44 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Stems of the trees literally covered with larvae making their viray 

 up after having been knocked off. 



This suggested another means of destroying large numbers of 

 larvae on trees which are too tall to be sprayed with the Knap- 

 sack sprayers. The means which I refer to is that of tar-bands. 

 I experimented with tar-bands during the past season, and 

 succeeded in destroying great numbers of larvae. Archangel or 

 Stockholm tar is required for the tar-bands, as gas tar is too 

 thin and would dry too quickly. I use a draw-knife to smooth 

 the rough bark on a belt of about 15 inches in width all 

 round the trunk of the tree, at about breast-height, and 

 another man follows and applies a liberal smear of tar to 

 the prepared surface. The tar is more easily applied if slightly 

 heated. In this manner, four men can treat some 700 to 800 

 trees, containing on an average about 7 cubic feet per tree, in a 

 working day. The tarring requires to be repeated about once 

 a fortnight, while the attack lasts, so as always to keep a moist 

 surface of tar on the prepared part of the tree stem. If the trees 

 are not too large, they can be smartly shaken by the hand 

 previous to being tarred, when the larvae will drop off like rain ; 

 that is provided they are at least half-grown, for shaking 

 has no effect while the larvae are in the earlier stages. Trees 

 too large to shake by the hand can be jarred by striking 

 them with a wooden mallet having a piece of felt or sacking 

 on the striking face so as to prevent damage to the bark. 

 Jarring the trees in this manner ought to be done at least 

 once a week, as it will be found that the larvae will be in 

 various stages of growth, and it is only in the later stages 

 that jarring has any effect. 



As birds are so beneficial, efforts are being made to protect 

 and encourage them by feeding them in the winter and by 

 distributing nesting boxes. Altogether some 300 nesting boxes 

 have been placed in position. Out of 170 boxes placed in the 

 woods during 1909, it was found that 81 had been occupied. 

 The nesting boxes can be made very cheaply by the estate 

 labourers during rough wet weather, when out-door work is at 

 a standstill, and by using scrap from the sawmill the cost of 

 the material is very small. 



