16 



THE (ANKER-WORM. 



(Aniwpteryx vernata Peel:.) 



There has been considerable complaint against this species during 

 the past two years and inquiries in reference to the best method of 

 counteracting it have been received. Not only have I been con- 

 sulted by citizens of our own State but have also been requested by a 

 Farmers Association of Michigan to give information on this subject. 

 Dr. LeBaron's second Report contains a somewhat lengthy and very 

 excellent article on this insect, but unfortunately few copies of that 

 report were published, and the supply was exhausted long before I 

 entered into office. As it is now impossible to obtain a copy of that 

 report I will present here such extracts from the article alluded to as 

 I think most likely to meet the inquiries made and most valuable, 

 mentioning at the end such additional facts and suggestions as may 

 appear proper. 



"The Canker-worm is a native "American species, and is one of the 

 longest known of our noxious insects. The earliest record of its his- 

 tory that I have met with is printed upon a discolored scrap of an old 

 book, the title of which is lost, which was sent to me by Mr. Jonathan 

 Hugging, of Macoupin county. As the extract is brief and is worth 

 preserving on account of its antiquity, I here describe it : 



'"Canker-Worms.— In the year 1789, the Rev. John Cushing, of the 

 county of Worcester (Mass.), communicated to the Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences, a method to destroy Canker-worms in the egg. It is as 

 follows : In autumn, before the ground be frozen, take an iron bar 

 and make a number of holes in each tree, near the body ; throw a few 

 kernels of corn into each ; let in swine ; and they will root the ground 

 over, which will not only disturb the eggs deposited in the ground as 

 to destroy them, but it will be very salutary to the trees. Nothing is 

 better to make apple trees nourish than to have hogs turn up the 

 ground under them. 



" 'This method (added Mr. Cushing) I had from Mr. Edward Ray- 

 mond, of Sterling, who has tried it with success.' 



"The practical advice given in this extract is by no means devoid 

 of value, but the writer has fallen into error of mistaking the chrys- 

 alids of the insect for its eggs. 



"But like other Avidely spread noxious insects, the Canker-worm 

 lias had its seasons of increase and decrease. It was very abundant 

 in Massachusetts seventy years ago; subsequently it became almost 

 unknown in the State fur many years. It is said to have disappeared 

 after a very heavy frost in the month of June, which killed the cater- 

 pillars. But this is hardly probable of so hardy an insect as the 

 ("anker-worm. They appear to have been numerous in the vicinity 

 of Boston in the year 1840, and several preceding j T ears; but Dr. 

 Harris states that from 1841 to 1847 they almost disappeared from 

 that section, but they rapidly increased again after the last men- 

 tioned date. 



"It is remarkable that several of our noxious insects which are des- 

 titute of the means of locomotion, have become the most widely spread 

 over the country. This is the case with the Oyster-shell Bark-louse, 



