The Portland daily press., 1873-06-30
Canker Worms.
To the Editor Of the Portland Press.
RoSrON lima Oitl, 10

To the Editor Of the Portland Press
BosToS June oath, 1873.
Looking overa copy of to-day's PRESS few
moments since in the "Revere Hotel"; we
were interested in short article detailing the
ravages of the canker worm through several OF
Portland's beautiful elm-arched streets and
the few, seemingly, Intellectual methods re-
sorted to of staying the havoc if not of destroy
ing the pest One very simple plan, that has
been in vogue for many years in New Haven,
Conn.,, and invariably turned to with success,is
not alluded to III your article, and to Judge
from the general tenor of it, has not as yet
been tried in Portland. This consists of lead
trough placed around the trunk of the tree
high enough to be out of reach, aud filed with
oil, the space between the trough and the tree,
of perhaps two inches, being filed in compact
ly with evenly cut grass or hay, forming a
cushion for the trough, and filling the space
between it and the trunk of the tree so COM
pletely that the grub canuot crawl through 1t
but must go outside, and invariably into the
oil, SO long as the trough is attended to and
kept properly trimmed during the compare
lively brief period in which the grub asceDds
to deposit her eggs. This plan thoroughly car
ried out at the proper moment in any one
season in New Haven, has thus far been at
tended with the happiest results, and for two
or three years following, the elms have been
almost entirely exempt from the ravages of
their worst enemy, the cankerworm. But, as
is usually the case, the citizens get careless,
and don't attend to their troughs in time, or
having taken them down, during the safe in
terval, to relieve tho trunk of the tree from the
pressure of the apparatus-which of course
steadily increases with the trees growth, and
woald result in serioIs if not fatal injury to it
if suffered to remain for several years q con-
stantly tightening band, particularly on q
nOla tn Y,ftf
again as they ought, and the grubs and winged
males are almost certain to put in Jan appear
ance again. coming from no one knows where.
So we have had our ups and downs A year
when the pests had it all their own way, from
| the general carelessness that had prevailed
! and the beautiful elms looking though
scorching fire had gone through them. and
| seemingly injured beyond all hope of relief.
| Then in the autumn, Madame Grub would
find that when she set out from the ground On
her laying expedition, that all things were
ready for her that time, and that she need
trouble herself to crawl but to the lower rim
OF the oil filled trough, and all her travels and
troubles were over And the next few years
the elms would have rest, ana speedily recruit
from the shamefully suffered raw ges from one
seasons carelessness and neglect.
Out OF pure sympathy, we give You these few
facts, hoping it may lead to Portland's Adopting o
plan thot has been completely successful in
New Haven. 1t is certainly well worth the
while to try it, if only on few trees, to note
how etfectually 1t stops the ascent of the grub,
how speedily the trough will be filled with the
dead insects and the outside become smeared
over with them as they are caught in the drip
ping of the oil. We doubtless appreciate the
beauty and real value of the elm as street
shade tree as much in New Haven as it can be
appreciated anv where, but after all, in one or
two wide streets, for graceful, beautiful ''weep-
ing elms," with ample room to spread out, and
develop with a native luxur, ance of growth
you decidedly excel the best we can show, and
we should be glad to give you the benefit of our
experience in enabling You to keep your elmS at
all times, in appearance as well as in name,
the pride of your city.
Yours, pro bono publco,
OrrNJN