The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-29
Protecting Plum Trees From tie
Rnrer

borers from plum trees2 l have the KEEL
sey plum which think very fine, but can
not keep the borer from destroying them,
which they have done for the past two
years.
l. The fruit grower has a never-ending
warfare with the borer The peach, the
apple and the plum are alike infested
with him. The borer once having
taken up his home in the
tree should be killed by using a
wire, flexible somewhat Find the hole
and push the wire into it and kill him.
Late in the fall draw the soil from about
the trunk leaving the lower part exposed
TO the cold weather of winter. Early in
the spring bank coal or other ashes about
the stem and draw the soil up and bank
it as high as possible. Wash the lower
part of the stem several times in the
spring, if it appears necessary, with soft
soap in which small quantity of sulphur
has been mixed.
When one has fine fruit trees he should
not begrudge a solid weeks work TAT diff
ferent timeS), even to a small orchard, to-
ward destroying the borer and preventing
the insect from laying more eggs. The
borer beetle flies only at night
3 Can a farmer buy certain simple
substances and mix up his own complete
fertilizer to advantage?' asks a CORE
spOndent from Northern Alabama
2. In reply to this question we would say
that, whenever a farmer is so situated
as to be able to buy the elementary or
simple substances that are needed to make
up complete fertilizer, he will generally
find it to his interest to mix these himself
But, as rule, the majority of farmers
are not so situated, and as most of them
buy their fertilizer ION time, - they usually
have to put up with such fertilizer as the
local dealer deals in.
A farmer can buy his cotton seed meal,
acid phosphate and kainit, or in lieu of
the latter, ashes of cotton seed hulls or
oak and hickory ashes, and during the
bad weather of winter mix up his fertil-
Her, making the dominant whatever he
thinks his different fields or crops need.
The use of nitrate of soda, we
believe, is increasing in the south
where nitrogen (ammOnia) is desirable,
and especially wherever top dressing is
practiced this is a very desirable sub
stance to use, 1t only furnishes nitrogen,
and. as rule, the best way to use it is by
itself as top dressing after the crops
have been we'll started.
If the fertilizer manufacturers were
satisfied with reasonable profit for their
mixing or manipulating it would be bet
ter, perhaps, for the farmer to buy his
complete fertilizer from them, but we
fear it is the rule for factories to charge
entirely too much for the simple ma
nlpulating" of the material.
The farmer fan away from the large
wholesale establishments has very little
choice of materials, and it is TO be regret
Ted that this is the case, for he could save
oitentimes enough to buy u third ton out
OF what he is compelled to pay for two
AprOpos to the first question a writer
IN the Agricultural Epitomist says: II
nave read and seen a great many diff
Ierent methods and ways of how to pro-
tect trees from being damaged by rabbits
IN winter and borers in summer. l have
seen young orchards nearly ruined by
ooJh. In fact, an apple tree never gets
100 large for our large jack rabbits to
enaw at, if he takes a notion. The old
way was TO wrap the tree with straw or
rags; that is too much work for me,
Tor l am always looking out for the
ocSt method and easiest way to do
my work When rabbits are thick as
UHey are In Kansas they will, sometimes,
scratch the wrappings off Lately
RUBBED my trees with beef liver, or kill
t%pblt and rub with that. But some years
there would come late snow and the trees
Aid been washed by the rains through the
WINTER, SO that the smell of what | had
rubbed them with had been washed off,
ana nave had trees damaged. This will
nos protect the trees from the bOrers that
work on trees so much in Kansas, and
Gl' frmt tree of a greasy nature win
oe more apt TO cause the borers to attack
Ifee, but do not know if this is a fact
or not
"A friend of mine gave me a recipe that
ne haQ used for years that would both
heSp Jhe rabbits from gnawing the trees
and kills and keeps the borers out of
vIeIh' l used it and found it as was
recommended. l used wooden bucket
Sud1 neid two and a half gallons in this
put lump of lime, about the size of a
nan S double fist, or little larger, and
poured hot water in enough to
sack 1t, and while this is slack !
ing put in one-half pint of gas tar and a
pouno OF concentrated lye keep stirring
me mixture SO as to get the gas tar well |
mixed with the balance, and add more
not water until the buckle Is nearly full, |
s Snen put in earth and keep |
SURFING until it is as thick |
as you would prepare whitewash
me bucket by this time should be full; !
tlRe a whitewash brush and rub the |
. myes with this late in the fall A rabbit !
WI never touch tree rubbed with this |
MIXTURE, and, it is claimed, that If there |
are any borers in the. trees it will kill |
sleill' but do not know II this is so or
rLi though ! know IL the trees are |
iitooed with this mixture MAY or June |
s, l VIII keep the borers out When the |
opIinE rains come your trees will wash off |
a'ie "a look green and glossy, and will make |
me growth. Try this both summer
TT''u lau and you win never quit using IT,
~ ~ ls cheap and harmless to the tree. Gas |
s .ai can be bought at 8 cents a quart at !
aAN OF those cities that uea gas y