680 State Board of Agriculture, &c. 



growth until their food gives out, or their caterpillar life i& 

 spent, when they lose their social habits, and wander off to 

 find other food, which they are seldom able to do, or find 

 suitable places in which to spin their cocoons. These are 

 light colored, with a tinge of yellow, and may generally be 

 found attached horizontally, to the under side of fence rails, 

 or other protected places. They remain in these about 

 three weeks, when such as have not fallen a prey to the 

 ichneumon fly, as many do, come forth to lay their eggs, as 

 before described. The question so often asked is : " How to 

 destroy them ? " I will first tell you how you ought not. 

 Some flash gunpowder on their nests ; others burn them 

 with a torch ; while some put on kerosene and burn, and 

 others saturate with oil, to kill them. All these methods 

 are destructive to the trees, and should never be employed. 

 Upon a moment's reflection it will be seen that the quickest 

 and easiest way is to cut off the twig containing tlie eggs. 

 After the leaves have fallen, on a frosty morning, the eggs 

 may be readily seen as a dark band on the twigs, as the 

 frost does not so readily adhere to them. When you cut 

 them off always burn them. If this method is neglected, 

 watch your trees when they first hatch, and wdtli a stick 

 remove the entire nest early in the morning, or just at 

 night, as they feed and are consequently scattered over the 

 branches both in the middle of the forenoon and middle of 

 the afternoon, and some stragglers are absent all day. If 

 they are still neglected, as they should not be, there is no 

 sure way to rid your trees of them but to put on gloves and 

 clean them off with your hands. You can kill by crushing, 

 or have an attendant with a pail of hot water, and put in 



