The farmer and mechanic., 1915-07-27

Are Injurious to the Peacb ~
None of Them as Injurious =
Peach Tree Borer.
By j. b. SMITH
In the form in which j.
familiar to the grower. the pea
borer is white. grub-like cater.
with a yelloWlSh or hrownish sA..t
like head, which lives and feeds
tree trunks at or just below ,f.
face Of the ground and make. ~
lar galleries or chamhe nl>t f4r..-a
the bark, from which gum ars
ooze out TO form conspicuous masses
These borerS may be found a-
all periods during the Sumn4r ,
are usually very small in late sun .-.-
or fall and become an inch to .n .,n
and half in length in early sar--re-
The parents Of this borer helor. +,
the clear-wing moths and are ra-,,
recognized or even seen by the Ie. =
grower. The male is a Stutr.,.-
slender steel blue, wasp-hke creutre
with two pairs Of transrarent Uts
| marked with black and yellow Scales
and the abdomen is narrowly handed
| with yellow. 1t expands aboat an
| inch when the wings are fully spread
| The female is decidedly larger ali
stouter, deep blue. except for a broad
1
| abdomen, the hind wings only trar,-
| parent These moths are not O.n-
| SpicuouS at any time, never tlN mucn
| except under stress of necessity ana
| are usually seen on the trees early a
| the morning. They usually begli 10
appear in the orchards during the .a>t
| days of June or early in July ana
continue until the early DAYS Of Sep
tember The individuals CenInG out
III late June or early July do no. AVE
until September, but new specimens
continue to appear during the interval
mentioned. The life Of the individual
moth is short, only few daNS at
most; but during that period $
capable of maturing and placlre from
500 to 900 eggs.
There is no insectiCide Application
thus far known that can he relied
upon to kill bOrers once in the trees
No poison will penetrate the fn''F
covering or natural protection ot he
insect SO as to kill the larva without
danger Of injuring the tree Het
water comes nearest TO d"lne tf -
and where only a few trees are le o.
protected. occasional applications ot
water at temperature Of not over
IT'S degrees will serve TO keen tEr
trees free, if the protecting eXuda'l"tS $
Of gum are first removed
In an infested orchard the earh
should be removed from around the
base of the trees to depth of Sly or
eight inches and every sign OF q Wouf!
or place from which gum eAuaes
should be carefully examined ihI
should be done late in the fail. Nnefe
chips are mingled with the eNadinE
gum, borer is almost always present
These should be killed, II possIhe ty
probing the wound with stIll "lie
Leave the base of the trunks eNl" ~'d
!, no longer than necessary 81 III
1 period In drawing up the sc'I
, against the trunks brlng the ,ieaH
soil into direct contact with It's
or wounded surfaces. Again TT st
spring the above process should r.
repeated Leave the base 0f tht eIt
o exposed thus for few days, aHd ,i.'h
+ spray very thoroughly with ii.'
q sulphur, arsenate Of lead mlXtlft II
: which an excess Of lime has Sc
added. Use one pound paste afseta1'
, of lead to every five gallons 81 i41'
r sulphur, or one pound OF drS diS
n to every ten gallons Of llne-sd.l
: and apply with all the IoIce I'
G to the exposed trunk of the tree -5
!. ! distance of eighteen to tMehC
y inches above the surface men fl
). the application is thoroughly
: cover and hill up at least SIX -l.'
above the surface.
n In an orchard carefully lookfa of5
s twice year as above direciea +
r large larvae are nkeiE -
y looked. and there will be no '"
k moths except such as may cor,
it from outside. The toushene"
s covered with lime is not lktN
attractive to the moths.
st Once an orchard has been Pu'
q thoroughly good condition ~
or two of this practice lhe
wears will be easy.