THE MAGAZINE 



HORTICULTURE 



OCTOBER, 1842. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. On a method of destroying the Canker Worm 

 Grub. By John Porter, Esq., Nevvburyport, Mass. 



Having seen, in your valuable Magazine for this month, 

 an article describing the best method for the destruction of 

 the canker worm, I am induced to state the result of an ex- 

 periment made by myself. The trees on which I tried the 

 experiment, had been exposed for five or six years to the 

 ravages of the grubs, without taking any steps to prevent 

 them; and therefore it is fair to infer that the ground con- 

 tained a bountiful supply for their future operations. 



Around each tree I placed a square box, about twelve or 

 fourteen inches high, made of rough boards, leaving a space 

 of four or six inches between the box and the tree. A ledge 

 of about two inches in width was nailed entirely round the top 

 of the box, and the box was inserted two or three inches into 

 the ground, for the purpose of keeping it steady. On the 

 outside of the box, and under part of the ledge, I tarred 

 frequently, and the grubs were thus prevented from ascending 

 from the outside. I filled the inside of the box about two 

 thirds full of cotton waste (which can be obtained at any 

 cotton manufactory for a cent per pound, or less,) well pound- 

 ed down, and this eflectually prevented them from ascending 

 from the inside. If, however, a few grubs should succeed in 

 getting over the tar from the outside, they have to descend 

 the inside of the box until they reach the cotton waste, and 

 crawl over that until they reach the tree. This they cannot 

 do, as they immediately become entangled by the cotton, and 

 cannot proceed. I have tried this two years in succession, 

 and I have not had a worm on trees, which, for several years 



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