FRUITS 217 



only those scales that are actually covered by the 

 mixture that are killed. 



The next most serious peach enemy is the root 

 borer. This is the larva of a small moth which lays 

 her eggs on the bark at the foot of the tree. When 

 the young hatch, they bore into the bark and range 

 downward, feeding on the soft layer between the 

 bark and the wood. They are often numerous 

 enough to do considerable damage, sometimes even 

 girdling the tree and killing it outright. Many 

 preventive washes have been tried with the idea of 

 deterring the insect from laying her eggs on the tree, 

 and it is probable that some of them are more or less 

 effective; but careful experiments show that they can- 

 not be relied upon. . Perhaps as good a one as any is 

 to paint the trunks of the trees, in early spring, 

 with a heavy Bordeaux mixture, to which has been 

 added six to eight ounces of Paris green to the 

 barrel. The lime of the Bordeaux mixture acts to 

 some extent as a deterrent, and the Paris green will 

 kill some of the newly hatched larv?e while attempt- 

 ing to bury themselves in the bark. Another ex- 

 pedient is to mound the dirt up well around the 

 trunk of the trees in early spring, before the eggs 

 are deposited. This forces the insect to place her 

 eggs high up on the tree, Avhere the bark is too hard 

 to be easily penetrated by the young larvpe. After 

 all these precautions have been taken, however, it is 

 still necessary to go over the orchard two or three 

 times each summer and dig out the borers with a 

 sharp knife. On removing the dirt from the base of 

 the tree, they can be easily located by the gum and 



