New-York tribune., 1901-05-02
INSECTS OF THE PARKS
NEW CHRONOLOGICAL LABORATORY
PROTECTING TREES FROM DEP
REDATORS-ELM BEETLES
BACK AGAIN.

To I'D the parks ot insect pests, z. 3. southwtck
park entomologtst. is conducting campaign
against the enemies OF the trees A new laboratory
Tor the purpose. now being built al seventy-ninth-
St and Eighth-ave. is soon TO be finished. and the
curios from forest and water that have made his
little Office in the sheds near the sheepfolc so at
tractive are packed and ready for removal
washington Square and Tompkins Square parks
are being .cleaned''-that Is men with lond handed
steel brushes are scraping the eggs OF the tussocA
rnotb from the trees and burning them All the
Other parks have been similarly treated DouDuess
IN the process a good many leaf buds are scrapeo
away with the eggs. but with The generous @ pounlS
n nature there IS always oversuppiy OF loLlase
and in Mr Southwick's opinion the trees are
better for il Since each egg mass averages nearly
for hundred eggs ii is not difficult TO understand
Why the trees soon defohaieo II lelt uhcAIeo
for The tussock moth is one OF the worst insect
ae,-e5a+ors and few trees safe from II.
As soon as the leaves are fairly out the spray
ing VIII begin. London purple an arsenlcal poison
and srssuate OF lead. used Tor the purpose
Natures own method for lesse1ing the number OF
go s-ar,tes 70 the vegetable world is sometimes
a6on+es bv Mr. southwfck When he finds time
after the cocoons have been scrhped from the
trunks OF the trees in the spring ana iali' ne
selects from them barrelfuls Of the ichneumon
oocoons. These he keeps in the sun until the hies
,ss,a forth Then he sets them free in the park 10
work their deadly will against the moths fe"er
parasites are found in the cocoons ootAlheo IN
downtown parks than In Central ana the othef
large parks. This Is proDaps oNe ~ N-'S 60 N~-
the flies prefer country life 10 the dense populauoh
OF the city
CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF TREES
NJ sou-bw1cl estimates that between eighteen
hundred and nineteen hundred species OF noxlous
.nsscrs are found in the city parks They include
numerous species Of scale insects ana aphloes-
7g,e anpearauce OF many trees is permanently al
terad b rhe devastation Of insects This condition
is couspcuous IN the English elms all over the city
The elm beetle having eaten year after year the
tender foliage al the end OF the oranches mas heo
the voung rVyigs and the adventitious buds start
ed betveen the branches have resulted in tufts OF
growth instead OF the long. graceful branches
beetles have not been as desrucuNe a i
winter conditions not uncers y -
ssi M 5I 1E increased however and in the northern
part OF this State and IN NeN-SAsiaio 'Aes az
BetEeen TWO and three months year are spent
IN fighting the elm borer big worm rom ~ ~ ~, -
WOOD Of more than one hundred species OF Gess
in the parks. To destroy THIS ihsecl le @ -I - %
each tree Is exarnired and as fast as a onrroN Is
found bisulphide OF carbon is put into u aAo Ine
orce closed with touch OF putty OF s1P 90 - 49,
borers have been taken from one tree Inc TUNES
OF osuphide OF carbon are also nseo 3ssnces 10 @ ~
the PARKS the former littering the walks with
dir sn5 TS LATTER threatening the peace and safe
wasp family burrows in the edges OF the walks
a s, not bs snsS ehs q &
troubles Is 10 respond 10 calls 70 come OUT ana
XII" them yellow Jackets and big white nor,
nets are plentiful too and have 20 be looked
after The latter lives in trees and unaer eaEes
in buildings and is a dangerous neighbor. 49,,
In about a week work viii begin in spraying me
fungi for not an the injuries due TO the animal
world. The ems. naples and plane rees III II s,,ngs
including the mushroom family. were scarce .ss os
cause of the dry season This year ho.trsr .sIs on
tair 10 be favorable 20 everything tnaf thriNes On
moisture.