The Western news., 1910-02-16
SAVING SHADE TREES
Time Is Ripe For Kidding Towns
of Caterpillar Pests.
CO. 0-0PERATION A NECESSITY.
Citizens of Rural Communities Should
Unite In Gathering the Eggs-After
This Is Accomplished Stringent Meth
DDS Should Be Adopted.

Unite In Gathering the Eggs-Afte.
This Is Accomplished Stringent Meth
DDS Should Be Adopted.
Now that the caterpillar time" is
over for this year and the inhabitants
of suburban towns have recovered
from the "squirmy" feeling that these
creatures cause, why not now take
the time to consider the havoc these
pests have made among the trees?
The majestic naples and elms that
adorned the village streets and made
the town beautiful now stand leaf
less. These shivering skeletons sure
ly call out to the citizens for help as
they stand rooted and dependent in
prominent parts of a dooryard. Loyal
and industrious townspeople should
and do love their trees and hold them
among their most cherished friends
This is the time when people should
arouse themselves to the greatest ac-
tivity. 1t is the time when they can
do the most to save the trees from
season
For the benefit of those who seek
to improve the condition Of trees that
count so much in the Improvement of
their towns the expert makes the fol-
lowing suggestion: First rid the neigh
borhood of the patches of small white
eggs. These eggs are now pure white
and easily seen. but soon they will be
soiled with the dust and CRIME of the
city. taking on the dark gray of the
surrounding bark or Weathered wood
making it almost impossible to find
them Gather all the egg masses that
can be found and destroy them. Those
familiar with the caterpillars know
they leave the upper twigs to spin
their cocoons among the crevices in
the bark of the trunk or about our
porches and homes. so we know
Where to look for the eggs. They
also know that the female never
leaves her cocoon, so if the eggs are
destroyed she cannot fly or crawl to
our trees and lay more eggs now or
at any other time. SO one thorough
gathering will do the work.
When one citizen is sure that his
private trees are clean let him try to
interest his neighbors in doing as much
for their trees. In this way he will
be saving himself trouble in the sDring
when the eggs begin to hatch and the
young caterpillarS go in search of food.
Should they be found making their
way up the trees next spring tie n
Dand or loose cotton about the trunk.
Let this word loose be emphasized
for If the cotton is wet by rains or
covered with dust and dew till it is
stiff II Is useless, as the caterpillars
VIII crawl over its hardened surface
1t is only when the cotton is fluffy
that it is Of use This means YOU
must change the cotton occasionally.
Another simple plan is to fasten
strip of paper close against the trunk
so that no caterpillar can get between
the paper and the bark and on this
paper spread broad band of tar.
This should be done before the cater
pillars get up among the leaves or it
" III pS wv idte ulleSS you can lar
those already up in the tree down and
prevent others from climbing up with
your tar.
or course the trees may be sprayed
with any of the good poisons on the
market, and as the caterpillars eat the
leaves they get the poison. and it kills
them. but for the ordinary tree owner
spraying always seems to be too seri-
GUS an undertaking. especially when
the trees are large and on the street
The method Of prevention is easily
within reach. and it would seem al
most crime for any one to neglect
his duty in this respect. Time should
now be donated to gathering and de
stroying these egg masses about the
homes. not only that the trees may be
protected. but that communities NAV
not suffer through careless neglect.
A few years of the terrible devasta-
tion that was realized this year will
mean the destruction Of the trees, for
they cannot withstand year after wear
such mercileSS defoliation These in
sect pests will destroy in few years
trees that have been ten to fifty years
In reaching their present magniticence