The evening times., 1895-08-26
COLD WATER FOR The TREES
Expert Langdale Thinks It Will
Destroy the Insects.
He Talks of the Trees and Their Ene-
mics and Makes Suggestions to
Get Rid of the EVIL.


tendent for the Park Commission. talked
about trees in a most interesting fashion
yesterday to The Times. Mr.. LaDgdale is
quito at home among the trees OF the Dis
trict. He helps to raise them from babies
in that very interesting nursery for the
in charge OF Superintendent I.anham.
In this very interesting nursery one sees
long rows of little trees such as are to
be found everywhere in Washington.
Among them are the silver maple, Nor
way maple, scarlet maple. sugar maple,
Carolina poplar, Athonian poplar, sycamore,
eastern plane, white OAK, silver linden. pin
oak. red oak, American linden, American
elm. winged elm, and a few others.
One OF the first to be stricken from the
list was the N.gundo, which is species of
ash. Mr.. LanSdalc said that it is about the
first that is attacked by the insects in the
spring and becomes 4 vcritable nursery for
these pests all through the summer. 1t is
especially agreea bleto the web worm, which
is now piI wing havoc with the trees of the
city.
The ravagcs made by the web worm in
the Negundo strike every eye everywhere.
Ailofthesetrcesappea bcfillcd with nests
made around dead or dying branches. which
have been almost denuded o. their leaves.
and give the trees a very sickly and dis
agreeable appearance. Any one who OBJ
serves ut all must have been struck with the
desperate condition OF these trees on street
and street northwest. The worms have
simply eaten their victims to death.
Another species which is now in the
throes Of death, Is the American elm,
the most familiar of all the Trees. II is
attacked every year by the elm leaf beetle
after that villainous little insect has eaten
all the leaves of the imported elns, as he is
foreigner himself. one need not visit
the White House grounds to see what the
elm leaf beetle can do with the European
elm.
On the north and south sides OF Lafayette
square are rows OF this superb elm, which
are about as near eaten up as tree can
well b. and retain its life. The weeping
ELM, one OF the prettiest trees Of the parks
and triangles is also suffering dreadIully.
The tulip poplar is showing signs OF decay
which is partly caused by the beetle and by
the drouth.
The European lindens, OF which there are
two splendid specimens near the corner OF
Ninth and G streets northwest, are muc!,
affected by the drouth The elms have
suffered most and viii continue TO suffer
until some remedy is found for the web
worm which attacks them in the fall and
which has already begun TO complete the
work OF the foreign beetle.
Beside these two pests there is another
which is as ugly as Il nightmare. II is
only about an inch long. II has two horns
aud a tail which stands up straight and
the thing is as lively an insect one would
not wish 10 see in the night time on ones
pillow Whenever it attacks a tree it
invests it ard also its immc
date neighborEood, the fences, the walls
OF houses. windows and other resting
places.
The drought aud the pests have it all
their own way now, and the great glory
OF the parks, the trees, are feeling the
keen tooth of their enemies, the worms,
more fatally than II sudden frost had
stripped them OF their verdure
Mr. LanGdale's view is that there is no
help for the case this year. The trees
will not die so that there will be Il chance
to save them from the same degree OF
afflictiou next year by very simple
Mr. Langdale thinks that the
best remedy is the spraying of the trees
with arseuical preparations, but this is
la ngerous He does not believe in many
Of the specifics which are used, but lie
suggests one which can be used by every
member of The Times Tree Protective
Lea que.
His suggestionis pure water in abundance
IN the spring of the year. Every house has
a watering hose, and If the trees are kept
,lean i will not only 60 far towards keep
ng off the insects, bat it will be a set-off
against the drouth, which will deface the
beauty of many species of trees which are
attacked by the worms. ~
There is, perhaps, month more of de-
astation, after which time the cool
weather will Danish the insects. Ii is ex-
Dected that there will be a much more
LIBERAL appropria ton for their protection
next year. and this will possibly be one of
he most unanimous demands that will 60
before Congress.
Next year the invaders will be met by |
The Times League, and perhaps the cold
water reception, which will then be the |
'uIe, will save the city the present dis |
graceful condition of things with respect !
% the trees. about which everybody makes |
nvidious remarks and which, IL taken |
lold of in time, would never have ex-
sted.
The Morning Times for enterprise.