161 



blooming on some varieties of grapes. Jarring the vines an<1 catching and destroy- 

 ing the bugs made uo perceptible diminiitiou in numbers. I thought uiy entire crop 

 of grapes was doomed. I concluded to spray the vines with London purple. On 

 May 29 I sprayed a row of one hundred Massasoits, using at the rate of 1 pound of 

 purple to UiO gallons of water. I sprayed with the Eureka Sprayer and awaited 

 events. On the next day but few bugs could be fouud on the treated vines, and on 

 tlie second day following they had entirely deserted the row. The foliage received 

 no injury from the spraying. — [John K. Hoyt, Luther, N. C, July 21, 1890. 



Maple-tree Borers. 



I should like to be informed by what name a borer which bores through the center 

 (longitudinally) of the maple tree is designated and what means are adopted to 

 destroy it. I have some young maple trees suti'ering from this pest. They firt-t seem 

 to girdle the trees with a series of holes not far from the ground, rendering them so 

 weak that they are easily blown over in the wind, and then eat or bore upwards 

 through the heart of the tree. — [Thomas R. Clark, "Riverside Park," New York, June 

 25, 1890. 



Reply. — It will be impossible to certainly name the insect which has been attack- 

 ing your young maple trees without seeing specimens, as there are a number of 

 species which are known to work in general as described by you. It is more than 

 probable that you have confused two of the common pests of the maple. The Lepi- 

 donterous Maple Borer {Mgeria acerni) occurs very commonly throughout the coun- 

 try and is frequently a most serious pest. A fnll account of this insect is given in 

 Riley's Sixth Missouri Report, pages 107 to 110. The larva girdles the trees but 

 does not puncture the hard wood, confining its work to the sap wood. 



Another maple borer frequently met with is the beetle generally known as the 

 Flat-Headed Apple-Tree Borer {Chrysohothris femoraia). The larva of this insect in 

 young trees would be very apt to penetrate to the heart of the tree as you describe. 



There are no entirely satisfactory remedies against eithir of these insects. 



The Flat-headed Borer, which appears in May and June, as also does the moth of 

 the j£ijeria, may be deterred from depositing its eggs on the trunks of trees by coat- 

 ing the trunks with a strong soap solution or with kerosene emulsion. The same 

 trea:ment maybe of value against the ^Hgeria. Whitewashing the trunks of the 

 trees has been recommended. It will be a good plan al-o to burn trees badly in- 

 fested early in the spring before moths or beetles have issued. — [June 26, 1890.] 



A Bot-fly infesting Hogs. 



"Mr. S. S. Cook came up from his farm last eveuing and brought with him a speci- 

 men of a worm that is making trouble among his hogs. He has a drove of about tifty 

 as fine hogs as there are in the county. Several days ago he noticed one of them 

 wheezing badly, scarcely able 1o draw its breath, aud thinking it had some obstruc- 

 tion in its wind-pipe, he determined to investigate. As he was sure the hog would 

 die, he had itkillefl. In making an examination for the cause of the trouble, he 

 found that several peculiar looking worms, about an inch in length and about a 

 quarter of au iut;h in width, had eaten a hole from the outside of the neck clear 

 through the windpipe, aud weie slowly but surely strangling the animal. He se- 

 cured one of the worms, aud has it with him. He says that several of his hogs are 

 affected in the same way and he is afraid he will lose the whole lot." 



Please fiud inclosed a worm aud clipping from newspaper sent me by Mr. S. S. 

 Cook, of Parkersburg, Wood County, W. Va. He respectfully requests that the sub- 

 ject be examined aud a report made to him as to whether he should have the hogs 

 killed or if there is any remedy which can be applied in the case. The drove con- 

 sists of fifty head and are of a superior breed.— [D. R. Neal, jr.. Bureau of Provis- 

 ions aud Clothing, Navy Department, Washington, D. C, July 28, 1890. 

 12746--NO. 4^ 3 



