INJURIOUS INSECTS. 139 



Many insects, which cause the curious abnormal growths known 

 as galls, remain in these habitations during the winter, and, if 

 troublesome, they may be cut off at this season and burned. The 

 large moss-like growths on sweet-brier and some other roses, are 

 familiar examples. 



While the largest number of species of injurious borers belong 

 to the beetle family, we have also a good many moths whose 

 larvae are borers and thus do much damage to the trunks and 

 branches of trees. 



The ravages of the Peach Tree Borer (^geria exitiosa) are only 

 too well known in many localities. The perfect insect is a moth, 

 which flies in the daytime, and has a wasp-like aspect. In mid- 

 summer, the female deposits her eggs on the bark, generally near 

 the surface of the ground. As soon as hatched the young larvte 

 proceed to bore inwards and downwards, and iisually their 

 presence may be detected by free exudations of gum. 



A heavy wash of soap is a good preventive of egg deposit, but 

 it should be applied two or three inches below the surface as well 

 as above ground. 



Where the borers already exist, an effective remedy has been 

 found in removing some of tlie soil from the base of the tree, 

 forming a little hollow and filling it with boiling hot water. The 

 larvae will be killed and the tree not hurt. 



This suggests the practicability, in exceptional cases, of killing 

 other borers, higher in the trunks of smooth barked trees, by 

 winding a piece of waterproof cloth around the aft'ected part of 

 the trunk, the upper end open and somewhat flaring, and the 

 lower tightly bound about the bark. Filling this with very hot 

 water for a moment or two, would destroy borers otherwise hardly 

 accessible. A drop of kerosene will always kill borers, if it can 

 be forced into the holes so as to come in contact with the insects. 



The upper portions of the roots, near the bases of the stems of 

 blackberry and of our common clematis or virgin's bower, have, 

 in this region often been found infested by the boring larvae of 

 two species of day-flying moths (Bembecia marginata and Acalthoe 

 caudata). Very good remedies may be found iu scraping away 

 some of the soil, and giving the infested parts a good dose of 

 boiling water, or a heavy watering of kerosene emulsion. 



Larvne of such insects as the Codling Moth (Carpocapsa 

 pomonella) and Plum Curculio {Conotraclielus nenuphar)^ are, in 



