The Grenada gazette., 1888-05-19
THE CANkER WORM.
How to Exterminate the Pest with a Paris
Green Solution.

How to Exterminste the Pest with Paris
Green Solution.
A correspondent says: 81 AM in
search of information concerning the
apple canker worm. Ny orchard has
been infested with this worm for two
seasons The orchard consists Of four
hundred trees, and | would like to
find out how to combat them. Can
they be destroyed by solution of
Paris greenP If so, how is the best
way to apply it, and what is >ho cost
of the apparatus, and what will \: cost
10 keep them off of an orchard of this
kind for one season, and how is the
solution madcP"
There are really two species Of
canker worms. known as fall and
spring, but they resemble each other
very much. and, as both feed upon the
leaves, they are to be treated practi-
cally alike. As the female is destitute
of wings, their distribution is not
rapid, depending upon their lodging
upon men and animals for transporta-
tion from one locality to another
We have known them TO dcfoliate an
orchard for several successive years
without reaching orchards on neigh
boring farms. and we have known
them TO defoliate portions of an or
chard for two or three years before
reaching .other portions of the same
orchard.
For many years attacks on the ver-
min were confined to efforts 10 pre-
vent the female from as cending the
body of the tree Bands were tackled
around the trunks of the tree in the
spring, and these were smeared with
printers ink. coal tar or other sticky
compositions, and frequently renewed
when dry, but occasionally ,he female
would crawl over the mix Hre when
dry and hard, and so propagate the
species. 1t was even believed by some
that the male took the female upon his
back and flew over the sticky barrier,
but that theory lacks confirmation.
Finally, q man with a hundred-acre
orchard, fifty acres of which were
badly infested, resolved to try Paris
green. The effect was to clear the
pests from the orchard.
An infusion (not solution, for the
poison is insoluble) of Paris geen in
water is the weapon now generally
resorted to by our best-informcd or
chardists, not only to destroy the
canker-worm that eats the foliage OF
our apple trees. but also to kill the
codlin-worm which pierces the fruit
with holes. One pound of Paris green,
mixed with one hundred gallons OF
water, and thrown in a hne spray
over the leaves, will generally destroy
the lives of all worms that eat the
leaves moistened with the mixture.
In spraying an orchard of 400 trees
our correspondent needs to have every
thing as handy as possible. Provide
water-tight tank or cask, holding lOC
or 200 gallons Of the mixture, and
mount it on two-horse wagon. Pro-
cure good force pump, which will
cost from So to $12 with short hose
having a nozzle attached that will dis
tribute fine spray. To every 100 gal
ions of water add pound of the
poison, and when pumping keep the
mixture we'll stirred to prevent the
| poison from settling to the bottom.
With two non in the wagon to drive
the team slowly. stir the mixture, work
the pump and hold the hose. small
stream can be directed above each tree
so as to fall in a fine spray. While i
is essential that every leaf shall b'
wetted, it is not safe TO direct thu
stream long against one spot, as to-
much of ,the poison will injure th'
foliage. But one side of row o
trees can be sprayed to advantage at
time, but man, after becoming hand.
at it. ought to spray that about as fas
as team would naturally walk. Will
every thing working favorably, two
men ought to treat an orchard of AN
trees in day.
At Lockport. in this State. they hav
invented machine which, operated
by the hub of the wagon wheel, work
the pump and stirs the Ilquid. Will
such an arrangement one man coul'
drive and hold the hose. As Their
NAV be some worms not Matched a
the first spraying. it may be ncces sar,
to repeat it in the course Of ten day
or two weeks. especially if raj
should intervene and wash off tn
poison. Be careful not to allow