1<U TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Mr. Riley — 1 do not know that any subject of much more interest 

 could be discussed. I have in my second report, four years ago, given 

 my opinion on this subject, and shown by experiment how late fall plow- 

 ing is beneficial in destroying the canker worm. I showed that the stir- 

 ring of the earth is destructive to it, because the chrysalis is more apt to 

 rot and die from exposure to the severe cold, etc. This late fall plowing 

 — and it need not be more than five or six inches deep, is beneficial in 

 exposing many of them to the attacks of birds, and if you have hogs in it 

 you will kill them all — not that the hogs search for the insects, because 

 they are so small — but they do destroy great numbers of them. 



I agree with all that has been said, not only as to this plowing, but 

 as to scaling the bark, and Mr. Foster's remedy is a very good one ; but 

 there is a better remedy than all these. When an insect can be as easily 

 managed as this can, which is obliged to crawl up the tree, why not take 

 advantage of this habit ? If you will draw around your tree, a foot or so 

 from the ground, a piece of rope, and then draw around that a narrow 

 strip of tin, not more than two or three inches wide, and tack them on, 

 you have an effectual barrier against this canker worm. They will not 

 pass it ; they may fill up underneath that ledge until some of them get on 

 the top, but they will go round and round, and will not think of getting 

 up the tree. Now the eggs will be deposited under this tin, and the best 

 way of destroying them is by kerosene oil. If you do this you will not 

 have to go to work knocking the worms down, or burning them or your 

 trees. I would also use those preventive measures which Mr. Huggins 

 and others have found so useful. 



Mr. Flagg — This might do for amateur purposes, but for practical 

 orcharding I think you might do with late and early plowing. Many of 

 us think it is the best time for plowing either quite late or quite early, 

 especially if you are putting in oats. I have no doubt the remedy men- 

 tioned by Mr. Riley would be entirely successful, but I do not think it 

 would be possible to apply it extensively. 



Mr. Riley — Plowing is very good, but it will not accomplish the 

 whole of it. You will find more chrysalides between the forks of the 

 roots than you will find five yards away from that. 



Mr. Burrill — Last summer I was at Barville, where half a dozen 

 sparrows had been imported and had multiplied very greatly ; and they 

 had destroyed not only the canker worm, but lots of other kinds of 

 worms. It was really delightful to see the fine condition of the 

 orchards. 



