PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 47 



away from the trees. Wash the trees with diluted soft soap with a little 

 Paris green in it. Lime is of no use in itself, but will help hold Paris 

 green, which may be applied in form of whitewash. Borers come of eggs 

 laid by a moth. Keep the bark smooth and there will be fewer places for 

 deposit of these eggs. Paper may be wrapped around the trunks, and 

 under this the eggs will be placed, when they may be destroyed. The 

 washes should be applied in late spring or early summer. But, though.' 

 these will in some measure prevent the laying of the eggs, or destroy the 

 larvae before entering the tree, do not rely upon them, but dig out the larvae 

 wherever they may be. The rough bark may be rubbed ofiP, but this must 

 be done lightly, because damage will come of exposure of the green bark- 

 Washing will tend to give smooth, healthy bark. 



Prof. G. C. Davis answered several questions which were asked or had 

 been previously referred to him, at conclusion of his paper on " Insects and 

 Insecticides." The first of these related to the squash-vine borer. Several 

 insects and a fungus, said Mr. Davis, attack the squash vine. The borer 

 gets into the pith of the vine, near the roots, and works backward toward 

 the root. It is a serious pest. The fungus acts in the same way. Very 

 little is known of it, and there is no known remedy for its ravages. Thia 

 fungus is carried about by the little striped beetle. Carbolized lime dust 

 will keep this beetle away from the vines, and the borers may be kept away 

 by corncobs dipped into tar (coal tar is best) and laid among the vines. 

 If summer squashes are planted among the winter varieties, the eggs of the 

 borer will be laid among the former, which may be pulled up and burned, 

 and the borer so destroyed. 



Mr. K. M Kellogg asked Mr. Davis if he had had any experience in 

 treating moles with bisulphide of carbon. Mr. Davis said this gas might 

 reach the mole, but his burrow is along and near the surface, so the gas 

 would be likely to escape before affecting him. I know of no poison which 

 is effectual against moles. 



Asked as to strength of washes of lime and Paris green, for use upon 

 fruit trees, Mr. Davis said he used enough of the arsenite to show a green 

 color in the mixture. 



Stone fruits should be sprayed both before and after the blossoming. 

 No harm would come to bees in either case. 



Mr. C. P. Chidestek: I have sprayed my grape vines when in bloom, 

 and no harm came to the fertilization. I spray plums first just before the 

 blossoming, and again when the work of the curculio is shown, using four 

 pounds each of lime and copper sulphate in fifty gallons of water, with one 

 fourth pound of London purple. I believe this will kill the larvae of the 

 curculio. 



