The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-24
SECRETARY FREEMAN, OF FORES-
TRY BOARD, ANSWERS INQUIRIES.
and How to Prevail Against
Them-ForbiddingN Names.

dies which will prove effective against the
pests. Mr.. Freeman has prepared an arti-
Gle answering. in a general way, most of
the questions which have been asked. The
article is as follows:
There are many causes which injure
trees, but probably none greater in COM
mon than insects and which, unless
guarded against, will the loss of
many valuable trees. The vastness of the
number OF insects that are working de-
struction TO trees will be better appre
ciated VIXEN 1T is known that there are
about 500 which attack the oak, more than
100 the elm, nearly 200 the hickory, about
100 the naples and similar numbers for the
various other broad-leafed trees, closing
with hundreds on the conifers and pine.
The insects which are most injurious
are the coleoptera (beetles) and lepidoptera
(moths) by means of their larvae. The
beetles are an extensive group of nine
different families and forty species, while
the moths number seven distinct families.
with tWenty-four species. These two
groups are the most prominently injurious
insects to trees and against which effort
should be made. The hymenoptera saw
flies and wood waSps), diptera (gal gnatS),
(crickets and locusts) are less prominent,
more local and, except at times of eX-
tremeS, do no great damage
The most common of the beetles are the
Cockchafer and the Junechafer. The life
history, effects and remedial treatment of
the former will serve as a type for the
there are many variations in time of flight,
eggs, egg deposit, mode Of living and parts
of the tree affected. Beetles attack all
parts of the tree, but each different beetle
attacks the roots, bark, wood or foliage as
its speciality.
NATURE BEETLES.
THE mature beetles emerge from the
ground for fight and fertilization in May
and remain in flight three or four weeks.
The flights usually occur in swarms of
evenings, just after a warm shower In
about twenty-four hours after fertilization
the female selects a light, bare sandy spot
and bores into the earth for a few inches
and lays her eggs in small heaps of from
twenty to thirty in number and then re-
turns to the surface and dies. In about
three or four weeks the larvae, common
grub worm, is Matched and feeds on the
humus of the soil for the first year. After
the first year ii enters the soil and feeds
on the roots of the trees for two or three
years when II then natures into the bee
tie and emerges for flight in May and per-
petuates itself in life history. Some beetles
lay their eggs on the leaves of trees by
making pockets in the epidermis or rolling
them and laying the eggs therein. These
leaves then fall to the ground and hatch
and the same life history is acted by the
larvae.
Great damage is done to the trees by the
larvae eating and boring the roots. 1t is
no uncommon sight to trees of all kinds
everywhere dying at the tops and showing
unmistakable signs of decay generally. In
most cases il is the work of the grub, and
unless a remedy is applied the tree must
die. The remedy should be something to
destroy the larvae, and the following are
some in general effective use by forest
owners:
81 Swine are permitted to tear up the
ground around the affected trees and de-
YOUR the grubs, which they do with
relish. They may be attracted to the right
points for operation by scattering grain
put in shape after the swine have COM
pleted the work.
go The ground around the trees may be
dug up by hand and the grubs destroyed,
patches of sod may be planted upside down
under the trees, piles of weeds and turf
are placed under the trees, bark and rot
ten wood are buried in the ground under
the trees. The grubs will collect in and
under these devices and may then be
caught and destroyed by any successful
means. The latter devices should be al
lowed to remain several weeks before be-
ing interrupted for grubs.
THE caterpillars are the larvae Matched
from the eggs of the moths. The moths
fly for fertilization in time, varying from
June to August. Soon after fertilization
the eggs are deposited by the moths on the
rough bark of trees near the ground. In
short time the eggs hatch the caterpillar.
If they are the wood-eating and boring
kinds they at once bore through the bark
into the sap. They remain in their behring's
in the roots and sap for two years, when
they then mature into moths and emerge
from cocoons made from the fiber of the
borings and make their flight for fertiliza-
ton in June and repeat the life process of
its origin.
IF it is the annual or foliage devouring
caterpillar when they have Matched they
at once eat the shells of their eggs and
remain for several days in clusters, heads
all turned inward. They then dispense to
the crowns of the trees and engage in their
destructive work of skeletoniZlng the leaves
cutting them off and letting them fall to
the ground. The annual comes to the
ground in September to mature to moths
in cocoons under dead leaves, wood, bark,
and in fact any place it may hide. They
are hardy and withstand the cold. They
emerge from the cocoons in May and per-
petuate themselves in a new life.
THE REMEDIES.
THE remedies effective by prevention and
destruction are the following:
81. Trenches ten inches wide twelve or
sixteen inches deep, with vertical sides and
holes four or five inches deep along the
bottom al intervals of a yard may be dug
under the trees infested. AT mornings and
evenings during moist, cool weather Jar the
trees with some sort of butting ram we'll
padded not to bruise the bark in the
least and the worms will fall readily to the
ground In their attempt to regain the
tree they are caught in the trench and may
be scraped into the holes in the bottom
and destroyed in any successful manner
80 Grease bands may be painted around
the body of the trees at a distance of six
or eight feet from the ground. The grease
for this purpose should be composed of
pine tar so per cent, resin 10 per cent and
grease 10 per cent The bark should be
smoothed for about eight inches wide
around the tree to overcome the liability of
the bark's absorbing the grease. and the
mixture applied in heavy coat and kept
fresh and active. The grease bands may be
substituted by strips of cotton batting,
tarred paper or fly paper bound around the
trees These rings act well in conjunction
with the trenches in preventing fallen
worms which escape the trench from re-
gaining the trees. and If applied before the
worms hatch will keep them from spread
ing to the crowns of the trees.
''3 The badly infested twigs may be
pruued and burned, nests of worms may be
ends of poles or brooms and destroyed
and the moths may be destroyed by hunt
ing the cocoons from their various posi-
tons about rough bark. caves of buildings
under dead leaves and wood. They NAV
also be caught and killed on cold, wet
mornings during the flying season
~ The following sprays are effective
where successful application TO the tree
can be made: (a) Sulphur solution: Take
one part of potassium sulphide and 500
parts of water. Mix thoroughly in solu-
ton and spray on the trees Oh Arsenical
washes: Take one pound of paris green or
london purple and 200 gallons of water add
a little flour or dextrin, mix thoroughly i'm
solution and spray. Keep the mixture con-
stantly stirred while spraying If il
scorches the leaves ii Is too strong and
must be diluted. This is a poison, and
many things will have TO be considered be-
fore using IL. Co Lime water: Take one
pound of pure unslaked lime and about
ILL., - SILL