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of carbon, a volatile fluid of a very nauseous odour, by first making holes in the ground by 

 means of a crowbar, and pouring therein a little of this fluid, then closing the aperture 

 and confining the liquid, which slowly vaporizing finds its Avay into the porous soil around 

 it, for a considerable distance. This liquid has been used for the Phylloxera on the grape 

 roots in France, and it is claimed, with much success. 



Borers in the trunks of trees may be detected by the little heaps of sawdust-like 

 castings, which are thrust out of the holes at the extremity of their burrows. Where 

 such are seen, the culprit should be searched for and destroyed with a knife or by thrust- 

 ing a pointed wire into the orifice. As a preventive measure, the trees should be coated 

 early in June with an alkaline mixture, made by mixing a cold saturated solution of 

 washing soda with soft soap, until the soap is reduced to the consistence of paint. This 

 should be freely applied with a brush, from the base up to the crotch of the tree, and 

 along such of the larger branches as may be within reach. If this is applied during dry 

 weather, it will dry and form a coating not easily removed by rain. The parent insects 

 avoid depositing their eggs on trees so protected, since the alkaline coating is distasteful 

 to them, and would probably destroy any young larvse hatching from eggs placed on it. 

 As most of the perfect insects of borers appear during June and July, if this application 

 is made early in June, and repeated in three or four weeks afterwards, the trees to which 

 it is applied will be efliciently protected. 



For the destruction of insects on the extei'nal surface of the bark, a similar alkaline 

 wash would prove an efficient remedy. 



All insects which devour the leaves of forest trees may be destroyed by syringing the 

 foliage with water to which Paris green has been added, in the proportion of one or two 

 teaspoonfuls of the powder to two gallons of water. If the Paris green be of the best 

 quality, a teaspoonful to two gallons would be sufficient. It should be well mixed, 

 and being a strong poison, care should be taken after using it to thoroughly cleanse the 

 vessels in which it has been mixed, before using them for any other purpose. Powdered 

 hellebore, which is not so very poisonous, may also be employed to advantage, for the same 

 purpose, by mixing an ounce of the powder with two gallons of water. 



Where insects attack the terminal twigs of trees, and burrow into their substance, 

 they can be destroyed by cutting ofi" the infested twigs and burning them. Plant lice on 

 the leaves of trees may be destroyed by syringing with strong tobacco water. 



It is, however, to Nature's remedies that we must look mainly for relief, especially 

 where large groves of forest trees are invaded. There are a vast number of insects which 

 have been specially fitted to prey on other insects, and it is to them that we must mainly 

 look for aid in subduing noxious species. Since their habits and modes of life vary 

 greatly, we must, to make the subject clear, go a little into detail here. 



First, we have the sand beetles, or tiger beetles, as 

 they are sometimes called, Cicindelidce, (represented by 

 Figs. 22 and 23,) which are very active creatures, de- 

 vouring whatever defenceless insect life may fall in their 

 way. The beetles, of which we have a number of species, 

 lay their eggs on the ground, and the larv?e, which are 

 . odd-looking humped-backed creatures, excavate for them- 

 selves small cylindrical holes in the 

 earth of such a calibre that their large 

 dull bronzy heads will just fill the ori- 

 fice. They ncA'er leave these excavated 

 Fig. 22. ij Fig. 23. Pig 24. chambers in search of food, but crawl 



to the surface and there place their 

 heads in position, in such a way that the hole is exactly filled, and there patiently wait 

 until some unwary insect strays within their reach, or walks over their heads, when the 

 jaws suddenly open, the unsuspecting victim is seized, dragged down the hole and de- 

 voured at leisure. (This larva is represented by Fig. 24.) When the larva is full grown 

 it changes to a chrysalis under the ground, from which, after a time, the perfect beetle 

 escapes. 



Next in order come the ground beetles, or carabidae, of which we have in America, 



