<S4 AinericdH llorlicnUuval Suvicli/. 



liORERS. 



We charge lir^t on the borer — that wasp-like Uy, with its orangf ab- 

 dominal belt ever on. Like all true flies, it has no sting ami only two wings. 

 It would have four wini^s if of the wasp fiiniily. Vs a chryr'alis benoath the 

 large roots of the tree it hibernates, after having vorac-ioiisly eaten the hark 

 to the wood, perhaps girdled your tree just below the surface of the (j(»il, 

 showing its presence by gum and brown powder intermingled. In the spring, 

 about apple-blooming time, it emerges from the piiim-ciu-e as a fully grown 

 tly, to seek a partner and peach trees anew, and about theircollars lay eygs, 

 then skulk and die, leaving the litter to hatch into young borers, on the out- 

 side of the bark. As soon as hatched — early in the fall— they silently gnaw, 

 and soon imbed themselves in the live, tender hark, leaving the harder out- 

 side part as a protection, and slop their entry with gum to keep out water. 



Remedj' : Clear away the soil down to the first roots in August or early 

 September; scrape and brush the collar clean, to the roots, With a sharp knife ; 

 take out all borers that may have entered ; then with a coarse brush paint 

 evenly, but lightly, with hot coal-tar, the exposed rot)ts. collar and body to 

 eight or ten inches above ground. Level back the soil, and no borer will 

 again bite that tree for at least three years. Nor will harm follow the mod- 

 erate use of tar, as directed. This the writer has seen fully demonstrated 

 on a goodly number of trees, which have grown vigorously for two years 

 since, where an excess of hot coal-tar was ut^ed. I never wi^h to see trees 

 in better condition. This test was made by Dr. A. M. Rugland, of Pilot 

 Point, Texas. To him, I believe, belongs the credit of this simple, ell'eclual 

 and harmless remedy. The tar never washes ofl", and I believe one treat- 

 ment, when the tree is two years old, a sufficient preventive for three or 

 four years. 



Other remedies for the borer there are many— even " patent tree- jack- 

 ets." The old method of mounding up every spring and leveling down and 

 cleaning bodies in fall is the next remedy. Be careful in using coal-tar on 

 apple or other trees having thin hark. 



For a remedy for late frosts, hard winters, etc., nothing is absolutely 

 certain, except to go to a country where frost never comes, and plant Peen-to 

 and Chinese honey, and a few other semi-tropical varieties. Otherwise, i)lant 

 upon the blullson the south or southeast side of a lake or large river. Thir<1, 

 plant varieties known to be hardy in l)ud and bloom, which often bear well 

 when others entirely fail. .V few of such are most of the Chinese cling seed- 

 lings (though Chinese cling itself is shy). Such are General Lee, Family 

 Favorite, Mamie Rosh, Sylphide, Thurber. Nearly all the Hale's Early class* 

 Alexander to begin with, Reatrice, Louise, Rivers, (Jross Mignonne, ritrely 

 fail. Of the yellow free.xtones, of the Crawford type. Governor Briggs (orig- 

 inated by Orr Brown, of Oregon), Reeve's Favorite, Wheatland, are more 

 certain than Crawfords. Elberta, a Georgia seedling of Chinese cling, ami 

 probably a cross with Crawford, and every way superior to it, is the yellow 



