Milford chronicle., 1922-07-28
PEACH BORER KILLS
TREES ON PENINSULA
WESLEY WEBB, SECRETARY PENINSULA
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, ISSUES
BULLETIN ON PREVENTION.

Wesley Webb, Secretary of the Pen
insula Horticultural Society, has just
issued bulletin entitled, kill the
Peach BOrer" This bulletin deals with
the method being used in New Jersey
to combat this pest, and suggestions
are made for the use of the method
in Delaware. The information con-
tanned in the bulletin is valuable. II
follows:
Kill the Peach BOrer
At the present time the Peach Bor-
er is killing more peach trees on the
Delaware and Chesapeake Peninsula
than all other causes combined. There
is no need for much of this loss for
there is a remedy. DIR. J. T. Headlee of
the New Jersey Experiment Station
told us all about it at the meeting in
Berlin last winter, and he has stated
that one-half of the peach trees in
New Jersey over six years of age have
been treated with the remedy and the
results are very successful. He quoted
at length from E. B. Blakeslee of the
II. s. Department of Agriculture who
has been working on this remedy for
several wears and at last he discover
ed it and experimental with it until
NE Is SdLlSu6u lAlelI II 10 SAANA@ ~ R~N-~
ticable. Paradichlorobenzene does the
trick. One of the firms that is making
this material has called it "Paracide,"
a shorter name and one easily remem-
bered. Paracide is a substance special
lv crystalized for the purpose about
like granulated sugar. 1t slowly is
converted into a gas and the gas is
poisonous to Peach BOrers, but not to
of forsin1 ic nI1P-
ed in a circle around the trees about
two inches from them, and about an
inch or two in width. An ounce to a
tree is enough. The best time in this
latitude is about the tenth of Septem-
Der. It will not do to use it on trees
less than six years of age.
When a peach orchard is set out
great care should be taken that the
trees contain no Peach Borers. They
should be examined very carefully to
see that the Borers are removed, and
they should be wOrmed every year un-
til they are at least five years old.
They should then have the Paracide |
application every year thereafter. The |
whole work could be done for not |
much more than three cents per year
per tree.
The New Jersey Bulletin gives the
following method of procedure:
Prepare the trees for application Of
the material by removing with hoe
the weeds, leaves, stones, sticks, etc.,
from about the base of the trunk. In
other words make a smooth, fiat, clear
space six to twelve inches wide about
the tree at soil level. Do not dig into
the surface soil any more than is nee
essary. In case large amount of gum
is present about the tree, remove it.
It seems to be advisable to apply Par
at a point level with
or about the highest infestatiOn on
the tree if one wishes to kill all OF
the larvae. However, recent expert
ments show that this is not so impor-
tant, provided a sufficient amount of
dirt is piled high above the crystals
and the larvae within the tree.
When the trees are ready for treat +
ment, measure out the amount of
Paradichlorobenzene to be used in
some container which is graduated or
holds when level full the amount re-
quired. A short, wide mouth bottle, or
a tin or wooden pill box may answer
the purpose. Some growers measure
out one ounce in a closed fist. Take !
hand full of the crystals and then
close your hand tightly with the first y
Joints of the fingers straight. The size
If your hand will determine the
lmount you can hold in this way.
The crystals should be evenly dis
ributed in continuous, narrow, cir
,ular band two inches from the tree. Il Il
10 not place crystals against the Il
runk, for serious injury may result.
lateral placed four to six inches te Sl
rom the tree has given fairly salts
actory results provided the soil is y
ry and plenty of dirt is placed above &C
be crystals. <
After the material is in ring y
round the tree, place several shOvels ~ ~
f dirt flour to six free from weeds, IL
rass, sticks, stones, ETC., over the J..
rystals and compact it with shoV- y; -
|. a hoe or otherwise. The first shovel III
f dirt placed above the death ring
hould be fine and carefully placed on '"
ID of the crystals in order that the
osition of the poison be not disturb TI nj
The matured insects emerge from VI VI
le tree and begin to lay their eggs ~; nv
bout the middle of July and they ~
atch in ten days. The remedy should OH
3 applied about the tenth of Septem- CT
er. The fall treatment is much better %
ian spring because the worms are
nall and young and are easily killed. -,
hey have done little injury to the o. o.
zee at this time while in the spring 1I1 Sa
Le injury has been mainly done and i'''
e worms are much harder to kill p
an in the previous fall. 4
Things to be Remembered: a
Do not apply the Paracide to trees
der five years of age. It may cause
jury.
use three-fourths of an ounce on
lalI trees and not over an ounce on
y tree.
Apply the material two inches from
e tree and in a band about two
ches wide.
Pack the earth solidly over the crys-
Is (four or six shovelfulls OF 'd1rt.)
Do it about September tenth.
Remove in a month to avoid injury
the trees.
Peninsula Horticultural Society,