The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-13
Deadly to Shades and Shrubs
Over tho City.
MUNICIPAL SPRAYlNe PLANT
Solution Only Way to Prevent
Trees Death.
City Commission Asked t,
Work Out the Details.

In his budget for next years ex-
penses Commissioner w. L. Porter il
asking consideration on the appropri-
alton of $1,000 for the care of To-
idea Is to hire experts to teach citizens
to take care of their own and the
citys trees
A disease broke out among the trees
In the southwest art of the city last
year and killed many Of them.
Topeka. with its many trees. beau
tiful shaded walks and many shrubs
has, to certain extent, been for
tunate in not having SO much trouble
with tree killing insects as q number
OF other cities in the state. The worst
insect pest that Topeka has to con-
tend with at the present time IL the
red spider. according to E. F. A.
Reinisch. superintendent Of the city
parks.
The red spider is doing much
damage to the rose bushes at Gage
park and in the city this year. It
Is found on the under side of the
leaves. The leaves on many of the
rose bushes on lawns and at the park
are so thickly covered with the in
sects that they are almost red. The
spider damages the bushes by suck
Ing the sap from the stem and leaves.
About the only and most effective
way OF lighting the pests is to burn
N14CAAAs AWFUL O1n8 u WI. ISOlu18Cls
They can also be destroyed. to a GER
tain extent, by shooting . sharp.
strong stream of water under the
bushes.
The spider is also working on the
cedar trees of the city and II its
work is not checked it will damage
the trees to a great extent.
The elm tree canker worms are also
causing trouble for Topeka tree own
ers and landscape gardeners. The
second crop of canker worms this
year is due about July Is. Landscape
gardeners in Topeka think that the
wet weather will serve to check these
pests to great extent. In a num-
Der OF Kansas towns the canker
worm and elm borers are playing
havoc with the elm trees.
Municipal Spray.
In a great many large cities a mu-
nicipal spraying plant is maintained
races Of the city are sprayed free Of
charge.
Topeka has no such plant but
should the wet weather fail to check
the canker worms 1t would be needed.
The eggs of the fiat headed bore
September the borer will be ready to
go into the sap wood below the cam
blum layer Of the tree. The beetle
bores q ring completely around the
tree or branch on. which it is work
ing. The furrow through the sap
wood is just as effective In killing a
tree as chopping a ring around it.
The borers. when full grown. are about
an inch and q half In length. They
measure about quarter of an inch
around.
Leaf beetles, plant lice. foliage in
sects and fungus diseases have caused
but little trouble in Topeka. But
cities in the southeastern part of the
state have been fighting them for
years.
Experts say that trees will stand the
canker worms for two or three years,
but will be killed after they have been
affected for greater length of time.
Several towns have exterminated the
canker worms by spraying. A solu-
ton of arsenate Of lead Is used.
Ottawa il one of the Kansas towns
that is reported to be hard hit by the
insects. At that place the canker
worms are being exterminated by APP
plying solution of carbolic acid and
soap and water and a solution Of
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