THE CANKEE-WORM AND SPRAYING A HUNDRED 



YEARS AGO. 



This worm is produced from the eggs of an earth-coloured bug, which having 

 continued under ground during winter, passes up on the bodies of apple trees 

 early in the spring. They are hatched as early as the end of May, and are so 

 voracious, that in a few weeks they destroy all of the leaves of a tree, prevent 

 its bearing for that year, and the next, and give it the appearance of its having 

 been burnt. As the perspiration of trees is stopped by the loss of their leaves, 

 they sicken and die in a few years. 



The worms let themselves down by threads in quest of prey, like spiders ; by 

 means of which, the wind blows them from tree to tree; so that in a close 

 orchard,uot one tree will escape them. But trees which stand singly are sel- 

 domer infested with these insects. As they are the most pernicious kind of 

 insects with which Newenglaud is now infested, if any person could invent some 

 easy, cheap, and eifectual method of subduing them, he would merit the thanks 

 of the publick, and moi'e especially of every owner of an orchard. 



Several methods have been tried, with some degree of success: 1. Tarring. 

 A strip of cauvas, or lineu, is put round the body of a tree, before the ground is 

 open in the spring, and well smeared with tar. The females, in attempting to 

 pass over it, stick fast and perish. But unless the tarring be renewed every day, 

 it will become hard, and permit the insects to pass safely over it. And renewing 

 the tar in season is too apt to be neglected, through hurry of business and for- 

 getfulness. If birdlime were to be had, it might answer the purpose better, as 

 its tenacity will continue for some time. 2. Some tie straw round the bodies of 

 the trees. This serves to entangle and retard the insects, and prevents the ascent 

 of many of them. But they are so amazingly prolifick, that if ever so few of 

 them get up, a tree is greatly damaged, at least for an ensuing season or two. 



The pasturing of swine in an orchard, w^hen it can conveniently be done, I 

 suppose to be an excellent method. With their snouts and their feet, they will 

 destroy many of the insests, before they come out of the gi'ound, or while they 

 are coming out. And I have never known any orchard, constantly used as a hog 

 pasture, wholly destroyed, or even made wholly unfruitful by these worms. But 

 this method cannot always be taken ; and if it could, I do not suppose it wo.uld 

 be quite effectual. When the trees are young, the swine will be apt to injure 

 them by tearing the bark. 



There are several experiments I could wish to have tried, for subduing these 

 insects: Such as burning brimstone under the trees in a calm time; — or piling 

 dry ashes, or dry loose sand, round the roots of trees in the spring ; — or throwing 

 powdered quicklime, or soot, over the trees when they are wet; — or sprinkling 

 them, about the beginning of June, with sea water, or water in which worm- 

 wood, or walnut leaves, have been boiled; — or with an infusion of elder, from 

 which I should entertain some hope of success. The liquid may be safely applied 

 to all the parts of a tree by a large wooden syringe, or squirt. 



I should suppose that the best time for making trial of these methods would 

 be soon after the worms are hatched : For at that stage of their existence they 

 are tender, and the more easily killed. Sometimes a frost happening at this 

 season destroyed them. This I am told was the case in some places in the year 

 1704. — Samuel Deane, D. D. {Vice-President of Bowdoin College), The Newengland, 

 Farmer, or Georgieal Dictionary, Second Edition, 1797. 



