24 APPLE-TRUNK BORER REMEDIES SCALDING WATER. 



difficult if not absolutely impracticable. On the whole, I think 

 the best resort of any now in use, is that which is most commonly 

 practised, namely, opening the burrow with a chisel or a stout 

 bladed kniie, to where the worm lies, and destroying " the vil- 

 lain." Experience shows that the wound thus made in the tree 

 is of little account, as it readily heals, and injures the tree far 

 less than does a continuance of the worm therein. Even where 

 three, four, or five worms are cut out of one small tree, the vigor 

 with which it starts forward immediately afterwards sufficiently 

 attests the benefit which has been rendered it. 



But when I came to examine the situation of this worm and 

 the construction of its burrow, a remedy suggested itselt to me so 

 perfectly simple and sure, and so easy of application, as I have 

 found on trial, that I am surprised it has never before been pro- 

 posed. It consists in scalding the worm by pouring hot water 

 into the top of its burrow. The upper end of the burrow can 

 easily be found by puncturing the bark with an awl, or even with 

 a stiff pin directly above the orifice where the castings have been 

 ejected. It is commonly about three inches above this orifice, 

 but may be an inch less or a few inches more. It is discovered 

 by the point of the awl readily sinking in much deeper here than 

 it will elsewhere. Then, with the point of a pen-knife cut away 

 the bark, which is already dead, which covers the upper end of 

 the burrow, and scrape out the saw-dust like castings which are 

 packed into this part of the cavity, loosening and removing them 

 as far down as can conveniently be done. Then from a tea pot 

 or other vessel having a small spout, pour hot water into the hole, 

 at intervals as it soaks downwards, for a few moments, until you 

 are certain, from its oozing out at the lower orifice, or otherwise, 

 that it has reached the worm sufficiently to kill it. By cutting 

 downwards into the wood, and extracting the worm, a few min- 

 utes after this operation^ any one can satisfy himself that the 

 culprit is, as Patrick says, " killed dead," and that 



"A kettle of scalding hot water injected 



Infallibly cures the timber affected, 



The worm it will die and the tree will recorer," . 



Indeed it is quite probable that merely opening the upper end 

 of the burrow, in the manner above described, so as to permit the 



