244 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEBRITARY 13, IS33. 



«A DISCOURSE 



Dslivercil before Ihe Massaclmscus Horlicultural Society, on 

 the Celebration of its fouftli Anniversary, October 3, 1832. 

 By Thaddeus William Hakris, iVI. D. 

 [Continued from page 237.] 

 The sing-worm, wliich in some seasons does so 

 much injury to the cherry, pear, and phini-trees, 

 is a speciesof Tenthredo, agreeing in its nietanior- 

 phoses with that just mentioned, but differing from 

 it in sonie of its liabits and in its appearance. 

 The excellent and well-known liistory* of this in- 

 sect by Professor Peck, has left for me nothing to 

 say, excejjting that ashes or lime, sifted upon the 



trees by means of the simple apparattis recom- 

 mended by Mr. Lowell, is fully adequate to the 

 destruction of the -slugs. 



The cherry-tree annually suffers to a greater or 

 less extent from the destruction of its foliage by 

 the beetle or dorr-bug.\ From the middle of May 

 till the end of June, myriads of theie large brown 

 beetles congregate at night uiion our fniit-trees ; 

 the air is filled with sv/arms of them rushing witli 

 lieadlong and booming fligiit, and impinging 

 against every obstacle ; while the very grass be- 

 neath our feet seems alive and rustling with the 

 new-born beetles issuing from the soil, essaying 

 their untried wings. The metamorphoses of these 

 insects have already been explained. Their larva? 

 continue in the soil three years, devour the roots 

 of the grasses, and destroy them sometimes ti) 

 such an extent, that the turf may be raised and 

 rolled up like a carpet.J In the evcnin;,' these 

 beetles may be shaken from our young fruit-trees, 

 and gathered in cloths spread to receive the|n. A 

 writer in the " New York Evening Posi," ob- 

 serves, that on the very first experiment tw(\ pails 

 full of beetles were thus collected. ' 



Cherries, in common witli most other «tone- 

 fruits, are often found to contain grubs within them ; 

 and it has been confidently and repeaiCilly assort- 

 ed, that these were produced by the May-beetle, 

 or Mdolontha just mentioned. This is one of the 

 many errors committed by |jersons unacquainted 

 with Entomology ; and its correction is of im- 

 portance to nomenclature, and, in its results, to 

 horticulture. The real source of this mischief is 

 .1 kind of weevil, called by llorbst, its first de- 

 scrilicr, Curculio nenuphar, and re-described bj 

 Professor Peck,§ by the name of RkynchtBuus 

 Cerasi. This insect is one-fit'tb of an inch long, 

 of a dark browu color, clothed with minute reddish 

 and white hairs, and its wing-sliells are covered 

 with tubercles. It is ftirnishcd with a curved 

 rostrum or suout, with which it inflicts its noxious 

 punctures. Repeatedly has this insect been raised 

 from the larvte or grubs, that are so well known 

 to occasion the premature ripening and fall of the 

 plum, cherry, nectarine, apricot, and peach. Pro- 

 fessor Peck also obtained it from the grubs that 

 inhabit the excrescences of the Cherry-tree; and 

 heuce there is reason for believing, that tliose 

 which are found iii similar excrescences, that de- 

 form the limbs of the pluin-tree, are produced by 

 the same insect. Further observations are requi- 

 site to clear up this point. The larvte, whatever 

 they iftay be, leave the diseased branches near the 

 end of June ; hence is established the expedieucjk 

 of extirpating and burning the tumors early in 



that month. Those that inhabit the fruits above 

 mentioned, enter the earth soon after the fall of 

 the fruits, and pass through their last changes in 

 the course of three weeks afterwards. Fallen 

 stone-fruit should therefore be gathered without 

 delay, and be given to swine. 



Peach-trees once were the glory of our gardens 

 and orchards, yielding their rich fruit in such a- 

 bundauce, that not only were our tables amply 

 sup(>lied, but it was used by the distiller for the 

 purpose of being converted into spirit, and by the 

 former to feed his swine. These valuable trees 

 are now the victims of disease and the i)rey of in- 



*' Natural History of tlic Slug-worm. 8vo. Boston. 1799. 

 t Melol&iuha Querciita. Knoch. 



; Tliis actually happenoil on the faini of John Prince, Esq., 

 at lloxLury. 



^ Mass. Agr. Repoj. &. Journal. Vol. V. p. 312. 



sects. From persons skilled in vegetable physi- 

 ology and meteorology we have yet to learn, how 

 far solar, attnospheric, and terrestrial influences 

 arc concerned in exciting the various diseases 

 with which they are annually attacked and con- 

 taiuii>ated ; what treatment can be adopted for 

 those which are ujion the decline ; and what 

 changes in soil, aspect, and managemeiit, vvill en- 

 sure the continued health of the young and vigo- 

 rous. It is certain that Aphides and a species oi 

 Thrips attack the leaves, luincltirc, jioison, and 

 exbatist them, and occasion tlietn in time to curl 

 up, thicken, and perish. The enemy is readily 

 discovered, living in numbers within the little hol- 

 low, red convexities, that deform the leaves: but 

 it is not equally certain that these insects are the 

 cause of the sudden disease, which, like a pest" 

 lential miasm, jiervadcs the foliage, rtipidly changes 

 its structure, susi)euds its vitiil functions, and 

 causes it prematurely to wither and fall. In some 

 instances that have fallen under my own observa- 

 tion, uo insects could be discovered beneath \he 

 leaves; and the syinptoins of disease were too re- 

 cent and sudden in their appearance to have origi- 

 nated from such a source. The means of destroy- 

 ing Aplddes are readily obtained and applied. So- 

 lutions ofsoaji, and weak alkaline litpiors, used 

 warm, and thrown up by a garden engine, are the 

 proper remedies. 



Nor is it diflicult to guard the peach-tree ng.tinst 

 the borer, which attacks it near flie root, or at 

 that place denominated the neck, tlio most vital 

 part of the tree. More than six years ago the fol- 

 lowing means were pointed out,* and success has 

 uniformly attended their use. Kemove the earth 

 around tlie neck of the tree, crush or burn the 

 cocoons and larva; existing there, a|)ply the co^n- 

 uion composition or Witsh for fruit-trtes, and sur- 

 round the trunk with a strip of sheathing-paper, 

 eight or nine inches wide, which should extend 

 one or two inches below the level of the soil, and 

 be secured witli strings of matting above. Fresh 

 UiOitar should be placed around the root, so as 

 tu confine the paper and prevent access beneath 

 it, and the remaining cavity may be filled with 

 IVesh loam. This plan, if pursued every summer, 

 will efl'ectually protect the tree from being girdled 

 at its most vital part; tmd although the insects 

 may occasionally attack tlie unprotected trunk and 

 limbs, the injury will bo comparatively slight and 

 never fatal. Scaldmg water, and also soap-suds, 

 poured round the root, have been highly recom- 

 nundcd, both for destroying the grubs ;uid for re- 

 storing the vigor of tlie tree. This remedy, from 

 its simplicity, is deserving of furtlicr trial. Tiie 

 peach-tree borer is entirely distuict, in all its 

 stages, metamorphoses, and habits, from thai 

 which perforates the apple-tree. It is a whitish 

 cater|)illar, furnished with legs. Soon after it is 



hatched, it penetrates the cuticle, and lives upon 

 the inner bark and alburnum or new wood, bein<' 

 often involved in great quantities of gum which 

 issue from the wounds. During the winter it re- 

 niiiins torpid ; but in the course of the sprin"^ it re- 

 stimes its operations, and sooner or later con- 

 structs a cocoon from grains of the bark cemented 

 by a glutinous matter, becomes a chrysalis, event- 

 ually bursts open its cocoon, and is changed to a 

 four-winged insect. It deposits its eggs ui>on the 

 bark of tlie tree near the root, soon after its ulti- 

 tnate metamorphosis is completed, which has been 

 observed to take place from the middle of Jidy to 

 the last of September. lu the "American Ento- 

 mology" of Mr. Say, this insect is correctly figur- 

 ed iuid described by the name of Xgeria exiliosa. 

 None of Our fruit-trees are so long-lived as the 

 pear, and none have been so free from insect 

 assiiilants. The slug of the saw-fly, as already 

 mijitioned, occasionally robs it of its foliage, anil 

 a liuimte wood-eating insect has lately preyed 

 uiBii its limbs. The latter insect, named Scolytus 

 Ffri by Profes-sor Peck, who detected the culprit 

 initi withered branch of the pear-tree, has pro- 

 duced a great deal of discussion in the horticidtu- 

 lijl papers, which it is not my intention or desire 

 tnniicw. Permit me however to remark, that, 

 tlUtgh long and carefully sought for in the blasted ■ 

 lilibs tmd trunks of these trees, neither the insect 

 ii^qucstion nor its track has been found by me, 

 iu\\ that the only specimen in my possession was. 

 w|b nuuiy odiers, discovered by a friend in Wor- 

 ciiter in the diseased lind)s of his pear-trees. It 

 is,lherelbre, not in my power to add any thing to 

 iha account published by Professor Peck.* His 

 trslmony, drawn from personal inspection of tlie 

 se:iiwid mode of attack selected by the insect, 

 otbtre have confirmed by their own observations 

 heietoforc made public ; and there can be no doubt 

 tint the Scolytus is capable of doing extensive in- 

 juy; indeed, from what we know of the habits of 

 il^ nearest allies, we have every reason to fear, 

 tint, If permitted to increase in number, its ])owers 

 wll eventually be beyond control. It is generally 

 ainiitted, if the leaves on the extreme branches of 

 tin pear-tree should suddetdy wither in the months 

 ofJuly and August, that it is highly important 

 ill mediately to cut ofithe aflected and blackened 

 liiibs at some distance below the apparent extent 

 of the injury ; and if, on a careful examination, 

 thisc limbs arc found to contain insects, they 

 should undoubtedly be burned without delay. 



r* the iidiabitants of New England, and even 

 of the Middle States, the apple-tree is far more, 

 ustfiil and important than any, and perhajis aJl, 

 of be other fruit-bearing plants. This invaluable 

 foreigii tree has continued to flourish in despite of 

 the numerous insect foes, that have come with it 

 to ciSim the rights of naturalization, and of those 

 indigenous to the coimtvy, wiiich have never 

 ceased to molct it and dispute its claim to the 

 soil. Among the former may be enumerated 

 -several kinds of Aphides, which infest its leaves; 

 the muscle-shaped bark-lou8e,f and another spe- 

 ciesof Coceus,\ of a larger size, and broader form, 

 both sufficiently described in " The New England 

 Farmer" ;§ the caterpillar, that lives beneath tho 

 rugg-cd bark of the tree, and is ultitnately changed 



* iNew England Farmer, Vol. V. p. 33. 



" WassacliuscUs Agricullural Repository, Vol. IV. p. 206. 

 t Coccus arbot-um linearis. Geoffi-oy. 

 X(^oci:u$ cryptogamus? DaUnaua. 

 J Vol. VU. pp. m, 289, 



