The Republican journal., 1899-06-08
To DESTROY Caterplllars.

One of the pecularities OF the present
season has been the unusual number OF
noxious insects preying upon our fruit
| trees and early crops. ms is undoaot-
| edly in large measure, owing to the fact
that the season has been SO dry. All
through April there was an absence OF
rain, which was conducive to the hatch
ing out of large numbers of the apple
tree tent caterpillar, which are now found
over running our apple, pear, plum and
cherry trees all over New England. Had
there been the usual number of rainy
days this spring, it would have prevented
| the Matching and growth OF so many cater
pillars. All over the State they are prey
ing upon the fruit trees anG have inflicted
| great damage to the crop. In some fruit
gardens the trees are so trimmed OF leaves
as to look almost as though IRE had been
among the tree tops.
| The apple tree tent Caterpillar is SO We'll
known and conspicuous an insect, and is
so easily killed, that 1T is Amos mex.
cusable that owners Of fruit gardens and
orchards will allow their trees to become
so overrun and almost destroyed by them
as they do.
Another insect that is doing great dam
| age is the forest tree caterpillar, which is
N--~
| elms and naples.
| Prof. Fernald of the Massachusetts
| agricultural college says he prefers to kill
| hem by the hand than by any other way,
as he thinks the use of poisonous sprays
| or fire are liable to njure the trees. Hav-
ing on pair of old gloves he goes over
| the orchard and whatever tent is found
it is cleanly scraped off and crushed,
those falling upon the ground being Jam
med under foot. Sometimes persons de-
stroy the tent by means OF torch, or by
burning paper under the tent, but this is
not advisable as to hold the torch in one
place long enough to kill the insect is
sure to kill the branch to which the fire is
applied The best means of killing them
is by use of the kerosene emulsion.
The late Prof Lodeman, formerly of
Cornell university, in his work on the
spraying of plants for the destruction of
the various kinds of insect enemies prey
ing upon them, gives several formulas of
different emulsions for destroying the
tent caterpillar. He say that in spraying
for the codling moth sufficient poison in
the form of aIsenSic or ammonlcal copper
car Donate is generally put in to destroy the
tent caterpillar; but as we presume lew OF
our city residents. who have only few
trees in their gardens, do any spraying for
the codling moth OF apple maggot, a more
simple remedy is needed.
This is the common kerosene emulsion,
which was first used by Prof. A. j. Cook
of the Michigan agricultural college and is
now used by orchardists all over the coun-
try. SO long ago as 1875 he found that
kerosene would permanently mix with a
strong soap solution. This emulsion is
10 int ba al
Mix one quart of soft soap, or dissolve
one quarter of a pound of hard soap in
two quarts of boiling water; and when it
is thoroughly dissolved, stir into it while
it is yet hot, one pint of Kerosene oil
Then stir this vigorously till the whole is
permanently mixed-that is until when
standing no oil will rise upon the top,
but will remain Incorporated with the
liquid. Now dilute this two and half
quarts of emulsion by the addition of
seven and half quarts of water, making
ten quarts in all, and it is ready for use.
At night, after the caterpillars have re-
turned and are at home, with sWab OF
cloth at the end of pole that will reach
their nests in the trees, or by means OF a
sponge upon pole, OF with brush used
for washing windows, apply the emulsion
thoroughly to the Insects in their tents.
1t will not only dislodge them, but will
kill every caterpillar with which it comes
in contact.
AS can readily be seen from the natural
habit of the insect it does little good to
make this application in the day time, as
then the caterpillars are abroad all over
the tree destroying every leaf and bud
! they can get hold Of Unless the remedy
| is used, the trees will in a short time be
completely defoliated and will look as
1 though the leaves had been burned off.