SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 287 



Since planting out it has been in corn every season. The width 

 of the planter being three feet six inches, gives about four feet 

 six inches between the rows of trees and the rows of corn on 

 either side, thus preventing injury, to a great extent, from cul- 

 tivation. In cultivating tree-rows I use a five shovel cultivator 

 drawn by one horse. In order to keep up the fertility of the 

 soil, I use barnyard manure, and two years since I sowed rye 

 after the last cultivation of the corn, and the following spring 

 when rye was some two feet high it was plowed under with bene- 

 ficial results. The present season I shall renew this treatment 

 of sowing to rye, raise one more crop of corn, and then seed to 

 clover for two or three years. In setting the trees I incline them 

 to the southwest at a considerable angle. This is on account of 

 the prevailing winds being from that direction. In the course 

 of four or five years they assume an upright position. I have 

 noticed orchards set in an upright position which, at ten years 

 of age, leaned badly to the northeast, exposing the trunks to the 

 burning rays of the sun, causing "sunscald." I believe in low 

 headed trees and, therefore, have all my trees branch at from 

 eighteen inches to two feet from the ground. Branching that 

 low they subserve two purposes, keep the deadly single tree off 

 the trunk of the tree, and protect the trunk from the sun. 

 The second season after planting I was surprised to find my 

 young orchard badly infected with both round and flat-headed 

 borers. Many of the trees were injured to such an extent, about 

 fifteen per cent, of the trees were replaced, and since I have kept 

 up a systematic warfare upon the borers until now I have them 

 practically eradicated. Not having been troubled with these 

 pests before, I did not notice their work until some of the trees 

 broke off at the ground. I immediately went to work with a 

 knife and wire, cutting them out or punching them to death in 

 their holes. The last of May I went over the trees with a wash 

 compound of water, lime and soft-soap. In the spring and in 

 Sept. I examined the trees, also. The round-headed borers live 

 in the tree about three years, and are easily detected by the rust- 

 colored sawdust that is pushed from the opening in the bark. 

 You "know the workman by his chips." 



The flat-headed borer requires a sharper eye. No chips are 

 seen and no apparent opening occurs in the bark, a broAvn dis- 

 coloration is the only sign. They complete their work in about 

 one year and while less numerous than the other species, 

 have been, in my case, more injurious. The round-headed 

 borer is usually found about the surface of the ground while 

 the flat-headed species usually work higher up on the trunk. 

 Large numbers of nursery trees are infested with these in- 

 sects and it is important that the fact is known to tree 

 planters so they may be on the watch and the proper remedies 

 applied. 



