The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-07-13
ORCHARDISTS
May Easily Do Away With A
Bad Pest

Washington, d. c., July 9-"Worm-
ing" and painting the trunks of the
trees are recommended to owners of
apple orchards as efficient methods of
dealing with the roundheaded apple
tree borer in a new Farmers Bulletin
No. SIS, Of the U. S. Department of
Agriculture. A heavy application of
some paint that will not injure the
trees but will remain in an unbroken
coat on the bark for two or three
months, is effective in preventing the
female from laying her eggs in the
tree, and greatly reduces the amount
of worming, or the removal of the in
sects with knife and wire, that must
be done.
The roundheaded apple-tree borer,
the most destructive Of a number of
similar pests, lays its eggs in or un-
der the bark of apple trees. After
Matching, the larvae feed upon the
inner bark and wood to such an ex-
tent that the tree is seriously weak.
ened or killed. The pest is found
over the whole OF the eastern portion
OF the United States and as far west
as Nebraska, Kansas and New Mex.
leo. In addition to fruit trees, it feeds
on service, wild crab and mountain
ash trees, which makes it advisable
for orchardists to remove these va
rieties for distance Of at least a
hundred yards from their archard.
The female lays her eggs, one at
time, in an incision she has made
in the bark, usually just above the
surface Of the ground. About 15 or
20 days later the eggs hatch and the
larvae appear. When full grown these
are nearly an inch and half in
length. They first attack the inner
bark, eating out broad, more or less
circular galleries and thrusting out
through small holes in the bark cast
ings which form little heaps of red
dish wood fragments around the base
OF the tree. During the winter the
borers are quiescent but early in the
following spring they attack the solid
wood, while some of them work their
way up the trunk. These last spend
one more winter in the tree and then
having passed through the pupal
stage, dig their way out and emereg
as adult beetles. Three years are re-
quired for the insect to complete its
development from egg to adult.
Ordinarily the beetle lives about 40
or 80 days. 1t is about three-fourths
Of an inch in length, light brown in
color above, with two broad white
bands, joined in front, extending the
full length of the back; the under
parts and front of the head are white
The females rarely fly any consider
able distance, so that If the immedi
ate vicinity of an orchard can be kept
free from them, there is little danger
of serious infestation.
The most common method of rid
ding an orchard of these pests Is tc
cut away the bark sufficiently to trace
the burrows made by the borer.
hooked wire is then inserted into the
burrow and the insect pulled out. i
made with care, the wound in the tree
caused by this process will heal read
lily. The castings at the base of the
tree serve as an indication of the
presence of the borers. Where thu
burrows are curved or obstructed II
some way SO that the wire can no
be inserted, cotton batting dipped IL
carbon bisulphide should be inserted
and the hole then plugged with mois
earth. The gas from the carbon bi
sulphide will penetrate all parts o
the burrow and kill the borer.
In addition to worming, as this pre-
cess Is called, paint Is often used t
prevent the beetles laying their eggs
Pure white lead and raw linseed oil
mixed rather thick, will not injur
the trees, and when applied to youn
smooth bark, will form protectiv
method then wrapping the trees wit
building paper, cotton batting, clot
or other materials sometimes used TO
this purpose. Before painting, how
ever, the earth should be remove
from the base of the treo for dept
of from 8 to inches. The surface c
the trunk thus exposed should b
first scraped and painted and tn
earth then replaced. This is nece'
sary, for the beetle occasionally lay
her eggs under instead OF abov
the ground