358 



THE FAHMERS' register. 



for 1 expect the side of the adjoining trees next 

 to It will be atlecied iiexi seaton." I had occa- 

 sion to pass through JMr. Croauvell's orchard th^ 

 next liuilinif liaie, and llie sickly tree had been 

 dug u|i, but, as had bt-en predicted, parts ol ihejour 

 rieighboniig trees were evidently much atiectedj 

 but only the sides next to the diseased iiee, which 

 made u ihe more sinking, and convincing ol' the 

 coniagioii, it' ihls is a proper term. 



Ou another occasion, 1 had a lavorite early pur- 

 ple peach, belore 1 had a nursery, ihat 1 sus|)ect- 

 ed was partially allecied by the jellows, and be- 

 ing desirous ol preserving ihe variety, 1 cut. the 

 healthiest branch 1 could get, and i liad twelve 

 buds inserted in healthy peach stocks, but when 

 Ihey had u;rown about tliree leet, they showed 

 the disease so plainly that in order to prevent it 

 Irom spreading, 1 pulled up all the trees, and had 

 ihetri Ournt. 



From these cases, it seems to me the disease 

 may be generated by planting old peach oichards 

 or nurseries too .-ooii alter the removal ol the uid 

 trees, and also by planting too near those already 

 attected with the disease; and il cuttings or 

 scions are taken liom diseased trees, their |)roduct 

 will be also diseaseil. 1 also think ihe yellows 

 may be communicated to young trees l>y |)lanimg 

 seeds taken Irom diseased peach trees. Kespeei- 

 lully your Iriend, Robert Sinclair. 



VLairmont Mursei-y, March 18, 1841. 



CANKER WORMS. 



From ttie Yanttee Fanner, of July 18, 1840. 



Mr. Editor — When 1 was in Boston last win- 

 ter, I promised to give you some intormaiion re- 

 specting the habiis of the canker worm ; also some 

 ol the means to be used to prevent the ravages ol 

 this most destructive insect. 



1 shall commence with the insects in the Qgg, 

 and shall proceed with a number ol' occasional 

 communications, which 1 shall send you Irom time 

 to time. 



The worms are usually hatched about the fif- 

 teenth ol May, sometimes earlier and sometimes 

 later, depending very much upon the season. 

 When first hatched they are very small, but their 

 presence can soon be discovered by a close obser- 

 ver. They are, in the early stage of their growth, 

 very susceptible ol cold, and a Irosi is latal to 

 them ; although the insect in its perlect state is 

 as hardy, and will endure cold or a pelting storm 

 hke a polar bear ; in lact, the grub in its' ascent 

 upon the trees in February when overtaken by 

 a cold snap, much resembles Bruin when placed 

 in like circumstances, by drawing up its letrs un- 

 der the body, and sleeping in a torpid state until 

 moderate weather. Last spring, in a cold north- 

 east storm, i observdil the worms crawl into the 

 closed petals of the apple blossom lor shelter. 

 They usually acquire their growth and leave the 

 tree about the fifteenth ol' June, and durinc this 

 period, change their skins several times. 



They eat with astonishing voracity, particular- 

 ly in their last stage, first devouring the leaf and 

 then the Iruit. Alter acquiring their lull growth, 

 which is usually in (bur or five weeks, they leave 

 the tree by lowering themselves down to the ground 

 by a silken thread, which they learned to opin 



frorri the earliest period of their existence, as they 

 move about upon the branches, always careful to 

 have the end ofthe cord last, so that il'ihe branch 

 on which they are feeding is struck, they will 

 always show themselves by spinning doun a few 

 leet, and if suH'ered to remain a short time, they 

 will again ascend the tree by their cord, alternately 

 i?rasp;ng it with their leet and seizing it with 

 theirjaws. 



Professor Peck is in some respects incorrect, in 

 his description of the habits ol' this insect. He 

 says '• the worms descend by the trunk ofthe tree 

 in June, and immure themselves in the earth near 

 the trunks, and rarely if ever more than three to 

 four feet distant." Our observation has led us to 

 a different opinion. They leave the tree from Ihe 

 branch on which they leed, and suddenly spin 

 down by their thread to the ground, and enter it to 

 the depth of form two to six inches, and imme- 

 diately change into the chrysalis state. I have 

 seen them leave the branch of an elm thirty feet 

 from the trunk, and at once work their way into 

 the ground. And the grubs and millers can be 

 seen in the season of their running, soon after 

 sunset, struoglingand fluttering through the grass 

 (or manj' leet around, usually to the extent of the 

 hranciies of the tree, under which they are striv- 

 ing to reach the trunk. And if in their progress 

 they meet with a lence, post, or house, they will 

 ascend if, and the grub before leaving it wilt 

 deposiie her eggs. 



As we have now fairly disposed of the canker 

 worm, for at least a few months, by burying it in 

 the earth, let us now look around us and see what 

 can be done to counteract the bad eflects of its 

 ravaaes ; and what I shall here relate, came un- 

 der my observation last year. In purchasing a 

 piece of land, 1 came in- possession oltwenty large 

 apple frees, which had been eaten by the canker 

 worm more or less for several years, but last year, 

 particularly, the foliage and fruit were eaten en- 

 tirely up. On some of the trees the worms were 

 very numerous, and hardly found sufficient quanti- 

 ■fy of food to subsist upon. 



After the worms had become quite large, I less- 

 ened their numbers by shaking the limbs and 

 throwing course sand into the trees, thereby caus- 

 ing them to suspend themselves by their thread, 

 and striking them off with a stick to the ground, 

 and then tarring the trees to prevent their as- 

 cending them. Dry coarse sand or ashes placed 

 around the trunks will answer the purpose, to pre- 

 vent the worms again ascendinu- the trees. Small 

 trees in this way may be wholly cleared of worms, 

 but on large ones this method of extirpating the 

 insect avails but little, for after destroying great 

 numbers, enough will still remain to greatly in- 

 jtire the foliage and fruit, besides the injury the 

 tree will be likely to sustain in shaking it, when 

 the bark from the great flow of sap at this season 

 of (he year is very apt to peel, thereby causing 

 canker. For this reason, I prefer coarse sand 

 thrown into the tree, as it will generally destroy 

 them without causing injury. But after the insect 

 is on the tree, if a large one, little can be done to 

 destroy it, and it should be our chief aim (o devise 

 some way (0 prevent its ascending the trunk. 



Soon after the worms had entered the ground 

 and passed into (he chrysalis state, I removed the 

 eardi around the trees to (he dis(ance of five feet 

 from the trunk, and to (he dep(h of six inches ; this 



