The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
BIG INSECT ARMY AT WORK.
RAVAGIN0 THE GARDENS AND FOR
ES1S or CENIR1L NEW YORK.

Tent Worm the Most Destructive OF tho
Pcsts-Thjs City's Parks Protected by De-
struction OF tho Eggs on the Tree Trunks
in Winter-Thc 1T-Nrnr Locust Appears.
This season thus far has been unusually pro-
life in insect Life. The extreme warm weather
in tho early part ~ June brought the insects
out in great numbers, aud tire lack OF ram
throughout the State since then has been all
TO their advantage. Now rom all uurts y! the
State come tales " raNgg"s ~ gnr'.en and for
est by these PESTS, aud lh,. larm"rs are casting
about them Tor mruas 10 stamp uut tho insect
army, a matter OF Goa crab 6 difficulty when
the campaign ut the lugS l.. jair.y under way.
Those eli, ctlvc allies OF th, farmers. the ill.,
sect-eating birds. seem To- he l"4I common than
usual this year. when they arr. most needed.
Most destructive Of all the visit ls IL the tent
worm. tho larva Of II small ueutrai-nuod moth.
TINS small creature has not yet done much
harm in this immed at" Ncli,jty. Tut in the
central part OF the state is ravasss in the
strips OF woodland at" alnr',ug and Distress
ing to every lover ui s!n,ie trees. As rule the
farmer caA hardly bo put in this class. as he
docsn'tcaro much t0rany trees other than those
which bear MAI kctabe fruit. and Is content to
let general vegetation take care OF itself so long
US hi crops flourish. so it is only great and
Obvious damage that can wake him up to the
i'll q ,elda county writes to THE SUN:
he tont worm IS all through this county.
My trees look is If AN array Of men with guns
had been shooting buckshOt into them, and
have found some of the worms ia my garden.
The worms are cvcryWhcr" You SEQ them
crawling along the fences ana ia the roads. A
lnlle down the road from my fam there Is u
patch Oi wood that is completely stripped
There is not. wnulo leaf left in it. This woods
is mostly cln~. The worms seem to take tC
the elm trees more than any other kind Attel
they have eaten all the leaves they will take tc
the crops. and it will he ruin for q lot OF US VI
here. never saw this worm in such quaint
ties before that there was any trouble ahoutit.'
Properly the tent worm is a tree dweller. but
cases ure known where an army Of them has
travelled straight across country. devourns
everything in its way Ike the grasshn pei
plaques of karsas. In the upstate cities
there is much complaint of the work OF til,
tent worm in shade trees along the avenues
many streets being stripped OF their chic
beauties. Private enterprise has combined
and in some cases public money has been ap
propriutcd to fight the pests and the work o
destruction has been checked in most OF tbs
cities Som" lew specimens have appeared To-
Cully, but they have not been numerous enough
to DO any aLUrcClhh.c harm.
New lurN city is fortunate In having The ser.
q W
Il corps otassistants. keeps guard over all til,
PARKS and a. soon a, there IL evidence OF 81
insect army sets about stamping 1t out lhls
| l. done largely By the obstruction u' the eggs
! in the winter. The eggs Of lca.-destrOyinR III.
sect- are easily diecGNclahie IN MASSES Oh the
| trunk or lower limbs ii III" tIee. Whence they
! may he easily scrarud on and burned This Il
| 10y tar the most effective method OF warrinL
| against the insects. aud u httle work in the
! winter Will result IN the prevention Of the Az
pearaucu OF hundreds y! thousands OF hungry
worms in the following summer. After the
! larNn has once got to work with its appetit.
| the problem Is not 80 easy or inexpensive. The
| tust method IL this stage Is to spray the al
| iurird truc~ with an ag-cGl'Al mixture.
l.. .. howard. the cniOmOIpglSt ut the Do
purtmCut Ot Agriculture ut Washington. ha'
/ COmpIied list at shade trees iiabe to the
attack Of iusnr,s which is OF Nuiu" Us shOwinl
what TIRE, must be most carefully look ed atto r
The conifcr- lryrrErrcuS. hrs. pines. Nc.l Ia,
does not include IN his list, as they are prac
tt"a!iy exempt from Insect attack. HIS table, y
re iltiyo immunity - md'tr Nu' on a basis OF
for those tro,.s least utJRrkei hylh" toni worm
thu. bag wprm. ia" leaf beetle. the tus,ucL
moth worm and other destructive Insect agen
cIe9, and 10 as follows:
lEsSc