In connection with these measures if orchai'd trees he kept in vigor- 

 ous health — with the aid of manure or niinei'al fertiHzers, if necessary — 

 the}' will more readily be able to withstand borer attack. 



Mechanical harriers. — Newspapers, taned paper, burlajj, or straw 

 wrapped about trunks and limbs deter l)orinu; insects from laying their 

 eggs upon the trees at these points ; l)ut mechanical preventives can 

 not well be applied ex(;ept to the trunks and largest l)ranches, hence 

 poisonous washes and like substances are preferal)le. 



Defer rent irasJies and other remedies. — Several washes are in use 

 against borers of this nature. One of these is an alkaline wasli pre- 

 pared of soft soap reduced to the consistenc}' of tliick i)aint l)y adding 

 washing soda in water. Another is prepared of one pint of crude car- 

 bolic acid, one gallon of soft soap, and diluted with eight gallons of soft 

 water. These washes should l)e api)lied thor- 

 oughly, preferablj^ with a brush, care being 

 taken to cover all portions of the trunk and 

 as many branches as possible. It should be 

 remembered that they are simph' preventive 

 and do not kill the borers or afford an}' pro- 

 tection from injury b}' them if onc(^ the insects 

 have entered the tree. 



home grades of hsh oil and wliale-od soap ,i,u,it tiy, much enhum.d. with iv- 

 are valuable as deterrents, but do not entirely '""'' a* •«*'* s'^'"k lau-rai view- 

 prevent the insects from issuing fi'om the trees. 



With any local application that may be made against this bark-lieetle 

 there is always this diflliculty, that the twigs and smaller limbs can not 

 be completely covered and the beetles readily enter them, hence the 

 necessity of the most careful inspection during the season and the cut- 

 ting out of the badly infested portions. 



Whatever deterrent is used should be applied .just before the first 

 warm days of spring; in the (lulf States, ])efore the first of March; in 

 the latitude of Pennsjdvania and New Jerse}', I)}' the first of April. 



Owing to the development of so many generations of this insect it is 

 necessary that applications l)e renewed during the season. 



(}irdli)i(i. — It is pi'obable that tlic European custom of girdling, or 

 "ringing," a few trees in an orchard as traps for such beetles as may 

 not have been destroyed with tlieir host trees might prove effective, but, 

 although the remedy has fre^iuently been i-ecommcndcd, we have no 

 knowledge of its successful use in this country. 



Trap trees and branches. — After the issuance of the first eilition of 

 the present circular (Marcli 2.^), ISD.S) i( occurred to the writer that 

 much injury might be avoided l)y the judicious use of dead wood to 

 decoy the beetles for oviposition. This remedy has already been 

 advised ft)r tlie flat-headed apple-tree borer, but so far as the writer 

 knows, it has not been given a fair test as to its usefulness. Freshly- 

 killed host trees, branches of smaller limbs of the same, such as 



