PROCEEDIXCiS. 1!)K>. 35 



ConlroJ. — The remedy adopted so far consists of winter spraying with limo- 

 siilplaur l-]0 just as the buds are opening, and arsenate of lead 3 11). to .^)0 gallons 

 of water when the new growth starts. To protect the fruit from the attaclc oC the 

 second brood of larva?, spray with arsenate of lead 3 lb. to 50 gallons of water just 

 about the time the moths commence to fly. which will depend somewhat on the 

 atmospheric conditions of the season. In this latitude the moths are on the wing 

 by the middle of July. 



The Peach-boot Borer (Sanninoidea exitiosa). 



The peach-root borer {SanninoidGa opalcsccns) is known as the western species, 

 the eastern species being Hunnlnoidea exitiosa.* Tliere is a slight difference in the 

 abdominal markings of the adult insect. The moth is a clear wing, belonging to 

 the family Sesiida?. It has a wasp-like appearance, the males being black with 

 narrowly yellow-banded abdomen, and almost entirely transparent wings. The 

 females are much larger, the fore-wings bluish black and entirely covered with 

 scales. The under-wings are transparent, while the abdomen is bluish black with 

 a broad orange band about the middle. Moths hatched out in this district answer 

 this description. The moth lays its eggs on the bark near the surface of the ground 

 the latter part of July or the beginning of August. These hatch out in a few days 

 and immediately commence boring into the bark in a downward direction. By winter 

 they are from % to % inch lotig, and have already eaten out considerable of the 

 inner-bark tissue near or just beneath the surface of the ground. In spring they 

 resume feeding, attaining a length of a little more than 1 inch long. Their presence 

 underneath the bark may be easily detected by the gummy exudation mingled with 

 brown granulated eastings. By selecting one of the points of exudation and cutting 

 in with a good sharp horse-shoeing knife, the channel in which the larvte are working 

 is easily found. Follow this down and the borer is soon found doing his best to 

 girdle the tree. About the end of June, or a little later in this latitude, the larva? 

 crawl out to near the entrance of the excavation and spin a cocoon of silk covered 

 with bits of chips and gum, and change to pup;^. In this stage they remain about 

 two or three weeks ; then emerge as moths ready to start a new brood. In cutting 

 out the borers, one should avoid as much as possible cutting into the healthy bark, 

 especially in a horizontal direction, as the borer may have left very little solid bark 

 with which to maintain the life of the tree. Perhaps the best time to cut out borers 

 would be June, when they are full grown and easier to find, before they pupate and 

 the new moths fly. After cutting out all the borers and before replacing the earth 

 around the tree, the following wash should be applied from the crown of the roots 

 to IS inches above the ground : One part lime-sulphur to 6 parts water, with enough 

 fresh-slaked lime to thicken 5 gallons of the mixture to a good thick paint ; into this 

 stir thoroughly i^ lb. whale-oil soap and Vi pint of carbolic acid or 1 lb. of coal-tar. 

 When the paint has had time to dry on the trees, replace the earth, banking up 4 or 

 .5 inches. Thi.s wash will also jirotect the roots from fungous rot, etc., besides making 

 it very difficult for the young larva? to penetrate. 



In some sections the practice of fumigating the roots with carbon-bisulphide in 

 order to kill the borers has been resorted to, to save the cutting of the trees ; but is 

 not very popular on account of the danger of killing the trees, which has often 

 happened if the carbon-bisulphide was allowed to come in contact with the bark, or if 

 the soil is too wet at the time or soon after the application. The peach-root borer is 

 one of the most injurious insects' attacking the peach and other stone trees, on account 

 of its deadly work in the most vital part of the tree, where it works unseen ; and 

 often its presence is not even suspected until too late, when the tree wills and dies 

 as the result of the crown of the roots having been completely girdled. 



Jfr. McCubbin gave an account of the depredations of the fruit-lly in West 

 Australia. 



Mr. Boncquet : In regard to the root-borers of the peach, in Minnesota a few 

 years ago the trees were troubled by rabbits, mice, and borers. One of the jn'ofessors 



* .S'. exitiosa was Ihc vnrioty I>ro(l in tlio Okanagan. 



