Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-17

where, though perhaps in this city, We
may have begun in time to save most
of our trees. A few weeks ago the
state agricultural school at Mansfield,
Conn, published full directions for
the meeting Of the elm leaf beetle at
the outset. Prof. C. D. Woods said:
The easiest way to destroy the bee
ties and prevent to a considerable eX-
tent their ravageS another season is
to treat the ground around the base
Of the trees for a distance Of several
yards with strong kerosene emulsion.
This will not help the trees this sea-
son, but If all the pupae at the sur
face OF the ground are destroyed, and
if this is done under all the trees in
a given town, there Will be no beetles
to lay eggs next season. Unless the
pupae are destroyed now the only
way to protect the elms next year will
be by the expensive and somewhat
difficult method of spraying with paris
green or London purple. The kero-
sene emulsion is best prepared in this
way: Soft soap, one quart; kerosene,
one pint; water, six quarts. Warm
the soap until it becomes liquefied.
Remove from near fire, add the kerO-
sene, and agitate rapidly with a force
pump for to 10 minutes until it be-
comes a homogeneous creamy mass
from which the kerosene Will not sep
arate on standing. Add the water and
thoroughly mix, when the emulsion
will have the appearance of milk.
This should be applied near the trees
at two or three different times in sutti-
cient quantity to thoroughly satura te
the surface of the ground. A force
pump with spraying nozzle or a water
ing-pot with rose can be used to apply
the emulsion"
The Elm city authorities began their
tardy work by pumping the kerosene
emulsion into the tops of the elmS.
They also used a hard soap emulsion,
made in the proportions Of a half
pound of hard yellow soap dissolved
in a gallon Of boiling water, with two
gallons of kerosene, the mixture being
diluted with q gallons of water. First
the beetle fighters try to sweep the
trees clear of the insects their larvae
and cOcoOns, and then destroy the
tWeepingS with fire ON the ground.
Having accomplished that end they
the bark of the tree. Superintendent
Kelly says that in some cases he will
furnish the solution to families free
of expense. e. H. Jenkins Of the
StOrrS school says: set a trap for
the beetle His trap is built in this
way: Tack a strip of cotton OF 10
inches wide Ga dark color is BEST about
an elm a few feet above ground; then
stuff hay inside the belt an inch deep,
Pin the ends Of the band with safety
pins. Every day, says the professor,
the beetles will come down and SNUG
gle into the hay, lapse into the pupaI
state, and turn a bright golden hue.
Then mash 'em with a mallet or a
club.
In many places in Massachusetts the
old protection against the canker-worm
is brought into play, the same which
was used a score or more years ago
all over Boston, every tree on the
common being then belbed with tin
bands, drawn taut about the tree
trunks with their projecting, crumpIed
edges bent downward, and a gutter
kept filled with kerosene to receive the
larvae as they crawl up This was
also tried in Northampton, and so was
the swaddling of the trunks with fan
mel or felt or belts of tar.