The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-12
NO time TO SPRAY
Professor Dean Bears Out Rein
iSch Tree Statement.
X. S. A. c. EntOmOlogist Says
City Needs Forestry Dept.
MANY PESTS THREATEN SHADE
Heavy Foliage Also Has DAM
aged Many Branches.
Remedy Given for Protecting
Rose Bush Leaves.

The opinions expressed by Prof.
George Dean, the entomologist from
the Kansas State Agricultural college
at Manhattan, bore out entirely the
stated by Supt. E. F. A. Reinisch. re-
garding the treatment that should be
given the trees in Topeka.
Dean suggested first that the city
should have / forestry department in
charge of a tree expert. The city will
probably have a forestry department
by next fall. Many cities even much
smaller than Topeka have a man to
look after the condition of their trees
and keep them in the best possible
condition.
Dean agreed with the opinion ex-
pressed by Reinisch that this is not
the time of the year for spraying trees.
1t would do no good now to spray for
anything, says Dean. Further he
states that there are no trees in To-
peka that need spraying. The winter,
or early in the spring is the right time
for spraying.
Many Pests in Topeka.
There are several pests that work
considerable havoc among trees. All
of these have visited Topeka trees at
different times.
One is the canker worm. The best
method of treating trees for these
worms is to band them with some
SuOSldnC0 I1OW0NCIs lllC Dolioo
must be put on tight enough SO that
the worm cannot crawl up under them
and is forced to make the outside trip
where he sticks on the band and dies.
Several years ago the efforts of the
web worms were visible in the webs,
similar to spider webs, only denser
and heavier, found in many parts OF
the city. In getting rid of the web
worms the part affected Is either cut
off or the webs are burned.
At the present time borers seem to
be causing most of the trouble in To-
peka The borer never attacks a
healthy tree. However, the earlier
attacks of the canker worms and the
web worms have left some of the
trees in an unhealthy condition. In
the weakened parts of the tree the
borer makes his attack.
Several Borer Varieties.
There are several varieties of borer.
They each seem to choose a particular
variety of tree to work on. For in
stance a borer that likes elm trees
will not work on sycamore trees. In
| this way each variety of borer sticks
to his own brand of tree. The best
method of treatment is to cut out the
dead part, the part in which the borer
| is working and to plug the space up
with cement. BOrers have followed
| this year in many places where the
y
| ing has no effect on the borers at all
| Sycamore trees have suffered this
year from a disease known as syca-
| more anthrocnose. Dean says there
| is nothing that can be done for it. The
condition is caused by the excessively
| heavy rains that have fallen this
| spring.
Foliage Too Heavy.
The rain has also caused another
trouble. Foliage has developed faster
| and heavier than usual. In some cases
it became too heavy for the branche.
to carry and a split occurred. Trees
carrying an extremely heavy spread OF
| foliage may be put in better shape
| either by passing heavy bands around
| forks where a split is apt to occur OIL
| by trimming off the tops of the tree:
and thinning out the heavy branches
| Tightening the burden.
| Rose bushes this year have suf-
fered from the destructiveness Of