﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 7T 



less and careless pruning, especially of the larger branches. Many a 

 fine orchard tree, and many more city shade trees receive their death 

 shock from the reckless sawing off of limbs without effort being made 

 to heal the wounds by coating with grafting wax, clay or other protect- 

 ing substances. Around such an unprotected sawed limb, as around 

 the frustum of a felled tree, the rain and other atmospheric influences 

 soon begin their work of causing decay between the bark and the 

 solid wood ; and this is but the forerunner of greater injury by insects- 

 which are attracted to the spot, and which, though hidden meanwhile- 

 from view, soon carry the destruction from the injured to the non- 

 injured parts. Among the insects thus attracted, Chrysobothris plays 

 no mean part, where, had the wounded limb been properly protected, 

 its presence would never have been known. It thus becomes of the 

 first importance, in treating this insect, to keep the young trees vig- 

 orous and healthy, and the bark as smooth and as free from injury as. 

 possible. Thus in planting a young orchard in this part of the coun- 

 try, where the sun (whether indirectly or directly is for the vegetable 

 pathologist to determine) is apt to injure the bark on the southwest 

 side, il will prove labor well spent to protect them on that side by 

 old paling or lath. Young trees are far more liable to be attacked 

 than old ones, and consequently require greater care. 



A healthy and vigorous tree is not chosen by the female, in depo- 

 siting, if unhealthy or injured trees are at hand ; and when eggs are- 

 deposited in trees of the former character, the young borers more 

 often perish — are drowned out. Yet it must not be supposed, on this 

 account, that the insect cannot live in a healthy tree, for he who should 

 act on this principle and take no other precautions against its attacks 

 than good cultivation, would too often discover his mistake. That the 

 insect is seldom if ever found in healthy trees is a necessary truism 

 which often deludes into belief that it cannot attack such. As soon 

 as the borer is at work the tree ceases to be healthy ; and while care- 

 ful culture and protection from other injury are excellent preventives, 

 against its attacks, they are not infallible. 



As a preventive against the insect's attacks there is nothing better 

 than coating the trunks and larger branches with soap at least twice 

 la year, once toward the end of May and again in July or August. The 

 soap is not only obnoxious to the beetle, but it tends to keep the bark 

 clean and smooth, so as to offer no attraction to the female, and is, 

 withal, beneficial to the tree. 



Mr. Henry Shaw, who has had a good deal of trouble from the 

 work of this borer on the young trees in Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, 



