The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-16
FARM TOPICS.
Some Pernicious Insects.

Farmers, gardeners, and fruit-grow-
ers suffer more from the depredations
of insects than from almost any other
cause. 1t is time now to consider what
raeans may be taken to prevent these
serious damages, for already the Bneniy
is at work. Tent caterpillars have be-
gun work at this early season, and the
past week the nests have appeared in
the forks of apple trees in the orchards.
Immediate attention must be given if
we would have the fruits of our labors.
The tent caterpillar (CltSio-caplpG
Americand) may be noticed first. This
is the greehish caterpillar which weaves
webs around the ends of the small
branches of apple-trees, as well as wild
cherries, willows, and some forest-trees,
and consumes the leaves, extending the
nests, or tents, until the whole end of
the limb is surrounded. While the
nests are small, they are easily destroyed
in the following manner: Procure a light
pole, long enough to reach to the top of
the trees-a long rod of bamboo is the
best-and tie to the end small brush,
or wisp of broom-corn. Dip this into
a mixture of kerosene-oil and water and
twist it about the nest, gathering both
nest and worms at once into q mass.
Then clear the brush, and crush every
worm. Care should be taken to touch
the fork of the branch all over with the
oily water, which kills all it comes in
contact with.
The canker-worm (Anisopterir pon1e-
taria) is another ''early worm" Its
eggs may now be found in clusters upon
the ends or forks of the small branches,
and are short, cylindrical, with min
ute dot in the center. These eggs hatch
in May, and the caterpillars, soon be-
coming voracious, consume the leaves
and make wreck of the orchard where
they are numerous. To prevent the
wingless female moth from ascending
the tree to deposit its eggs, which it
does early in the spring and late in the
fall, bands of stiff paper several inches
in width should be tied around the trees
and smeared with tar, which should be
renewed as the surface hardens. 1t is
now too late to do this, but the eggs
should be looked for and gathered and
burned.
The coddling meth (Cgpocapsn po-
nloneIIG) is, perhaps, the most destruc-
tive pest to apples known. 1t lays its
eggs in the blossom end of the apple
and pear when the fruit is small, and
the small white worm eats its way to the
core; then the apple falls; the worm
escapes, goes through its transforma-
tons, natures, and lays eggs upon the
half-ripened fruit or remains as chrys-
ais until spring, where it may now be
found in thin shell beneath loose bark
These cocoons should be destroyed
wherever found. In July and until Sep
TENDER this insect may be trapped by
binding bands of hay, or wooden CLOTH
or fiat hoops about the trees; the larva
crawl beneath these and spin their CO.
coons of silk. The bands should be re-
moved every few days and the cocoons
gathered and burned.
The currant-worm (PriStiphora gros
SuldriG), is the larva of a saw-fy, anC
is destructive to currants and gooseber
ries, devouring the leaves and often kill
ing the bushes outright. This worn
may be destroyed and damage prevent
ed by close watching and picking off thu
leaves when the larp4 are newly matched
and too young to be injurious. /
neglected then the worms grow and
spread SO rapidly that it is almost hope
less to fight them. Sprinkling powder
ed white hellebore upon the leaves vii
kill the worms that eat it, but when thi
poisonous substance is used care mus
be taken to wash the fruit before it i
eaten. The first brood appears in Ma.
and the second about a month after
ward. We have noticed a third broot
later in the season, after the fruit ha
matured and has been gathered.
Cut-worms are of several different va
rieties, but all alike in their mischievou
voracity. Millions of dollars of damag
was done by these pests last season il
the Eastern part of the country alone
and very great inconvenience is sufere'
from them every year. Nothing come
amiss to these greedyinsects. Cabbage
plants, corn, strawberries, peas, melons
cueumbers, tomatoes, in fact ever.
green thing that appears above groun,
and is tender enough to suit their pal
ate is cut off by them in the nighttime
There seems to be no remedy but to hun
the worms in the daytime beneath
plant which they have cut off a shor
distance beneath the surface and crus
them.s To destroy the parent moth
viii be the most effective This may b
done hsnceferth during the whole sun
mer. The most deadly trap consists {
barrsl in which Is g foot Of water. COY
I al. - III