266 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



Like most other foul insects, they are found only upon trees 

 that have first become unhealthy. Young apple or pear trees 

 set in cold, wet soils, or injudiciously manured, or injured in 

 their roots, or cracked by the borer ; oleanders housed in a too 

 cold or fluctuating temperature, and dusty, are especially liable 

 to suffer from them. A variety known as Aspidiodotus Bosce 

 infests roses, &c. As any cause which stunts and diseases the 

 young tree will invite these quiet but destructive pests, so any 

 means that will restore health to the tree will banish them, 

 among which close winter pruning, digging about it, and ap- 

 plying compost or liquid manure from time to time, will be 

 found most efficient ; and, as preliminary to these, let the scales 

 be crushed with a hard brush or rubber of any kind, and the 

 tree or plant thoroughly washed with the ley-wash, or whale- 

 oil soap wash, or a strong infusion of tobacco. See page 284. 

 Let this be done in early spring, and repeated in summer if 

 necessary. If, however, the subsoil be wet, and especially if 

 it be at the same time level, and have the character of hard- 

 pan, the insect will return, and only draining, or deep plow- 

 ing, or subsoiling, with moderate manuring and annual plant- 

 ing with hoed crops, as potatoes, corn, &c., at the same time 

 leaving the trees abundant clear space, and using the above 

 remedies as they may seem to be required, will be likely to car- 

 ry them successfully past the period of danger. The small- 

 er birds destroy many of these insects, but are not numerous 

 enough to keep them in check. 



WORMS OR LARV.E. 



APPLE-TREE BORERS. 

 a Fig. 126. 



a. Larva. 



b. Saperda bivittata, or two-striped 



beetle. 



Uorer and parent bug. 



