26 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



derstood,it is more easily held in check than almost any other insect. A little 

 mark re8eiul)lin;:r the scratcli of a pin is made in the hark, j^enprally near the 

 ground, and an egg deposited there l)y a miller, probably, (in this region,) in 

 July. Thi^ soon hatches, and the young worm commences operatiims by 

 gnawing its way inward through the hark, which it accomplishes during the 

 remainder of the season. At this time they are easily destroyed, and without 

 injuring the tree. A little attention by way of practice and observation, will 

 soon enable one to find the joung grub almost as soon as hatched, or even 

 destroy the eggs. The next season, if allowed to remain, they live upon the 

 alburnum or newly formed wood, doing much damage, often without being 

 discovered, unless that part of the tree is carefully examined, as all should be 

 early in the season. It sliould be borne in mind that at this stage of their 

 existence, they generally work downward, push out their borings under the 

 edge of the ground, and thus escape detection. Towards the latter part of 

 the second suuimer, the grub begins to bore into the solid wood, and the third 

 season works upward in the body of the tree, throwing out wood resembling 

 coarse sawdust. This is often the first notice taken of what is going on; "the 

 workman is known by his chips," when it is too late; for the damage done 

 by boring in the wood, is trifling, compared with that done previously be- 

 tween the wood and bark. Digging with gouge and mailet to destroy the 

 depredator at this late hour, as is the practice of some, does more hurt tlian 

 good, for it will soon approach the surface, there await its transformation, 

 cut through the bark and leave the tree, doing no further mischief, only by 

 depositing eggs to produce another generation, and probal)ly dies soon aft r. 

 It has beiin thought they leave the tree in about twenty-three months after 

 the eggs are deposited, but ob.-servations made during the last season have led 

 to the conclusion that they remain longer. 



Several borers in large trees, where they could not do mucli damage, and 

 that had already entered the wood, were left last spring, for the purpose of 

 watching their operations, and to ascertain the exact time they leave the tree, 

 which I supposed would be early in July. But they are wintering there 

 again, and will afford an opportunity fjr further observations next season. 

 They all stopped work in October. One that had laid his course upward near 

 the bark, was taken out in December, to see if any change had taken place, 

 but none could be discovered. This one had bored up the tree a distance of 

 nearly fourteen inches, and had gone down by the same way about one- fourth 

 that distance, and there prepared his winter quarters by filling the hole above 

 and below with his chips or sawdust. 



They probably stay in the tree a little less than three years. Tiie latter 

 part of the first season they are hatched, and get through the bark. During 

 the second, they live between the wood and bark, entering the wood towards 

 fall. The third, they bore up the tree " with a big auger," and leave early 

 the fourth, making in all, about two years and eleven months 



By knowing at what time the eggs are laid, some preventive might be applied 

 in seison, and perhaps prove more effetitual than if of long standing. During 

 the last week in August, young borers one-eighth of an inch long, were found 

 quite plenty in the smooth bark of young trees. September is a good time to 

 destroy them. 



It is surprising that so many trees are left to be destroyed by this peet. 

 Probably tliey cause the death of a large proportion of all that die for the 

 want of care. A young orchard, if attended to in season, may be kept clear 

 of the borer, or neirly so, without spending five minutes' time to a tree in a 

 year. Much may be done in many ways to facilitate the business. In the 

 first place, grass should not be allowed to grow near the trunk, nor any [tart 

 of the roots left uncovered, making room for eggs where they cannot be easily 

 seen or reached. If a little earth is drawn up so as to form a small embank- 

 ment around the tree just before the eggs are deposited, it will prevent their 

 being placed as low as they otherwise would, and the fall and spring rains 



