The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-15

a MATTER WHICT rs EXCITING
VIDE SPREAD INTEREST.

A MATTER WHICH rs EXCITING
WIDE SPREAD INTEREST.
The Elm Leaf Beetle-The Remedy is
spraying-What Director Atwater of the
Storrs Experiment Station Says ON tho
Subject-Kerosene Emulsion and How to
Use it-What a New York State Authority
Says-Take Care of Our Beautiful ElIns.
the Pride of New Haven.
In many parts of the country where
the elm tree is apt to flourish, If the
worms permit it,outcry is made that the
elms are being attacked along the line
by an enemy which is working sad
havoc among them. The universal
prevalence of elm tree pests this season
has been noticed by hundreds of our
readers. The leaf eaters are thriving
to an alarming extent. There is need
of prompt and efficient action in the
case. All lovers of nature and of our
own beautiful elms are directly inter-
ested. The great New York dailies are
taking UP the subject and the authori-
ties all around agree that spraying the
elms Is the best remedy On the sub
ject the following will be of interest to
ALL
To the Journal and Courier:
Middletown, Conn, July 1S, 1895.
Dear sir-The enclosed calls attention
to means, and indeed the only means
now feasible for providing against the
ravages of the elm leaf beetle next sea-
son. trust the Importance to the pub
lie and the interest to your readers
will secure for it an Introduction in your
columns. Very truly yours,
w. o. ATWATER, Director.
THE PRESENT REMEDY AND FU-
TURE SAFEGUARD.
The following in reference to the elm
leaf beetle, and kerosene emulsion;
how to use it.
Very many of the elm trees In this
state, especially in places west of the
Connecticut river, on which spraying
has been neglected have been partially
or completely destroyed by this insect.
AT the present time the larvae which
have caused this damage have mostly
descended to the ground and are clust-
cred about the base Of the trees in large
numbers. The easiest way to destroy
them and prevent to considerable ex-
tent their ravages another season, is
to treat the ground around the base of
the trees for distance of several
yards, with strong kerosene emulsion.
This will not help the trees this sea-
son, but If all the pupae at the surface
of the ground are destroyed, and if this
Is done under all the trees in 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 ex-
pensive and somewhat difficult method
of spraying with Paris green or london
purple. The Storrs agricultural expert
ment station issued a bulletin the first
of May describing this beetle and CIV
ing the only method of protecting elm
trees. The station still has a few cop
les of this bulletin which will be fur
nished upon application to the station
at Storrs, Conn.
The following is the receipt for the
preparation Of kerosene emulsion: Soft
soap, quart; kerosene, l quart; water,
qudTLS. w dIul tllS SOdp uAlll II Ne
come liquified. Remove from near fire.
add kerosene, and agitate rapidly with
a force pump for five to ten minutes
until it becomes homogeneous creamy
mass from which the kerosene will not
separate 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 sufficient
quantity to thoroughly saturate the
surface Of the ground. A force pump
with spraying nozzle or watering pot
with rose can be used to apply the
emulsion. A hard soap emulsion can
be made by disso1ving two ounces of
hard soap in boiling water and using 1t
instead of the soft soap.
WHAT is SAID IN NEW YORK.
The following appeared in yesterday S
New York Times:
The publication recently In the New
York Times of the fact that the trees
in the Brooklyn parks and streets are
neglected aroused much interest, and
it is likely that efforts will soon be
made to remedy the evils and neglects.
Lewis Collins, the secretary of the
Tree Planting and Fountain society of
Brooklyn, has received a number of
letters on the subject. The following
came to him from William w. Buck
ley, lawyer with offices at III Broad
way this city:
New York, July 8, 1885,
Mr. Lewis Collins:
Dear Sir-I have read with a great
deal of interest your article in to-day's
Times on 1.-THE Pest of the Elm Tree. "
I have three or four beautiful trees
on my place at Crawford, N. T., fifty
or sixty feet high To cut them down
will detract much from the beauty of
my land, and I wish to save them if
possible. Can you inform me If it Is
practicable to spray these trees, and
If so, how 1t should be done, and what
insecticides should be used?
I was not aware that this pest was
beetle, not having seen the full
grown insect. My trees, trunks and
leaves, swarm with worms or maggots,
I presume they are young beetles. I
thought that by binding. cotton about
the trunks Of the trees, few feet be-
low the branches, might prevent these
worms from crawling up and eating