Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-05

AL D,
pa c, perfect beetle
This is Il native American, born and
bred in the mountains, feeding upon the
wild crab, mountain ash and various other
trees 1t comes out of the trunk, usually
in June, and always by night, in its per-
feet state. Resting by day, in the night
time it flies from tree to tree for food and
companions. Though they feed upon the
bark of branches where it is tender and
succulent, they lay their eggs on the bark
at the foot of the tree, where the young,
as soon as hatched commence to burrow
in the bark. For the first year they live
mostly in the bark, but, towards the last
of the season, advance into the sap wood
Frequently in young trees the bark over
them will crack and allow their castings
TO fall out, and thus they may be detected.
They remain in the tree three years. AS
the time comes for their exit, they eat their
way 10 the bark, thin that somewhat, and
60 into the pupa state to emerge perfected
in about four weeks.
Fifty years ago large, thrifty, long-lived
apple trees were exceedingly common,
and were grown with paratively little
effort on the part of our ancestors.
This borer in the apple tree was then
entirely unknown TO the farmer, and the
first specimen ever seen was found and
described by Thomas Say in 1924; and it
was not till some time after that that its
destructive powers became evident in the
apple tree. Yet it is to this borer, almost
entirely, that the short and precarious life
of the apple tree is due.
All understand this borer to be dread
full pest, but how to deal with it is the
question, and to show more fully the hab-
its and how it may be exterminated, l will
briefly review its history. The eggs
when laid, as before mentioned, soon
hatch, and the tiny worm, differing from
the adult in no essential point only size,
eats into the bark, and then follows be-
tween the bark and wood, sometimes en-
tering the sap wood low down towards the
root the first season. While eating his
way in lengthy burrows beneath the bark,
the bark sometimes cracks, and the cast
ings of the worm tumble out, revealing
his presence. When such is the case they
may be killed with sharp wire, or care
fully cut out with the point of knife. If
left alone they will remain inactive through
the winter, to commence their work again
early in the spring. This second season
they spend mostly in the sap wood, or
near the bark, getting two-thirds their
size, and this year doing their greatest
damage, as five or six of them will fire.
quently girdte or nearly girdle the tree,
making death sure; they again winter low
down in the body of the tree, and eat the
next season deeply into the wood, some
times quite through the tree, finishing its
gnawing work at the commencement of
the third winter. At the close of its work
it extends its passage invariably to the
bark, and thinning that somewhat, stuiling
the upper end with wood, like sawdust, and
below with soft wood fibres, it rests from
lis labors, remaining motionless as before
through the winter. The following spring
it casts off its skin, becoming a pupa; rests
in this condition about three weeks, and
then as beetle gradually gets strength,
and after near two weeks more, cuts its
way through the sawdust piled against the
bark and then the bark, to issue through
a round hole us an adult beetle, ready TO
propagate us before. From the time of its
entry to its egrcss is about one month
short of three years.
Few ever take the trouble to hunt for
this beetle, and as it flies only in the night,
lying concealed during the day, it is not
often seen in the adult state. As will be
seen IN the cut, 1t has two stripes its entire
length, and is rather handsome.
There is still another species called the
fiat headed species, as the head of the
larvae is flat, but as it is never very album
dant, and of small size, it seldom does
much harm, and the same treatment is des.
hucive to both species.
The best remedy is to prevent the sue.
cessful laying of eggs, which may be done
by smoothing and then soaping the bark.
If such is done neal. The ground only. they
will lay their eggs at the junction of the
largest limbs, or higher up on the trunk,
so tie scraping and soaping wants to be
thorough. If the borers are really in the