88 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



them in different parts of the orchard, and set fire to 

 the heaps iti that quuarter from which the wind blows, 

 so that the smoke may thoroughly fumigate all the 

 trees. Thus the insects, which are supposed to be 

 brought by the wind, will be prevented from deposit- 

 ing their eggs. 



CANKER WORM. PHAUENA VERNATA PECKII. 



Of all the numerous tribes of insects which infest 

 fruit trees, and disappoint the hopes of the cultivator, 

 the canker worm, during the years of its prevalence, is 

 the most to be dreaded. This destructive insect has, 

 therefore baffled the efforts of man, ?nd in despite of 

 all means of prevention as yet devised, commits its de- 

 predations, and deprives whole orchards of foliage and 

 fruit. The miller, or moth, rises from the earth in 

 the spring, conceals itself during the day in holes and 

 crevices under the loose bark of apple trees, and may 

 be easily found by searching. The male has wings, 

 but the female appears to have none ; they are ena- 

 bled, however, to ascend the trunk of the tree, and 

 crawl towards the extremities of the twigs, where they 

 deposit their eggs, and as soon as the leaves unfold 

 and sprout forth, the worm bursts from the egg and 

 commences its ravages. The worms soon spin for 

 themselves long threads, similar to those of spiders, by 

 which they are suspended in the air, and wafted by 

 the wind from tree to tree, and from one adjoining or- 

 chard to another, preying voraciously upon the foli- 

 age, and giving the trees the appearance of being 

 burnt. Professor Peck, of Cambridge, has favoured 

 the publick with the most satisfactory history of this 

 insect, which has jet appeared. According to him, 

 the worms descend by the trunks of the trees in June, 

 and immure themselves in the earth near the trunks, 

 and rarely, if ever, more than three to lour feet dia- 



