Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-10-02
AGRICULTURE.

INJURIOUS INSECTS.-It Is now the
season when the insects which prey ON
fruit trees are most destructive, and re-
qnire the closest attention. "Eternal
vigilance" will be the "price" of sue
cessful contention with these tiny foes.
The tent caterpillar and the canker
worm prey on the foliage of apple and
cherry trees. The apple-worm moth
fruit, and the grub, as soon as it Is hatch
ed, cuts its way 10 the core, causing the
fruit TO ripen prematurely. In some
instances the worm continues in the
fruit without causing any apparent dam
age, and it is only when the apple is be-
ing eaten or cut up that the tenant
makes its appearance. The Spitzenburg
seems 10 he particular favorite with
this destructive insect, for we find a
great deal of this fruit wormy. A
great many of the moths may be got rid
of by building fires i'm the orchard al
night. They will be attracted by the
light, fly into the blaze and be destroy
ed. Some persons pltce lamp In
the centre of a tub of water; the light
attracts the moths, they fly against the
lamp, fell into the water and are
drowned. The gooseberry and currant
caterpillars begin their work of destruc-
ton a soon AS the leaves are fully de-
veloped. The gooseberry caterpillar is
the larva of a species of saw-fly which
lays its eggs on the ribs on the back OF
the leaves, and as soon as the young
worms are hatched they commenc prey
ing on the leaves, eating their way in
TO them. Their presence may be de-
tected by the appearance of numerous
small holes, like pin-holes in the leaf
and, as whole brood are, in this early
stage, confined TO one leaf, they can be
easily destroyed by picking off the
leaf and tramping on il. Bark lice are
very injurious To fruit trees, as they
| lind shelter under the bark, through
the crevices OF which they prey on the
sap, and injure the vlgor of the trees.
They may be destroyed by wash of
whale-oil Soapsuds, or a solution of poi
ash. Common soapsuds have been
used against them with success. The
>temS of all fruit trees cannot be too
frequently washed, as by this means
old dead bark, which affords hiding
place To many noXious insects, will be
removed, as well as moss and fungi
winch absorb the juices and consequent
v hasten the decay of the tree. The
flea-btetle, better known as the black
bug or turnip-fly, is very destructive to
rheseed leaves of turnips, cab5ages,
caulifower, radiSheS, melons, Gucum-
berS, etc. 1t Is Identical, or nearly so,
with the turnip- fly, (Hdlticd menloiuRl)
of Europe, which commits such depre-
dations on the trrnip fields of Gre,
Britain and Ireland, France and Ger
many. These flea-beetles lie torpid
during the winter in heaps of rubbish,
under stones, and cleftS of the bark of
trees, and in chinkS of walls. They
lay their eggs in the spring, on the
leaves of the plants GA which they feed,
and as soon as they are hatched the
young grubs burrow into the leaves,
feeding on them, and forming in them
little cells, in which they undergo
their transformations. Several broods
are produced during the summer, so
there is a constant succession OF these
pes t ali through the season. \ solution
of lime has been found very useful in
preventing the ravages of these insects,
out a better plan is the pulyeriZation
of the soil, in order to close up all chinks
where they can hide, and the applica-
ZION Of abundance of we'll rotted man
ure, 10 force the plants into the rough
leaves, as, when they reach this stage
of growth, the bugs leave them to seek
uenderer food, Chickens are very etfi-
cient destroyers of these insects.
EAprET m ipunirar aSl-s offapfipn