The evening world., 1894-09-04
BROOKLYN NEWS.
BRO0klYN'S PLAGUE OF BUGS.
Caterpillars and Other Insects
Working Havoc with Foliage.
Dry Weather and Absence OF sper.
rows Responsible for II.

Brooklyn is in the throes of a plague
OF bugs, caterpillars and insects OF all
kinds During the past few months, or
III lact' since the latter part of Spring,
the trees and plants throughout the eity
nave suffered from the influx Of insects
TO such an extent that the foliage has
been almost completely destroyed. Old
residents say that for thirty years they
nave never seen SO many bugs
The plague is partly accounted for by
the dryness of the atmosphere and the
drought. Aside from the destruction
of trees, the people of Brooklyn have
been particularly annoyed by the large
numbers of caterpilars.
Brooklyn is truly city of homes, and
It's streets are shaded by long lines of
trees. large number of the houses
nave piaZZas where II Is the custom of
breeze.
This year. however. the caterpillars
have driven the people from their pfazzas
They drop from the overhanging foliage.
the roofs of the piaZzas or from the
twinirg. vines onto persons clothes and
creep about their necks.
Real estate men say that the influx of
caterpillars this year has driven into the
have remained in the city during the
Summer.
In every. portion of the city the trees.
plants and fences are covered with these
creepers or their cocoons.
While everybody. is talking about the
plague of insects few persons are doing
anything t. exterminate them.
Some Of the trees have band OF cot
ton about the trunks and are smeared
over for several feet under the lower
branches with axle grease. This Is sup
posed to prevent the bugs from crawling
back into the foliage Wien washed down
"a
AS there have been but one or two
storms in two months this scheme is
almost valueless.
Along Fourth avenue an Evening
World" reporter counted fifteen trees in
a dozen blocks dying from the attacks
OF the insects. They were no longer of
any use as means of shading the street.
one reason given for the great num-
bers of insects, and especially the cater
pillar, is the disappearance this year
of the English sparrow. About the only
place in the city where they are to be
found Is in Prospect Park.
for their exodus. AS to just how cleo
trio locomotion affects the sparrow
birds have been killed by the overhead
wires, while another is that the cars
have frightened them from the city.
However. there is no doubt that the
sparrow has practically gone from
About the only person in the city who
IL taking any pains to rid the trees OF
insects mot excepting the members of
the Tree Planting Society is Mr.. Ulrich,
Superintendent Of Prospect Park.
on long handles, make daily, rounds
among the trees in the park, brushing
down the bugs. One of the latest ad-
ditiors to the plague Is small fly which
devotes It's destructive ability almost ex-
clusively to the Scotch elm.
Scientists, Mr.. Ulrich says. have as
yet been unable to identify the an
cestorS of the new discovery. 1t re-
sembles the horsefy, and kills trees
by drawing the sap from the branches.
About the only plant in the city whose
foliage has not suffered from this fly or
the caterpillar is the ailanthus tree.