80 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



In gardens where there are but few trees, small pieces 

 of stick dipped into carbolic acid, three parts of tar to 

 one of acid, could be driven into the holes, which will 

 in most cases cause the grub to shrivel up at once and 

 die. In large places this method would be perhaps too 

 tedious ; still the services of children might be utilized 

 for this purpose, as the little sticks could be prepared by 

 night around the family fire, and any active boy or girl 

 could prepare a lot of these sticks in one of our long 

 winter evenings. These sticks can be easily carried 

 in a billy-can strapped in front of the operator. 



As the grubs of this moth, if not destroyed, remain 

 in the wood for a long time (how long has not to my 

 knowledge been definitely ascertained), it will be the 

 more necessary that the pest should be tackled at once, 

 and without loss of time. 



The use of a slush lamp might also be tried for 

 attracting the moths, when they could be captured and 

 destroyed. 



The forcing of steam vapor into the holes made by 

 these and other boring insects would, I feel certain, be 

 of great benefit, as witness the saving of the fine elm 

 trees in the saddling paddock of the Flemingtoii 

 Racecourse ; which treatment was recommended by the 

 writer, and, to the joy of members of the V.R.C and 

 the public, was eminently successful. 



Old and abandoned orchards are fertile sources of 

 infection, and should be carefully watched by growers 

 and everyone interested in fruit-growing as a pleasureable, 

 healthy, and profitable industry. 



Before closing this chapter, it may be mentioned that 

 the question is frequently asked How it is that insects 

 which do so much damage are so seldom seen by 

 collectors? The reason for this is well known to 

 entomologists who have worked in the Australian bush, 

 and is That all insects are more or less soft when just 

 emerged from the pupse, hence it happens that at this 

 helpless stage they fall an easy prey to ants especially, 



