56 THE APPLE. 



only to the apple, but the quince, thorn, mountain ash, suffer equally. 

 The perfect insect is a brown and white striped beetle, about half an 

 inch long, which, flying at night, may be destroyed in the month of 

 June by building bonfires in the orchard. In its larva state, in which 

 it does its work of destruction, it is a fleshy white grub, which enters 

 the tree at the collar, just at the surface of the ground, girdling or 

 perforating the wood to such an extent as often to cause death before 

 its attack is noticed ; the small round holes from which dust is ejected 

 indicate its presence. Some cut out the worm with a knife, others 

 use a barbed wire, which is either thrust into the hole and destroys 

 the worm, or on withdrawing brings it out. Downing advises as a 

 preventive, washing the bodies of trees with the following mixture : 

 "one pint of sulphur, one gallon soft soap, and sufficient tobacco 

 water to reduce to the consistence of paint." 



The Caterpillar, (Clisiocampa Americana,) or common orchard 

 caterpillar, has been long known as destructive of the foliage of 

 orchards. " This," says Thomas, " is hatched in Spring as soon as the 

 leaf buds begin to open. At this time, it is not the tenth of an inch 

 long, nor so large as a cambric needle, but it continues to increase 

 constantly in size for several weeks, until two inches long, and a 

 quarter of an inch in diameter. It then spins a cocoon, and passes 

 to the pupa state. In the latter part of summer, it comes out a 

 yellowish brown miller, lays its eggs, and dies. The eggs are de- 

 posited in cylinders or rings, containing three to five hundred each, 

 encircling the smaller branches, and usually within a few inches of 

 the extremity. They remain through Winter, protected from the 

 weather by a vesicular water-proof varnish, and hatch in Spring, as 

 just stated. Each collection of eggs makes a nest of caterpillars." 



A mode for their destruction, is to cut off the small branches which 

 hold the eggs, during Autumn or Winter, and burn them. Those that 

 escape this mode, may be destroyed in May and June, by attaching a 

 sponge or round brush to a pole, and saturating the first with spirits 

 of ammonia, turn it around among their nests. For this work, one 

 hour in the morning early, is worth four at any other time in the 

 day. A little care will correct the evil. 



The Canker Worm. (Anisopteryx pometaria.) Of this insect, there 

 are several allied species. They are not confined to the apple, but, 

 if anything, prefer the elm to all others. 



" The male is a moth, with pale, ash-colored wings, with a black 

 dot, a little more than an inch across. The female is wingless, oval, 

 dark ash-colored above, and gray beneath. 



" The worm usually rises out of the ground very early in the Spring, 

 as soon as the ground is free from frost, though a few find their way 

 up in the Autumn. The females, having no wings, climb slowly up 

 the trunks of the trees, while the winged males hover about to pair 

 with them. Very soon after this, if we examine the trees, we shall 



