INSECTS AND DISEASES. 461 



does great mischief to this tree by girdling and devouring the 

 whole circle of bark just below the surface of the ground, 

 when it soon languishes and dies. 



The insect in its perfect state is a slender, dark blue, four 

 winged moth, somewhat like a wasp. It commences depositing 

 its eggs in the soft and tender bark at the base of the trunk, 

 usually about the last of June, but at different times, from June 

 to October. The egg hatches and becomes a small white borer 

 or grub, which eventually grows to three-fourths of an inch 

 long, penetrates and devours the bark and sap wood, and, after 

 passing the winter in the tree, it enfolds itself in a cocoon under 

 or upon the bark, and emerges again in a perfect or winged form 

 in June, and commences depositing its eggs for another gene- 

 ration. 



It is not difficult to rid our trees of this enemy. In fact 

 nothing is easier to him who is willing to devote a few moments 

 every season to each tree. The eggs which produce the borer, 

 it will be recollected, are deposited in the soft portion of bark 

 just at the surface of the earth. Experience has conclusively 

 proved that if a small quantity, say half a peck of air-slaked 

 lime, is heaped around the trunk of each tree at the end of May 

 and suffered to remain till October, the peach borer will not at- 

 tack it. It has been tried most successfully in large orchards, 

 where the protected trees have long remained sound, while those 

 unprotected have been speedily destroyed by the borer. The 

 remedy undoubtedly lies chiefly, in covering the most vulner- 

 able portion of the tree from the attack of the insect ; and 

 therefore persons have been more or less successful with ashes, 

 charcoal, clay, mortar, and other protectives. But we recom- 

 mend for this purpose air-slaked lime or ashes* because these 

 more fully answer the purpose as protectives, and when spread 

 over the surface, as they should be every autumn, they form 

 the best fertilizers for the peach tree. 



This is the easiest and the most successful mode, and it 

 should not be neglected a single season. Many careful and 

 rigid cultivators prefer a regular examination of the trees every 

 spring and autumn. On removing the earth, for a few inches, 

 the appearance of gum or castings quickly indicates where the 

 borer has made his lodging. A few moments with the knife 

 will then eradicate the insect for the season. This is a very 

 effectual mode, but not, on the whole, so simple or so good as 

 the other, because the tree is always left exposed to attack, and 

 to consequent injury, before the insect is dislodged. 



THE YELLOWS. This most serious malady seems to belong 

 exclusively to this country, and to attack only the peach tree. 

 Although it has been the greatest enemy of the peach planter 

 for the last thirty years rendering the life of the tree uncer- 

 .ain, and frequently spreading over and destroying the orchards 

 39* * Bleached ashes. 



