Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-28
MILLIONS OF CATERPILLARS
THE PESTS INVADE WASHINGTON
IN GREAT FORCE.
Efforts of Parking Commission to
Save the Trees-Superinten-
dent Lanham's Views.

The hypantria-textor has invaded Wash
ington in countless millions. 1t might be
we'll to explain in plain English what the
DISQUALIFICATION is. 1t is nothing but the
plain old disagreeable caterpillar that an
nually infests the beautiful shade trees
and threatens all sorts of dire destruction
to Washington's most beautiful feature.
Last year, because of the excellent work
of the parking commission, the caterpillars
were not SO numerous as heretofore, but
this year they have made their appear
ance In excessive numbers and the park
ing commission is graphing with the i'm
portant question of their determination.
The District Commissioners set aside 5000
Of the emergency fund to fight the pest,
and June 10 Superintendent Lanham of the
parking commission sent out a force for
that purpose. Its members are armed
ever a caterpillar is discovered the
limb is promptly severed. The nests are
all carted to the public dump, and there
set on fire. The $500 appropriated by the
urday night, and the new appropriation
will be available the next day. With this
additional money the superintendent be-
lieves he can dispose Of millions of the
pests and save the trees from the dis
gusting appearance which has been ap
parent in the past. The only way to sue
cessfully cope with the caterpil lar is to
attack the nests and destroy them. Some
years ago poisonous spray was used. but
experience has demonstrated that the force
of the spray was not sufficient to penetrate
the nests and destroy the young, and while
many of the old caterpilars were killed,
the ones i'll embryo were not at all af-
fected
The Appropriation Available.
There is appropriation of so, 800 for
the of the parking commission for the
coming fiscal year, and as much of this
will be used to fight the caterpillar the
course under the direction of the District
Commissioners 1t is believed however,
that the month of July will see the end of
the fight, and that by the 1st of August
there will be comparatively few caterpillars
in the city. The parking commission be-
lieves that this method of destruction Is
by far the best as it prevents the worms
from developing and building nests in the
There are two varieties of trees in Wash
ington which escape the ravages of the
caterpillars They the gincho. Japa-
nese variety, and the ailantus The latter
is sometimes known as the Tree of Para
disc or Heaven Tree but as Assistant
Superintendent Langdale said today, Few
of them ever get there in this country, as
the parking commission usually sends
them to the other place. There are, how
ever, but few Of this variety of tree in the
city, and it is well that they are scarce,
since the odor emitted from them during
the blooming season is most diSagreeable
The caterpilars attack the ash-leaf ma
pie with greater voracity than any other
of the varieties of trees, and it is the in
tention of the parking commission to get
rid of this variety rapidly as possible.
There are at the present time but thou
sand of them, and as rapidly they die
or are removed other trees are substituted.
The Norway maple, the sugar maple the
oriental plane, the American linden the
gincho and pin oaks varieties that are
beng planted now. Few elmS have been
planted of late for the reason that a for
9 "a rel ia of ha hoe,
tackled the tree, and the commission, find
ing no successful way to rid the trees of
the bug, decided to discontinue their use.
The bugs are quite small, about the size
OF French pea, and do not look unlike a
grub. They bore holes right through the
leaf, and the perforation is quite symmetri-
cal. The eggs are deposited under the leaf,
and when they mature and the young are
Matched they eat the substance of the leaf,
or rather its body. leaving 1t mere skel-
eton.
Trees in Good Shape.
Superintendent Lanham said to a re-
porter Of The Star this morning that the
trees OF the city were never in a better
shape. There are so. 1854 trees at present in
the city and upward Of 100000 in the nur-
series ready for planting. The scale insect
which attacked the naples several years
ago and rendered vigorous pruning neces-
sary to save the trees has diminished to a
great extent. and as consequence the
naples are thriving. He said, though, that
the parking commission did not propose to
plant any more soft naples excepting in
those streets where naples already ex-
listed. The most popular tree and the one
best suited to the city Is the oriental plane,
which is an English sycamore. There are
many Of them in the Capitol grounds, and
they have done exceedingly well.
The advantages of this variety over any
other. Mr.. Lanham said, were that 1t was
hardy and a good shade tree to begin with;
then 1t rooted deeper and did not disturb
the pavements: they also very rapid
growers. and when concrete sidewalks are
substituted for brick. the roots escape in
jury by reason of their deep growth.
Referring again to the beetles which de-
stroy elms, Mr.. Lanham said he was glad
to report that few of them had been seen
this season. and he hoped they had en-
tirely disappeared They were no material
injury to the tree. but rendered its APP
pearance unsightly.