The Peach Tree Borer, 



Of the insect pests infesting our fruit trees, tlie peach 

 tree borer is one of the worst, for, while its work is not so 

 much in evidence as that of those insects which defoliate the 

 trees or attack the fruit, the injury is of a more serious na- 

 ture and more likely to be permanent, because it is the base of 

 the trunk itself which is attacked. The worms, or larva), live 

 just beneath the bark, at and below the surface of the ground, 

 eating away the tissues, and thus, in bad cases, eventually 

 completely girdling and killing the tree. The injury in any 

 case results in weakening the tree to a greater or less extent, 

 making it far more susceptible to the attacks of other pests 

 and to the influence of various adverse conditions. 



It is too often the case that an orchard is considered sim- 

 ilar to a paid up investment which should yield a constant in- 

 come without any outlay in either labor or money. In other 

 words, the orchardist too often expects to receive "something 

 for nothing." This is a great mistake always, and in the case 

 of peach orchards the peach tree borer is one of the living 

 evidences of that fact. An uncared-for peach orchard is 

 almost certain to suffer, and suffer severely, from the attacks 

 of this insect ; and conversely the presence of this insect in 

 considerable numbers in an orchard is but a too palpable re- 

 flection on the energy and thrift of the owner. 



Here in the South, with our mild winters, there is abund- 

 ant opportunity for owners of orchards to amply protect their 

 property in peach trees by dealing with this pest as it should 

 be dealt with, and this can be done at little or no expense. 



This pest is not by any means confined to the South, but 

 occurs almost everywhere peaches are grown, from the Atlantic 

 to the Pacific. It apparently originated in the northeastern 

 United States, having been first noticed from Pennsylvania. 



All peach growers are familiar with the borer in the lar- 

 val stage. For, as among most other insects, there are four 

 stages in its life history: first, the egg; second, the larva; third,. 



