New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-23
A PICNIC FOR THE INSECTS
TREES IN THE PARK STRIPPED Or
LEAVES TO FURNISH THEM FEAST
SOME SAY THE DROCTH Is RESPONSIBLE OTHERS
THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO MEN TO TAKE
CARE OF ALL THE C1TYs TREEs-TIE
PARK BOARD WAKING Up

PARK BOARD WAKING Up
ON THE SUBJECT
BEG pardon Madam. but there's caterpillar
crawling up your back is the warning one may
hear at any hour OF the day in any one OF the city
parks The trees full Of all sorts of insects ana
in some places these have stripped the trees u
nothing but slcky. lifeless foliage remains The
ems have been the greatest sufferers and II l.
difficult to find which the destructive e''-
tree leaf beetle has not left It's mark
This fact was brought TO the attention of the Park
Commissioners and at their meeting yesterday the
entomo,ogst E. B. Southwick, was instructed 10
take steps toward destroying the pest and report 10
the board When the matter came up for discussion
there were various theories advanced as 10 the
a,sa for the unusually large swarms or destructive
insects this summer and IT was finally agreed Una.
the condition an outgrowth OF the pro''"c'eu
drouh. - ,
enough n wash away the insect germs ana prevent
their development. But This year there mas peeh -
,., otr that these have rested un1isturbed' nave
ao,.a,oned and are now doing mischief with our
trees. s, said. "Or
course we can not give reasons loi 'ne ''''''
Of our park trees-we know that the i'Seo'9 nav,
n,ade sad havoc Of some OF them and We nave pu'
'" ia mon To work 10 remedy what has
-, ,oirrsd and prevent, IL possible, iurther ue-
struction ,.o -, H.,
It was thought by some that the increase VI III
scots in the city parks was due 10 decrease ~
the number of sparrows; that these pros ""' III
rnerlv destroyed many of the Insects which are "o"
Of. undlsturbed to he detrment OF trees anu '''
discomfort of the pubic. Professor J. a. A'eh'
bo is a, the head Of the ornho.ogica, department
~ the Museum of Natural History, was seen Al MS
office and said this theory had no foundation IN ', ~
There has been no perceptinie . a. 1ns"rt
troube this year is only what We have had Tor
several years, except that IL COMES "o" 80 " ~
what aggravated form. = ,h
casual glance the trees in any part OF i ihe
insects are having picnic ana one M III one
scientist TO know that when. IN q sh9r. VAN va,
from under one coiiaI. ,nei al" ana We, William
OF them for the good OF the trees ana .es W
Eniomologv saws: There is no unusual amount OF
insects in the Park this year. True ne audrl' w
elr,rvHt and bere AZ much as anywhere. This in
sect was Imported from Germany IN 1851 ani maj
is T5' cs S0% to en- but in later
ravages of this pest have been eXtendt1 h Mi
continue to migrate til 1t IL distributed al over our
country unless stringent measures are ahop's sda.d
which is giving the trouble now am IL Cai, ~
extermlnaed by wash made Of "a 9 nam 10 aftv
gallons OF water. The -four Is used 10 rehue' ''e
a MT Bentenmuiier mentioned several more insects
the names OF which were 30 Formidable as 10 1917, ~.
no doubt as to their voracity ana iesrucilio'.Iy
species Of trees and the zeuzera -acscu. me ,a.
Ter is another importation from Europe. anu ma
already done much damage In me- SUBURBS Oh Lo''s
Island and IN the northern end OF the civ, -
81 the office OF the Park Boards eniom llosIS' IN
Central Park no order had been received ron, tl'
park Commissioners az to the iestn'llon o' an
san,S or he cleansing OF trees when Tribune re-
norter called there yesterday. nor could T. T. south
WICK the cntomologist be seen. But a move. *
nlana,ion Of the cause OF the destruction OF TN
foliage by the insects was furnished by an "inp'y'
OF the department, Henry wilson; VINO shp' -.
II suppose the dry weather hai much 70 10 =, >" 't
the increase In the number OF bugs ana insects III
the trees but things would not be In the bai Shnpc
they are In II there were more people 10 iooh "t'
them Trees need care and attention winter alr
and this condition Is a disease Now. "hA' car ea
have 10 look after all the trees from Battery lhIk
Ia one hundr ed "a nd twenty NTH st
'rba ossiltant referred to Is Bartholomew Doyle
who is more than sixty years old. Wilson sai1 iur-
Their that he does nothing but WORK among ,he
trees In the city parks and he knows that tins sum
mer has been extremely hard one on me uets
and that their condition might be much imlroyr1
men were placed at his disposal