The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-06-15
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Prairie Farmer, june 9th.
BARK LOUISE OF THE APPLE TREE.
nv JOIN A. kESyrcorr.

l.
but nearly related species; and vet ar.
apple tree pest is said to infest not onlv
tho Pome9 or apple, pear, thorn, noun
tain ash, etc, but also the currant and
plum; and some good entomologists have
decided that ours is the same that was
found on tho elm in France, and describ-
ed more than q century ago. This am
not prepared to disprove, though | am
far from believing all of it; and until we
can have the subject patiently and thor
oughly MISREPRESENTATION reference to
the opinions of mere closet naturalists, or
the crude notions of unscientific observers
we may as well believe in the denti-
tty Of the European and American species,
and act accordingly. t
So far as | have observed, the bark
louise in question does not exist at all, or
butspnringly, south of 40 deg. or Al deg.
in the west. In the mountains of the
Middle States they are found further
south. That they are very injurious,
here, no one can doubt, but that they are
the only great obstacle 10 successful APP
pie growing, as some persons declare, is
not true. They are the prominent bug
bear of the northern apple tree planter;
and, in my opinion cause more indirect
mischief by drawing attention TO an OBJ
vious incident, and thus keeping the true
causes of failure out of sight, than by
their sap-sucking | have seen many
dead and dying apple trees with but few
coecids on them; and some sorts, like
Dutchess of Oldenburg, Keswick, Goblin,
Stanard, Red Astrchan, etc, tree of
which | never knew to fail or lose its
branches, though perfectly encrusted with
bark lice. | would look under the tree
rather than on the lsusy branches for the
one great cause of failure, and to insult
able species and no culture for two Others,
) considering the bark louise as only one Of
many difficulties, all ordinarily avoidable
or surmountable, though not without
trouble and expense in most cases north.
1t is not certain how the bark louise is
disseminated, though generally believed
through infested nursery trees; and yet,
if this were strictly true, would they be
found on seedlings Of three years old,
miles removed from an infested tree!
: Planting trees already provided with
: colonies of coccids is pretty sure way to
I stock the future orchard with bark lice.
Still it is very certain that they do get
carried in some other way. How, it mat
ters not, unless known, and rs easy of
, prevention as in the case of nursery trees;
and no man should plant an infested tree
, among clean ones it he can help it; and
n good securing with soft soap and fine
ashes, or sand, any time in autumn after
the fall of the leaf or in the spring, will
!, remove most Of the scales, and do the tree
no harm. But if you mean to kill tho
whole and leave none for seed,' you
must wash your young trees now--Say
from the 9TH 10 the goth of June-eyen
{ at the expense of the foliage; and soft
g soap and water is good when strong
a enough, and ] would have The wash full
one third fresh and caustic soap, of wood
ashes. a mere touch will kill them now,
: and if the foliage should be killed Too, it
i will grow again. A swab made of wool
en- cloth, or handy brush, will answer
the purpose on small trees, or even large
a ones with little spray, for you must touch
every limb and twig where bark louse
may be, or some will escape
= A little south of here | have known
D these coccds to begin Matching out about
the middle of May, but never earlier than
:, the goth to the 25th here. To-day
June 2d-nearly all seem to be out, and
I few already motionless, and by next
Thursday all the eggs will be hatched in
all probability, and every coceid, wheth-
er Still movable or fixed, will be in tho
best condition for the action Of caustics,
: though equally Vulnerable during the
whole month perhaps, but with more risk
TO the tree, from touching the leaves with
our wash. Old ones badly infested arc
hard to clean, but those not over ten years
old, or with but sprinkling of eoccids
$ along the trunks and larger limbs, should
! have the benefit Of one trial in June, and
as many eggs may be destroyed with very
little loss of foliage.
After all, the natural enemies of this
, parasite are sure TO increase aud relieve
our trees in good time. Even now, IN
many instances / cannot find SO many
. young insects as old scales, and every un-
n disturbed scale ought TO give at least 70,
Q where most crowded and three TO fivo
Q times as many in scattered specimens on
5 thrifty trees. In my old orchard, the
hatch is small one, but on lone seed
: ling, standing apart from otker apple trees,
| the increase is astonishing, and the in
. sects already hatched will scarcely find
. room to FIX themselves, 10 say nothing of
: the numerous eggs yet 10 come, and here
r Is good chance for soap, and soap they
t shall have, but not just yet. Next week
,,,ll be aorly aoouorh