The Peach-Tree Borer. 215 



in the fall, the results might have been still more favorable to the 

 method. It must be remembered that we mounded the trees in con- 

 nection with the " digging-out " process, and that there were 

 untreated trees nearby. If one should mound all of the trees in an 

 orchard and dig cut none of the borers, it is doubtful if the mounds 

 would keep out quite ^ of the borers. From the evidence, we are 

 forced to conclude that mounds of earth around the base of peach 

 trees exercise a decided influence in keeping out borers, but we are 

 not sure just how it is done. Mounding is probably the simplest 

 and least expensive method yet devised for fighting the peach-tree 

 borer, and, when practiced in connection with the " digging-out " 

 process, we believe it will give good results, but not as good as some 

 other combinations. The mounding should be done between June 

 15th and July 1st in northern peach-gro^ving districts, and the 

 mounds should remain at least until October or November. 



(c) By Wrajjping with Paper or Similar Suhsta7ices. 



It has been often recommended to bind straw around the base of 

 peach trees to prevent their being attacked by borers. Ellis prac- 

 ticed this a hundred years ago, and in 1800 he communicated his 

 results, certified to by thirteen of his neighbors, to the American 

 Philosophical Society and gained a premium of $30 offered by the 

 society for the best method of preserving peach trees. Peters (1808) 

 soon recorded unsuccessful results with straw, and it seems to have 

 been used only spasmodically since. In 1880, Comstock reported 

 that the same method was being advised as a " new remedy " for the 

 peach-tree borer in many agricultural journals. It could act only as 

 a mechanical barrier to the borers, and one would naturally expect 

 that its numerous crevices would allow the minute, newly-hatched 

 borer to readily work its way through to the bark. For this reason 

 and the fact that there was little evidence of the effectiveness of 

 the straw handage we did not test it. Theoretically, we would not 

 expect it to keep out many borers, but, as we shall see later, our 

 theories are not to be depended upon in fighting the peach-tree 

 borer. 



About 1825, it was recommended to use bandages of cotton cloth^ 

 canton matting^ tow-string i some one suggested smearing the cot- 



