FAEMEES' INSTITUTES. 373 



thumb, if tlie thumb is used to Iiard work. If too tender and liable to be torn 

 off by wind or birds, the paper may be held in place by a string tied around 

 the tree. 



The warmer the weather the more lively the insects in growth and activity. 

 In no case is it safe to allow the bands to remain more than nine days without 

 changing or removing to kill all the worms. If left ten days I have found 

 that some of them may have escaped. In careless hands, then, these bands 

 may do more harm than good. Change tlie bands in this way on the bearing 

 trees till about the last of August, when they may be left on undisturbed till 

 late in autumn or in the winter. 



I have heard men say, and men, too, wlio were called very intelligent, that our 

 farmers would never go to all this labor and trouble to save their apples. By 

 actual account for several years it has not cost over six cents a tree for labor 

 and material to kill the moths as above explained. The man who will not take 

 this trouble to imj)rove his fruit deserves to be called 'Mazy," and to eat wormy 

 apples and to sell at low prices. 



THE MOTHS FLY. 



It is not enough for isolated farmers to thus kill them. "Whole communities 

 must work together. 



At South Haven, before catching moths as above described or in similar ways, 

 they had only one perfect apple at a fruit show. Now they have fewer 

 Avormy apples. There is much yet to learn about the apple worm, but if all 

 would do as well as some men, our aj^ples would be much improved. 



A few men have thought there was a great chance for getting good fruit by 

 sprinkling slacked lime all through the trees when in flower and a few times 

 after this later in the summer. The moths seemed to be driven away on 

 account of a dislike to the lime. 



THE OLD APPLE TREE BOREIi A:ND THE FLAT HEADED BOEEE, 



lay eggs on the bark of the trunk where they hatch and eat their way in through 

 the bark. The former insect is usually found near the ground and eats into 

 the wood, the other, the flat-headed borer, is usually found farther up the trunk 

 and on large limbs. 



I have spoken of scraping the trees. To kill the eggs and to prevent them from 

 being laid, the trunks of trees should be thoroughly scrubbed every year about 

 the first week in June Avith hot soft soap. A cheap sheet-iron pail can be made 

 having a second bottom below containing room for a kerosene fire or lamp of 

 some kind or charcoal or pine wood. The whole can be kept hot and carried 

 from tree to tree. Later in the year, or at any time, the bark should be exam- 

 ined and suspicious places dug into with a knife and any borers killed. 



CATERPILLAES 



should be hunted and destroyed whenever thy can be found in orchards and on 

 neighboring trees of the black cherry. The prospect is that we shall soon need 

 to fight the canker worms to save our orchards. Look out for them. 



"iiiCE. 



To prevent mice from gnawing trees, late every autumn pile up and spat down 

 a smooth conical mass of soil about each young tree, making the mound eight- 

 een inches high. This should be removed again in spring. 



