93 



DESTRUCTION OF CANKER WORMS. 



The Committee on the " Destruction of Canker Worms" 

 have carefully attended to their duty and submit the following 

 report. 



The Society offers two classes of premiums — one " for the 

 best conducted experiment in preventing the ravages of the 

 canker worm," and one for " a new, cheap and effectual remedy 

 against the ravages of the canker worm." 



For the first named premium there were two entries, one by 

 Mr. Thomas Sawyer of Boxford, and one by Mr. Charles K. 

 Lake of Topsfield. The Committee visited the orchards of 

 both competitors in the first part of July, when the extent to 

 which the orchards had been eaten could be easily seen. Mr. 

 Lake entered two orchards, which had been mainly protected 

 by Ord way's Protector, of which further mention will be made. 

 Although no statement has been submitted by Mr. Lake, and 

 although he was suddenly called from home just before the 

 Committee visited his orchards, so that they were unfortunately 

 deprived of his valual^le personal ex])lanations, yet the Com- 

 mittee by inquiry of others were able to arrive at what seemed 

 to them a satisfactory conclusion. 



The protector chiefly used by Mr. Sawyer is simply a trough 

 or gutter laid upon the ground around the tree, and filled with 

 coal tar from the gas works. His statement, which is herewith 

 submitted, gives a very clear account of the course of experi- 

 ment which has led him to adopt this remedy. Many of his 

 trees were almost entirely free from signs of the canker worm, 

 certainly perfectly protected from practical injury to the fruit. 

 Your Committee recommend that he be awarded the first 

 premium of twenty-five dollars. 



There were two entries for the hundred dollar premium ; one 

 by Mr. Sawyer and one by Mr. Thomas K. Leach of Topsfield. 

 Your Committee regarded both entries as substantially for the 

 same thing. Mr. Sawyer uses a trough or gutter having a 

 rectangular channel, while Mr. Leach cuts out a triangular 

 channel, thereby wasting less stock, presenting a wider surface 

 of tar and yet requiring less to fill the trough. Mr. Leach has 



