2CK) 



ARP.ORICULTURE 



About, Over and Under Pikes Peak. 



During the summer of 1900 there was 

 a scourge of caterpillars in Colorado feed- 

 ing upon the foliage of the aspens. They 

 were especially numerous about Moraine 

 Lake, one of the principal reservoirs 

 which supply Colorado Springs with its 

 delicious water from the melting snows 

 almost at the very summit of Pikes 

 Peak. 



Many of the insects crowded into the 

 lake and some were found which had 

 been carried through the mains fourteen 

 miles to the city, to the great disgust of 

 the citizens. " 



I was requested by the editor of the 

 Colorado Springs Gazette to visit the 

 reservoirs and endeavor to suggest some 

 remedy. 



An all day's rain in the valley on the 

 Fourth of July proved to be a severe 

 snow storm upon the mountain, where 

 we could see the snow deposited. 



The next morning T ascended the peak 

 by the cog road and found it a delight- 

 ful experience. On nearing the summit 

 the train was stalled in deep snow in a 

 cut some five hundred feet from the top- 

 most station. The illustration on this 

 page will serve to show our dilemma. 



We scrambled out and clambered over 



the rocks and snow to the stone house 

 at the summit, while workmen were en- 

 gaged in clearing the track. 



I walked all the way down, visiting all 

 the reservoirs and groves of aspens. 



Innumerable cocoons were attached to 

 the rocks, to wild rose bushes and upon 

 the aspen twigs ; the old caterpillars were 

 dying, having performed their life work 

 when the eggs were deposited. 



I recommended the collection of these 

 cocoons for burning, and large quanti- 

 ties were thus destroyed. 



A few days later the city authorities 

 requested me to make another and more 

 thorough examination, accompanied by 

 the city engineer. We went by cog 

 road to the summit, where horses were 

 awaiting, and rode, first to the engineer's 

 camp a mile distant over a broad and 

 gentle slo])e which was thickly covered 

 with the most gorgeous flowers, bouquets 

 of myosotis, forget-me-nots, being gath- 

 ered daily by children to sell to pas- 

 sengers on the train. 



The Peak is 14,147 feet high, the camp 

 about 1,000 feet lower, the timber line 

 being 1 1,578 feet. 



Tlie views from every part of the 

 mountain are superb. Peaks which rise 



