90 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



purpose various methods have been proposed. A 

 writer in Carey's American Museum, August, 1792, 

 says, "Canker worms never destroy apple trees which 

 stand on a stiff clay, or in low ground, where water 

 stands long in the spring. The reason for this is ob- 

 vious. The canker worm, about the 10th of June, 

 descends into the earth, there to lie till the next 

 spring, \\hcn the miller rises and ascends the trees. 

 This worm is not strong, nor furnished with the nec- 

 essary implements for digging into a hard stiff clay ; 

 of course it cannot bury itself in clay, and is not fond 

 of gravel. The writer therefore proposes to lay a 

 covering of stiff clay round trees which stand on sand 

 or other light earth. This covering or layer may be 

 thrown upon the top of the natural soil, which may 

 be removed to the depth of a few inches. If the clay 

 be laid on in summer, after the descent of the worm, 

 it may prevent the miller from rising in the spring ; 

 if when the worm is upon the tree ? it may prevent its 

 finding a lodging ; but as in the latter case, the worm 

 might travel some distance beyond the limits of the 

 layer, it might be better to form the layer round the 

 tree after the descent of the worm in June." 



According to Dr. Dean's New-England Farmer, it 

 is now about eighty years since New-England was 

 first visited by these destructive insects. He observes, 

 if any person could invent some easy, cheap, and ef- 

 fectual method of subduing them, he would merit the 

 thanks of the publick, and more especially of every 

 owner of an orchard. Several methods have been 

 tried with some degree of success. 1. Tarring. A 

 strip of canvass is put round the body of the tree, be- 

 fore the ground is open in the spring, and well smear- 

 ed with tar. The females, in attempting to pass over 

 it, stick fast and perish. But unless the tarring be 

 renewed very frequently, it will become hard, and 

 permit the inserts to pass safely over it. And renew- 



