334 



ARBORICULTURE. 



APPEAHAXOE OF WOIIMS J\ 

 SOUTHERX PLAjSTTATION 8. 



AN IXTEKEST IX SWITZEKLAXD 

 . AXD RUSSIA. 



A letter froju an official oi' the Soutli- 

 ern Eailwav details that iu portions of the 

 Wolf Trap, Ya., plantation of catalpa spe- 

 oiosia, worms have appeared and are siriji- 

 ping the trees of their leaves. We ari! 

 asked what reniedv we can offer and what 

 results may follow the defoliation of the 

 ti'ees. 



The catalpa worm lis the larva? of the 

 catalpa spliyDj: or moth — ^the life history 

 of which will he descrihed in anotlier 

 number of Akboriculture. 



The worms increase rapidly and are vo- 

 racious feeders, attaining a size of 2y'i 

 inches in length, after which 'it s2>in'S a 

 largo brown, triangular cocoon, in whicl; 

 h remains iintil spring. Emerging fron; 

 this cocoon as a ^■ery large butterfly oj- 

 sphynx, it deposits numerous eggs upon 

 the catalpa foliage. 



Spraying with any poisonous sprays will 

 quickly destro}' the worms. 



fathering and Ijurning the cocoons is a 

 more thorough method. 



This worm is the one natural enemy of 

 the cataljia, feeding upon nothing else, 

 and is common in the soutli on tlie cata.l])a 

 bignonoides, and of "course, goes to spe- 

 ciosa. 



When it is consfidered, however, that not 

 a tree, sihrub, flower or plant in the entire 

 world is exempt from insect attacks, some 

 having as many as 200 distinct insect 

 enemies, often so insidious, so minute as 

 not to be readily found, while the catalpa 

 has but the one insect which attacks it. 

 and that one so large as to be .easih' seen 

 and destroyed. 



People coane thirty miles to tliis forest 

 to search for these worms, as they i\::>i 

 conssdered the ]ia«t fish bait obtainable. 



S(!iiK' montlis since we received a let- 

 ter from a gentleman of Zurich, Switzer- 

 land, showing great interest in exi>eri- 

 nicnts wUh catalpa S2>eciosa in that coun- 

 t]-y, and the gentleman specially requested 

 us to send seeds and literature to a gen- 

 tleman in Pussia who has large landed in- 

 terests, and who was gi-eatly interested ir 

 forests. We acceded to this request and 

 ])hiinly expressed, our opinions that hf 

 was too far north to ho])e for great suc- 

 cess. We are in receipt of tliis reply: 

 Dear ]\fr. Brown : 



Yesterday I receiived your kind letter 

 from Connersville of J me 18, 1901, foi 

 which and also. for your valuable niac'a 

 :^ine, accept my most sincere thanks. 



My friend, l\Ir. Ohabot, Zurich, o-iv( 

 me seeds, and in 7 to 9 days 1 shall have 

 some little plants in my hot house. Our 

 latitude. I am sorry to say is 57-58° X 

 lat. ] A\ill 1)6 pleased to make a report 

 about this catalpa tree in a few 5-ears in 

 lat. 57-58" X'orth. 



T \\il! recommend the tree farther South 

 among my friends when opportunity pre- 

 sents itself. 



Again thanking you, 1 am yours very 

 ]-espectfully, 



W oi.mai u't vox WuLF. 



Eed Oak, Iowa, July -.^7, 1907. 

 I\Ir. John P. Brown: 



I have enjoyed the perusal of yoi^.r 

 ''Practical Arboriculture" very much. Tv 

 is a master. 



(Pev.) Wm. ]\[urchie. 



FEOM IXDIA. 



We are in receipt of Eevoew of Forest 

 Administration in British India, with a 

 letter front the Inspector General of For- 

 ests, requesting ten povmds of seed of 

 Catal}»a speciosa for trees in this tropical 



region 



