New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-18
DESTROYERS OF FOLIAGE.
VARIOUS KINDS OF CATERpILLARs.
how TO FIGHT THEM-HUNTING FOR THE EGGS
SPRAYS AND SPRAYING MACHINES.


H'e pu'p' as symbol OF transformation in
No. ii1'uie " serves an admirable purpose
ny" 'He caterpillar 10 me Eumoer OF
""Nes UP III FOREST OF Irul'
"e"''"S "Ppe'''e anu an abundance
" '"''""s -o''"se' uere Is Danger tlat IL VIII
p'"'e an uhmIugated pest That is precisely
''' "H''h the ca'erpHaTs nave been play
ms d" '"''uS paris u Ne"-iofk during the
'"'' wv W three weeks ana il IS that Whlch
Il "lSheS 10 play ID the beautiful parks OF many
i-'9'''" CUES
mere are 'a'erpIars and caterpiIars II may
%" wen 10 distinguish between them TO some eX-
''"D Inc one Nhlch seems 10 Toe making the
most mischief IN the country just now is the
'HsS'"cahlia Dsstria. or forest-tree tent cater
I+'dr Inc word tent Is introduced into its more
"puiar designation because the wei which il
~iihs bears SHgnt resemblance 10 tiny tent
hen there IS the Ch~siocampa Americana, or
aIpie-tree caterpillar. 1t comes little earlier
tHan the one which attacks shade trees. and its
Expectations are now probably over for the cur
'ent season. Then there IS the Orgyia Leu
.SUs"a- or tusSotk moth, which may not he
any more cultured in It's tastes than the other
two species just mentioned but has d special
foudness for city parks.
All Of these creatures-and many others that
need not be named 60 through the same gen
eral series Of experiences. They are Matched
from eggs develop into caterpillars. eat raven
ously the leaves Of the trees in whose shade
they are born. curl W into cocoons when they
have had enough II grovelling existence emerge
a. moths from the intermediate pupa state and
men eNtefd tn area O. their Investigations
with the aid Of wings. one Of the Incidental
features ~ this last stage OF the insects career
: the laying Of eggs in clumps Of several hun
bred, the trunk branches Of the tree.
aving thus done what it considers its duty
10y POsterity. the moth is likely 70 perish 10y too
much curiosity in regard to the nature Of a
candle blaze or street gas lamp. The forest
tree moth is a night fer and shows n partic-
u.ar fondness for lights.
Both experience and reason suggest that the
host way 10 fight the caterpillar Is TO remove
the egg clusters from the trees before they hatch
out Or r. r SouthWick entomologst Of the I
Nev-York City parks devotes large part Of
the winter to this work His men 20 over all
the trees IN his baIli"Ick with Stetl brushes ana
take off every bunch Of eggs they can discover
n Y Slingerand Of the Cornell Agricultural
Experiment Station. al Ithaca, recommends in
n recent report that public spirited citizens or
local school boards in rural towns offer rewards
e. thu children who Will collect the largest num-
t-r Of these clusters between August and April
or Use Pay given price outright for every hun
bred clusters secured. The rivalry thus excited
among children will extend 10 the schools
watch the children attend and thus lively cru
scde can he started against the caterpillars be-
fore they are born.
IT, howcv,r. the caterpillar has chance 10
hatch. NJ WI hatch in numbers. and then he