95 



Sawyer had a cover of boards to prevent the rain and leaves 

 from getting into the tar. But he finds the plain troughs just 

 as effective at less than half the expense, although of course 

 they require a little more care. He states that he made his 

 troughs himself, and that they cost from twelve to seventeen 

 cents per tree. Of course they can be made from the cheapest, 

 coarsest plank, and after they are laid down the tar will help 

 to preserve them many years. The cost of the coal tar is said 

 to be small. 



Mr. Sawyer states that he found it necessary to stir the tar 

 but two or three times in the Spring or Fall, and that few 

 troughs required refilling. At the time of holding the annual 

 Fair in Gloucester, he told us that by stirring the tar then in 

 the troughs many of them would effectually bar the passage of 

 the grub. These statements seem to show that the trees will 

 require but little labor or expense for several years after the 

 troughs are put down. We have also made inquiry of other 

 parties who have used these troughs, and the testimony is 

 unanimous as to their effectiveness when properly used. 



The troughs used by Mr. Leach differ from those of Mr. 

 Sawyer only in having a triangular channel, which Mr. Sawyer 

 admits to be an improvement. Mr. Leach thinks his troughs 

 can be furnished ready for the trees at twenty-five cents each, 

 as orchards average. Of course the expense will largely 

 depend on the quality of the lumber used. 



Ordway's Protector is an ingenious metal contrivance encir- 

 cling the tree, and suspended from it by a cloth, and presenting 

 sharp edges over which, it is claimed, the grub cannot pass It 

 was patented some years ago and is quite expensive. The 

 design being simply to prevent the ascent of the grub, it has 

 been found that the grub, finding no way of climbing the tree, 

 lays her eggs on the cloth by which the Protector is suspended, 

 and on the trunk of the tree below. As soon as the young 

 worms are hatched, they ascend the tree and climb over the 

 Protector. To overcome this difficulty, Mr. Lake covered the 

 trunk of the tree belo^y the Protector with cloth, so that after 

 the grubs had laid then- eggs, it could be removed and the eggs 



