New-York tribune., 1896-05-08
WATCHING THE COCOONS.
MR.. COLLINS KEEPING TAB" ON THE
TUssOCK MOTH.
THE TINE OF INCUBATION AN IMPORTANT POINT
IN THE EFFORTS TO EXTERMINArE


IN THE EFFORTS TO EXTERMINArD
THE PESTS.
In his snug library in Macon'st Lewis Con
Inns, secretary of the Tree Planting and FOUNTAIN
Society Of Brooklyn is carefully watching
bunch Of what appears to be free wooT I'D
orally bespanged with white and gray SUD
stances which when the light strikes them at .
proper angle scintilate like crystals. MT COLLINS
is not running diamond incubator. however;
but he Is guarding this not altogether pleasant
looking mass with as much care as II gems were
hidden inside and might fly away at any mo-
ment. The fluffy-looking stuff is the cocoon. ana
the white and gray crystals the eggs OF tho
Tussock moth, better known to the people OK
Greater New-York as the worm that feeds upon
and destroys or mars the foliage of the parks
and driveways Mr.. Collins has the cocoons with
their embryonic pests carefully inclosed In q
glass case and placed in window where the sun
can warm them, and is carefully observing the
period Of thar incubation AS soon as the frse
siens of life appear the news will be flashed to
the members Of the society with as much dis
patch as Is the birth Of king in some European
country. The members Of the society, or at
least those who desire to preserve the Foliage OF
their trees will then arm themselves with
spraying apparatus and forthwith wage war
upon the tribe Of the Tussock moth.
Mr. Collins. who Is a recognized authority
uron the subject, says the moth Is not as de-
structive to trees o the borer and Is much
more easily destroyed. The most effectual ana
radical method for destroying these pests Is 10
carefully pick the cocoons wherever found ana
burn them. This however, involves 80 mucb
labo that the common method Is TO spray the
trees as soon as the eggs show signs OF HE As
a matter Of fact the eggs of this moth all natcn
the moth IS generally double-brooded In THIS
neighborhood, the first brood Matching out ABOUT
May 20 and the second about two months later
From the time the first signs or life appear on
the cocoon until the last fertilized egg has de-
yeloped does not exceed seventy-two h0urs 30
the Importance Of Mr. Collinss little incubator
can be appreciated. Before the last egg or the
snring brood has developed into the nasty
worm OF the Brooklyn girls hatred, the secret
will be out and the caterplars can be destroyed.
The solution or insecticide recommended Dy the
society Is not expensive neither Is the apparatus
for applying 1t, and every householder can pre-
serve his trees from these pests IL he chooses
This Is the recipe for making the solution one
half pound Of London purple or Paris green,
three quarts Of cheap -four and forty gallons OF
water or any quantities Of these In ike pro-
portion The -four has the double effect OF max
ing the poison adhere to the leaves and also OK
preventing to some extent the corrosive lnJuryi
which sometimes obtains where the poison Is ap-
Piled too strong or Is insufficiently sprinkled.
The same mixture Is perfect insecticide FOR
the elm leaf beetle. This beetle and the Tussock
moth are the greatest destroyers Of foliage, and
Mr.. Collins believes that a few seasons or thor
ough spraying Of the trees Of the thoroughfares
and parks will practically do away with these
pests