undertaking, by diminishing
its emigration from neighboring farms, would
materially prevent its injurious effects and
if the proper attention was paid to the sub.
iect all over the country, its final destruction
would be more than probable.
The eggs are deposited by the perfect in
sect close to the ground about the latter part
of June or beginning of July. during the
night, and the grass around the trees protects
the eggs from being found by the birds. In
very few days the sun hatches the young
larya, which soon work their way into the
trunk, where they can be discovered by the
plugs of woody fbres elected through the
hole. In the second year the insect assumes
its perfect form, leaving the trunk during the
night, about the latter part of May or begin
ming Of june, when it goes forth to lay eggs
for new generation.
The nocturnal habits of this insect make it
the more difficult for the common farmer or
orchardist to secure that full acquaintance
with it which is necessary to be able to stop
/ its raEages. The only sure way to destroy
| these insects is to attack them in the larvae
state During summer they must be hunted
up, and cut out with gouge 80 thoroughly
| that none remain.
| To guard orchards from further depreda-
tions, procure thick hardware paper and cover
/ the trunk to the height Of one foot above the
ground, and one or two inches below it,
/ Young orchards protected in this way can be
kept clear Of this troublesome and destructive
pest. The paper covers must be renewed
annually, and no later than the beginning of
! May. This can be best accomplished by re-
moving the earth from the trunk with gar
den trowel, and winding the paper and tying
1t close to the trunk to prevent the beetle from
| getting behind it. If the paper be coated
| with tar as far as it is in contact with the
| ground, SO much the better. After the paper
is thus applied the ground ought to be leveled
around the trunk. If the perfect insect de-
posits its eggs on this paper they will dry up
when hatched for want Of nourishment, since
the larvae live on the soft bark Of the tree
first while young. and on the soft wood when
older. Should they be capable of locomotion
at this stage, they must go above the paper to
enter the tree (which have not found to be
the case in three years. close ebservation) or
starve; and should any enter above the paper
unprotected by the grass, the birds would
soon deyeurshem. In case any escaped from
them the eyes of the careful fruit grower
would detect them at glance in passing the
trees, when with knife the mischief could
soon be remedied. and the trifing wound
would soon heal over again.
| With these paper covers protected young
orchard for the last three years. With sim
gle exception only, not borer gained foot
hold, and he secreted himself under the straw
band by which the tree was secured 10 a stake
three or four feet from the ground, where the
fruit grower should frequently look during
summer.
Ii any ono considers all this too much
trouble, ne ought to make up his mind not to
eat fruit of his own growing in compare
lively short time Cor. Of Am. Agricugturist.