The Peach-Tree Borer. 221 



As tlie table shows, it was simply a case of misplaced confidence. 

 More of the caged trees were infested ])}- borers than there ^vere of 

 the untreated ones. And what is still more remarkable is the fact 

 that the first year there were nearly as many borers in the caged 

 trees as in those untreated, and the second year, when we took very 

 great pains with the cages, nearly twice as many borers got into the 

 caged trees as into the same number of untreated trees ! The most 

 borers we ever found (thirteen) in a single tree in our experimental 

 orchard were found in one of these carefully caged or protected (?) 

 trees ! It is almost needless to say that we did not consider it neces- 

 sary to test this theoi'etically perfect wire protector another year. 



The cages apparently attracted rather than repelled the insect. 

 "We are not quite sure how the borers got in, but probably the 

 moths laid their eggs on the trunk above the cage, and when the 

 borers hatched they could easily have crawled through the meshes 

 of the wire ; perhaps when once inside the cage, it then afforded 

 the borers a sure protection from their enemies so that every borer 

 which got inside survived to do its destructive work. 



We must conclude from our experiment that wire mosquito-net- 

 ting protectors offer no protection against the attacks of the peach- 

 tree borer, and tlie indications are that they are worso than no treat- 

 ment, and also offer an attraction or protection to the insects rather 

 than repel them. 



{e) By the ZTse of Washes. 



At least 50 different kinds of so-called " washes " have been susf- 

 gested for preventing the attacks of the peach-tree borer. We have 

 made careful and thorough tests of 18 different washes, and these 

 include most of the representative mixtures. We will not attempt 

 a classification of the washes but will discuss those we have treated, 

 and will brieflv mention under each of these the others which seem 

 to us to have similar protective properties. 



In applying the different washes, we first dug out the borers 

 removed all soil from around the base of the tree down to and usually 

 including an inch or more of the main roots, brushed clean the por- 

 tion of the tree to be treated, then put on the wash so thoroughly as 

 to completely cover all irregularities in the bark from the roots to 

 about 12 to 18 inches above the ground ; after allowing the wash to 

 dry somewhat the soil would be returned around the base of the tree. 



