874 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



growth. In small trees they often penetrate to the very heart of the trunk, and seem to bur- 

 row there for the winter. 



How have they found their way to our orchards? They seem to follow the progress of improve- 

 ment, and to keep pace with the planting of trees and strubbery of all kinds. They appear 

 to go from the older portions of the country to the more newly-improved regions, making a 

 few miles' progress every year ; we are inclined to think that they can spread quite rapidly 

 by the transportation of young trees from distant nurseries. It behooves us to look well to 

 the trees we buy ; we do not know certainly that nurserymen can detect the presence of the 

 grub in all cases, but we think it can be ascertained whether the tree has been stung. 



How shall we resist the borer ?-^-In all ways; no one thing will do the whole work; under 

 the head of prevention, we would suggest several things : 



1. Buy none but sound trees ; sound, we mean, in every sense ; trees of vigorous growth, 

 of fine roots, of unbroken bark, and that never have been stung by the beetle. 



2. After setting the trees out carefully, protect them from the attacks of the beetle by 

 washing them with the following preparation : To two quarts of soft-soap add half a pound 

 of sulphur, and dilute the mass till it is as thin as paint, by pouring in strong tobacco-water. 

 The tobacco-water may be prepared by breaking up fine two ounces of strong tobacco, and 

 pouring on two or three quarts of soft warm water, and letting it stand two or three days 

 before the wash is made ; apply the wash with an old broom freely to the trunk and lower 

 branches, after the rough bark has been scraped off. Make one application about the middle 

 of May, and another about the first of June. It is said the beetle will not touch a tree that 

 has thus been treated. 



3. Before the weather becomes very hot, we think the trees should be well whitewashed with 

 lime, or protected from the sun by a board or by wrapping a wisp of straw or hay round the 

 portions most exposed to the heat. White does not absorb heat as darker colors do. If the 

 trees are whitewashed, or one of the other covers for the young trees are used, very few, we 

 think, will be injured ; always supposing that the preventives mentioned first are faithfully 

 employed. 



4. A little circle of ashes should be placed at the root of the tree close around the collar. 

 This, it is believed, will prevent the beetle from disturbing the tree at that point, if it be done 

 early enough in the season. 



How shall we destroy the borers we have ? In the case of trees that have been seriously in- 

 jured, we can say nothing better than that they should be pulled up, root and branch, and 

 the part that contains the grubs destroyed. If they have been but little hurt, the grubs should 

 be carefully extracted and killed, and the wounds covered with grafting-wax or shell-lac, and 

 the tree washed as above suggested. If young trees have been much punctured, we believe 

 they had better be destroyed at once. It will be of little use to try to save them ; and if they 

 do live, they would be weak and nearly worthless. We repeat that the trees already infested 

 should be treated with the wash mentioned above, after the grubs have been taken out. This 

 would, it is hoped, prevent their return. Ohio Farmer. 



Prevention of the Weevil. 



THE following plan for the prevention of the weevil is said to be adopted with success by 

 farmers in Vermont: The season after it makes its appearance, they go through their wheat- 

 fields about the time the wheat is heading, immediately after a shower, or while the dew is 

 on it, and scatter newly-slaked lime broadcast, so that it will adhere to the heads and stems 

 of the grain. They use about a bushel to the acre. Good lime should be secured, and 

 slaked by sprinkling a little water over it, so as to retain all its strength. A paddle may be 

 used in scattering it. The remedy has, it is said, been so effectually tried, as to leave no 

 doubt of its success. The "Akron Beacon" (Ohio) also states that the plan has proved an 

 efficient remedy, during the past season, in the county of Muskingum, Ohio. 



