The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-07-31
DEATH TO ELM TREE F EETLES.
Only One Way to Exterminate Them
 Without Inj ury to the Tree or Roots

Only One Way to Exterminate Them
 Without Injury to the Tree or Roots'
 To the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 Having had five years experience with the English elm leaf beetle pest, 1 allow me to state, as the result of my experiments, that the only way to ex- ] terminate them Is by spraying the fo- 1 liage as soon as possible after the leaves are formed in the spring, which is the month of May, with arsenate of lead, as prepared under the formula of Am herst agricultural college (Hatch ex- pertinent station), and now for sale In the Boston market.
 In all healthy young or medium sized I trees there need be but one spraying each year, as there is rarely but one 1 crop of worms in ore season. In all old trees that have loose bark and dead limbs spraying In May and again in June, when the worms are at work. No other formula for spraying is at all as successful as the arsenate of lead made according to this formula, as 1t does not injure the leaves in the slight est degree.
 I have used it on the most delicate young maple leaves and never had the least trouble whatever. It Is used three or four pounds to fifty gallons of water, put on through garden hose carried up into the trees. A hand pump can be used on small trees, and steam pump for high trees, which Is the cheaper way for all trees on city or town streets.
 The trees should be sprayed two sea- sons in succession for the best results, and I have protected hundreds of trees with this spraying that were badly in- fected. The city of Springfield has used this arsenate of lead also with the best results. and there is no possi- ble doubt whatever that this Is the only reliable method to exterminate this pest now spreading all over New England.
 The female beetle having wings. no other possible method than spraying can reach them, or the millions of worms they produce on the leaves. I can show hundreds of trees now In splendid foliage that were bllghted three years ago with this dangerous pest.
 The best thing to do now is to de- stroy the pupa and full grown worms that are found on the trunk of the trees, and on their way to the ground, with boiling water, put on them on the ground at the foot of the tree with garden watering pot. This Is sure to kill them and does not do the least harm whatever to the trees or roots as the ground cools 1t immediately, and does not hurt the old bark at all. I know of this from actual experience for years in the field. The arsenate of lead is perfect insecticide for all tree lice and worms of every sort. and hav- ing glucose in 1t, 1t sticks to the leaves | for weeks through heavy rains.
 I wish everybody who reads this to know that they can do no better thing | to reduce next years crop of worms | than to at once destroy the pupa or { yellow half-formed beetles now to be found with worms on the ground at the foot of the trees, as 1t will prevent millions of the worms and beetles from reaching the trees next season.
 It is too late to spray now, as this years crop is nearly down that are lot hbernat ting under the bark and in he crotches of the trees. This winter Ill preparations should be made for work next spring in the way of extra long ladders, engines and pumps for spraying, to be ready to work in May.
 I hope other papers will copy the di ections In this article. as 1t is the re- ult of careful experiments ever since he elm leaf beetle made its appear nce in the Connecticut valley at Springfield and Northampton.
 The early work In any infected dis rict will save enormous outlay in the uture, as the increase is enormous, if lot attacked at once. Ali dead limbs hould be taken out this fall and win er Christopher Clarke,
 City Forester. Northampton, Mass, July 29, 1901.
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