148 



GARDENING. 



Feb. /, 



leaf-beetle (Galcrucella luteola, Mull) that 

 is doing so much damage to the elm, and 

 especially to varieties of the European 

 species (Ulmus campestris) in the eastern 

 states, but fortunately has not caused 

 any alarm here so far. 



How destructive these leaf-feeders may 

 be, there have in most all instances been 

 found remedies for keeping them in check. 

 This is probably more than can be said of 

 the larvae of those insects commonly 

 known as borers; and it appears as 

 though this latter pest is more abundant 

 in localities where the work ot other 

 insects is less destructive. 



The syringa borer (Podosesia syringaz, 

 Harris).— Its specific name indicates con- 

 nection with the lilac, although here it is 

 not on the lilac that this, probably the 

 most voracious borer, is doing its deadly 

 work, but on the white ash. I had 

 opportunity to notice a young ash about 

 6 inches in diameter appearing robust 

 and in good health the fore part of the 

 summer, suddenly changing the color of 

 its foliage from dark green to a sickly 

 yellowish green, as is common with trees 

 infested with the borer. The next day it 

 looked still worse, and upon examination 

 1 found the borer at work. It was left 

 alone for a few days more, and now the 

 leaves were completely withered. The 

 saw and a sharp ax told the rest of the 

 story. The moth flies in the beginning of 

 May and lavs its eggs in crevices of the 

 bark. The egg state lasts about a week. 

 The larva as soon as hatched bores its 

 wayinto the middle of the tree, turningits 

 course upward. After transformation 

 the pupa remains in the tree all winter. 

 Where trees are attacked in large quan- 

 tities, there seems to be but one remedy: 

 Cut them down, and burn them, and 

 surely the only time for extermination is 

 in the egg state. 



Prionoxystus robinix (Peck). — This 

 borer is probably just as destructive to 

 poplars as the first named is to ashes; it 

 furthermore infests oak and black ash. 

 The moth lavs its eggs in cracks of the 

 bark in the middle of July. After hatch- 

 ing, the larva bores into the tree, form- 

 ing large holes and galleries in the trunk. 

 Here it remains from 2 to 3 years in the 

 larva and pupa state before maturing 

 into the moth. The balsam poplar seems 

 to be its favorite, it having destroyed 

 almost every tree of this species in the 

 park. The burrows of this borer are 

 easily detected by the cast chrysalis skins 

 projecting from the outlets. Asa remedy 

 Fitch recommends soft soap to be applied 

 to the trees in the fore part of June, but 

 how effective this is I have not been able 

 to ascertain. 



The poplar aegena {Algeria tricincta, 

 Harris) bores in branches, suckers and 

 small trunks, and makes here its home 

 for at least one year. The moth flies in 

 June and July, and, it is supposed, lays 

 its eggs in the burrows of the beetle 

 Saperda maesta. Some 2 inch stock of 

 Populus suaveolens were attacked by this 

 borer during August and totally de- 

 stroyed; other varieties of poplars, stand- 

 ing in the same row, were less severely 

 injured. 



The locust borer (Cyllenwrobinix, For- 

 ster). — Not one of our common locusts 

 (Robinia Pseudacacia) has been able to 

 withstand the murderous work of this 

 beetle, and we must be satisfied with the 

 bushy growth that soon appears, after 

 the trunk has been destroyed. The eggs 

 of the locust borer are laid in early Sep- 

 tember in crevices of the bark. The larva 

 soon after its birth works its way under 

 the bark and deep into the wood. After 

 transformation from the pupa, a dark 



brown beetle, striped and banded with 

 golden yellow, emerges from the holes in 

 early September. It is thus found creep- 

 ing over trunks, limbs and foliage by the 

 hundreds. At this time it can also be 

 found on the golden rods, the pollen of 

 which seems to be a favorite food for the 

 lull grown insects. 



Tremex Columba, a wasp, has been 

 found on ash, crab apples, and maples, 

 and especially on the silver maple {Acer 

 dasycarpum). The female bores numer 

 ous holes into the tree, in which she lays 

 her eggs with her long ovipositor. She 

 can be found at work in May, and again 

 in August, on the trunk a few feet from 

 the ground. 



The linden borer (Saperda vestita. Say) 

 bores in the trunk, undermining the bark 

 in galleries orpenetrating the solid wood. 

 The beetles begin to come out in May, 

 and continue to make their way through 

 the bark of the trunk and the larger 

 branches during the whole summer. They 

 immediately fly into the top of the tree, 

 and there leed upon the epidermis of the 

 twigs and the petioles of the leaves. They 

 deposit their eggs upon the trunk or 

 branches, making slight incisions for their 

 reception. To the borers that especially 

 attack maples, could } et be added Sesia 

 acerni (Clem.). It belongs to the clear- 

 winged sphinges or hawk-moths. 



I might continue naming borers for 

 almost every tree. The birch is fast dis- 

 appearing under their destruction. The 

 apple-tree borer {Saperda bre vittata) has 

 destroyed every mountain ash, beautiful 

 as they are. Cornus paniculata has for 

 the last few years, here and there, sud- 

 denly shown whole branches withered, 

 and upon close examination the borer 

 was found. Specimens sent to Washing- 

 ton proved it to be a species of the wasp- 

 like moths, an a?geriid allied to thecrown- 

 borer ot the peach. 



As a rule insect attacks on shrubs are 

 not so alarming, as the pests can here be 

 fought easier than on tallbranchingtrees. 



The borers are undoubtedly extremely 

 difficult to fight, and outside of a wash 

 in the egg-laying season, and plugging 

 the holes with wood to prevent water 

 from settling in the tree and thus starting 

 rot, there is, as far as my experience goes, 

 very little to be done. Trees badly 

 infested should be cut down and burned 

 at the time we know the larva; are at 

 work, or during the pupa period. Where 

 the number of trees attacked by the borer 

 is confined to a few specimens and the 

 same are not extremely large, the follow- 

 ing method can be tried: A fine wire net- 

 ting is placed around the trunk of the 

 tree, where it shows holes of the borer, 

 leaving about an inch space all around, 

 and with both ends closed. The moth 

 will thus find itself a prisoner, when try- 

 ing to leave the tree, and thereby be pre- 

 vented from depositing her eggs on other 

 trees. Promot killing of the moth and 

 plugging up the holes might save the 

 tree. 



Vigorous and healthy trees are rarely 

 attacked by borers, which is plainly 

 shown to us in our primeval forests. And 

 where do we find them? Not on our cold 

 wet prairies, where the blue clay almost 

 penetrates the surface. No, but along 

 river bottoms, where moisture is plenty 

 at all times but with drain sufficient to 

 prevent the soil from souring; and here 

 the ash, elm, linden, soft maple and oth- 

 ers are at home. Or on the slightly raised 

 prairie, where gravelly clay or sand v bot- 

 tom prevails, and provides for ample 

 drainage. There the oaks, hard maple 

 and others flourish. Nature is here, as in 

 everything else, always the best teacher. 



More care should be exercised in selecting 

 trees for planting, using only such trees 

 as the natural conditions encourage, and 

 thus most certainly a great gain would 

 be had in the right direction. 



It is well known that the beautiful 

 birches and oaks along the north shore 

 of Lake Michigan are fast disappearing. 

 Did we ever hear any complaints in that 

 direction before sewerage had taken 

 away every drop of moisture? How 

 much moisture can we give trees along 

 our boulevards, where all the surface 

 water is drained into the sewer, and how 

 can we expect to find healthy trees on 

 these thoroughfares, and especially in the 

 city, where the pavement is asphaltum, 

 and where poisonous gases assist in the 

 work of destruction? Certainly the most 

 robust trees should be planted here, if 

 any. In plantingtrees, we should always 

 look to their natural wants, and thus, 

 and only thus, shall we be able to grow 

 healthy specimens. 



ORNflMEIHTflt BIRCHES. 



There are but few families of plants 

 affording more useful species and varieties 

 to the planter than the birch, nearly all 

 the species in general cultivation in our 

 country are native ones, and very beauti- 

 ful they are. But when iteomes to varie- 

 ties nearly all we find in cultivation be- 

 long to Betula alba, the European white. 

 This one, alba, and its varieties, and two 

 native species, populifolia and papyracea, 

 known as poplar and paper birch respect- 

 ively, comprise the white birch group. 



Taking the two native sortsfirst, while 

 both are used to a great extent for their 

 color, the paper birch is by far the best. 

 Not only is its bark as white as whitecan 

 be, but it forms a treeof beautiful propor- 

 tion. Its leaves are quite large for a 

 birch. Its many good qualities fit it 

 admirably for a shade tree. In some 

 situations, where its white bark would 

 be in keeping with its surroundings, it 

 would prove an excellent tree for an 

 avenue, it does not take on its white 

 colored bark quite as soon as the poplar 

 and the English does. In the winter sea- 

 son the beautiful white of rlie main 

 branches and the almost black bark of 

 the younger ones, form an attraction that 

 calls forth the admiration of all that love 

 beautiful trees. 



Another lovely while barked tree is the 

 cut leaved weeping, the well known 

 variety of the English. It is one of the 

 most graceful of trees. It is of upright 

 growth and a less spreading tree than the 

 one just described Its slender, drooping 

 twigs, finely divided leaves and lovely 

 white bark, make it in universal demand. 

 Both this and the paper birch are perhaps 

 more interesting in winter than in sum- 

 mer. They are certainly to me as are 

 many other deciduous trees. 



Another very desirable variety of the 

 English is fastigiata, an upright growing 

 one, with branches oppressed almost as 

 much as a Lombardy poplar. And of 

 course the English itself will always keep 

 its place as a desirable white barked tree. 

 The red birch, Betula rubra, is the one 

 common along the borders of creeks in 

 many places. Along many of the streams 

 in this state there are places where these 

 trees embower them completely, the limbs 

 from trees on both sides intermingling in 

 mid-stream well above the water. The 

 shaggy red bark, hanging from the trunk 

 and limbs, seems well in keeping with the 

 surroundings in such locations. And as 

 a lawn tree, the landscape gardener finds 

 a place for this species. 



The sweet birch, also called cherry birch 

 is B. lenta. It makes a massive tree, as 



