River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-05
AL
By J. RoSENBERGER & son,
ENTOMOLOGY.

In our last article we gave adeserip-
ton of the "Round-headed apple
tree borer," in this we give the rem
edies.
From the brief sketch given 1T be-
comes apparent that plugging the hole
10 keep him in, is on a par with lock-
ing the stable door TO keep the horse
in after lie was stolen; even suppos-
ing there was any philosophy in the
plugging system, which there is not.
The round, smooth holes are an in
fallible indication that the bOrer has
left; while the plugging up of any
other holes or cracks, where castings
are seen, will not affect the intruder.
This insect has probably some natural
enemies belonging to its own great
class. and some of our woodpeckers
doubtless seek it out from its retreat
and devour it; but its enemies are GER
tainly not sufficiently under control,
and to grow healthy apple trees we
have to fight it artiticially. Here
again prevention will be found better
than the cure.
Experiments have amply proved that
alkaline washes arerepulsivet to this in
sect, and the female beetle will not
lay her eggs upon trees protected by
such washes. Keep the base of every
tree in the orchard free from weeds
and trash, and apply soap to them dur
ing the month of June, and they will
not likely be troubled with borers. For
this purpose soft soap or common bar
soap can be used. This borer confines
himself almost entirely to the butt of
the tree, though very rarely it is found
in the crotch. 1t is therefore neces.
sary in soaping to rub over the lower
part of the trunk and the crotch, but
it is a good plan to lay chunk of the
soap in the principal crotches so that
it may be washed down by the rains.
Ia case these precautions have been
neglected and the borer is already at
work, many of them may be killed by
cutting through the bark at the upper
end of their burrows and gradually
pouring hot water into the cuts SO that
it Will soak through the castings and
penetrate to the insect. But where
the soap preventative is used in the
early part of the month of June, it is
advisable to examine the trees in the
fall, at which time the young worms
that hatcLed through the summer NAV
be generally detected and easily cut
out without injury to the tree. Par
ticular attention should also be given
to any tree that has been injured OF
sun-scalded, as such trees are most
liable to be attacked.
ID. B. Wier, of Illinois, treats his
orchards as follows: II will suppose
that | have a young orchard of a thous,
and trees. The second season after
planting, about The last of July, OF
during the first half of August, with a
common hoe, take all the weeds, ETC.,
and about an inch of soil from round
the trees, then, any time from the first
to the middle of September, with a
pocket knife, / examine carefully the
stem of each tree; the borer can read,
lily be found by the refuse thrown out
of the hole made on entering, this
refuse of a borer of the same years
growth, will be about the size of pea
and, being of a glutinous nature. stick:
around the mouth of the hole and car
readily be seen, older ones throw out
coarser chips that fall to the ground
When one is found, take the knife and
cut him out. If an orchard is careful
ly examined in this way each year,
there need be few, if any. borers miss
ed, and, as they are more easily found
the second fall of their growth. and
can have done but little damage
at that time. we would never receive
any serious damage from them. Or
this subject the Chicago Inter Ocean
says.
There is one simple, cheap, and Ell
eient remedy and only one that we
know of. The washes recommended
by the various papers are worse thar
useless Our remedy is. take common
coal.gas tar and mix it in ten parts OF
water. With brush go over the trunks
on the trees about the middle Of May,
and again about the same time in June,
and 10 borer will touch them.