172 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



June 4, 183 1 



co.ii.nrNicATioxsi. 



FOP. THE GENESEE FARMER. 



No scientific work is so much wanted at 

 this time as a full account of the insects 

 which materially interfere with the labors of 

 the American farmer or gardener ; and also 

 of such insects as assist him by feeding on 

 the former class, — so that he may know his 

 enemies at first sight, and properly appre- 

 ciate the merits of his insect coadjutors. — 

 Probably some thousands of species might 

 be omitted, as doing but little good or harm. 



In the mean time, I am pleased with eve- 

 ry hint on this subject, however slight and 

 imperfect it may be ; for 1 consider such as 

 notices of our wants, which may eventually 

 stimulate and encourage some Entomolo- 

 gist in an undertaking of such great conse- 

 quence to the welfare and prosperity of this 

 country. 



Of course, with the discovery of my old 

 friend, H. G. Spafford, (Gen. Farmer, No. 

 17), I was much interested, although I am 

 not acquainted with the insect whose opera- 

 tions he has circumvented. The name that 

 lie has given however, may induce some to 

 mistake it for the worm (JEgeria exitiosa*) 

 which feeds just below the surface of the 

 ground on the pulpy bark of the peach tree, 

 but which I have never observed to perfor- 

 ate the solid wood. 



Much has been said of an insect called 

 (he Borer, which, in some places, is destruc- 

 tive to the locust tree. Some years ago, I 

 was told near the Ohio River, below Cin- 

 cinnati, that such an insect had destroyed 

 some apple trees in that neighborhood, and 

 much damage from it was apprehended. I 

 have heard nothing of it since. In the first 

 volume of the Transactions of the Agricul- 

 tural Society of New-York, I also find the 

 following account of " a disease" in the ap- 

 ple tree, "by William Denning, Esquire, 

 dated December 22, 1793." 



"I first observed it in my orchards in the 

 vicinity of the Hudson river, north of the 

 Highlands, in the year 1780. I have since 

 observed its baneful progress further south. 

 And if I am not mistaken, it is spreading 

 rapidly. I have observed it also attacking 

 pear trees and quince trees, to the total de- 

 struction of them in a few years. 



" I observed the young, remote, and ten- 

 der shoots first affected — but could discover 

 no external cause. On the second year I 

 found the boughs wounded deeper ; ant! pro- 

 gressing yearly, the trees continued to sick- 

 en, and in six or seven years died. It is to 



* JEgeria exitiosa. The following is an extract 

 from Say's account of this insect. "It is somewhat 

 difficult to ascertain the early movements of the lar- 

 va, in consequence of its small size ; but its destruc- 

 tive career certainly commences about the last of 

 September or early In October, by its entering the 

 tree probably through the tender bark under the 

 (surface of the soil; after having passed through the 

 bark, it proceeds downward.; into the root, and fi- 

 nally turns its course towards the surface, where it 

 arrives about the commencement of the succeeding 

 ulv 



While I frankly avow my respect for the attain- 

 ments of this eminent entomologist, I must remark 

 that the expressions in italicks, are equivocal and 

 unsatisfactory. That the worm gnaws downward 

 uito the root is literally true, but it confines itself to 

 the bark, and limits Us descent to a very few inches. 

 Thatit finally turns its course towards the surface 

 ii also literally true ; but instead of one visit to the 

 flarfaee, (as the expression might imply,) it ?nust 

 frequently visit the surface, to eject from its abode 

 (which it keeps comparatively clean) the filth which 

 mixing with the gum, indicates to the practised eye, 

 tioth in spring and in auttrinn, the presence of e ie- 

 ipredator. 



be observed that every spring, the trees ap- 

 pear in full vigor (except the limbs already 

 perished — ) and continue so till the latter 

 end of June — when suddenly the leaves wi- 

 ther, turn red, and soon fall off, the whole 

 tree appears sick, and the fruit full of spots. 



" Still pursuing my inquiries, I have had 

 some apple trees cut down that were far de- 

 cayed. In the first I discovered two worm 

 holes running perpendicular from the tap 

 root up through the heart; these holes were 

 large enough to admit a common pipe stem, 

 and reached about 14 inches above the sur- 

 face of the ground, and from each hole, I 

 screwed out a worm. All the other trees I 

 found perforated with worm holes, such as 

 I have described, and in some to the number 

 of eight or ten." He then adds, " I am of 

 opinion that they are of the same kind [as] 

 those so common and so well known to be 

 the constant attendants on peach trees." 



The opinion, however, appears to be er- 

 roneous from two considerations. 1st. The 

 peach worm in the larva state, solely derives 

 its food from the inner bark of the peach 

 tree. 2d. As soon as the larva is full grown, 

 it enters the pupa state. At either period, 

 it would consequently be much out of place 

 in the wood of an apple tree. 



In this account, the apple trees were said 

 to be far decayed. If the wood and not the 

 vegetabtt life, was meant, these were most 

 probably that kind of grub which is so par- 

 tial to wood in a decomposing state ; and 

 which would therefore not settle the question 

 whether the tree died in consequence of the 

 worm, or whether the worm only took pos- 

 session of the tree because it was dead. 



Part of ths foregoing account agrees with 

 the fire blight ; and his observing it on the 

 pear tree and quince tree as well as the apple 

 tree, strengthens the suspicion. 



H. G. Spafford would greatly oblige us by 

 describing " the Borer" — whether that in- 

 sect is in the perfect state ? or in the larva 

 state ? — the different kinds of trees that it is 

 known to attack ? — and the season when its 

 operations are begun, and when the damage 

 becomes visible. 



Tuo years ago, soon after the leaves ap- 

 peared in spring, I observed that several 

 small branches on different apricot trees 

 were dying. As this was not the usual time 

 for the appearance of fire blight, it claimed 

 but little attention, and last year there was 

 no recurrence of the malady. This spring, 

 however, soon after the blossoms had fallen, 

 and the leaves had partially protruded, I ob- 

 served that a limb two inches in diameter at 

 its base, on the north side of the tree, was 

 entirely dead. It was immediately taken oil' 

 with the sau; and closely examined for 

 worm holes. In a branch three-fourths of 

 an inch diameter, and where the bark was 

 roughened by old buds, we found three dif- 

 ferent holes one-fifteenth of an inch niani- 

 eter, in two of which two insects were detect- 

 ed, and in one we discovered two eggs. The 

 holes are very irregular — some are curved, 

 rather conforming, though not with exact- 

 ness, to the concentric layers of the wood — 

 others are nearly straight, perforating the 

 branch longitudinally, but not exactly follow- 

 ing the pith. 



The works of this depredator were discov- 

 ered and well described to me by my friend 

 Dr. S. Mosher, of Union Springs, nearly 

 two years ago ; but this is the first time that 

 it has come under my notice. 



This insect was in its perfect state, very 



dark brown, one-eighth of an inch long, anc 

 is probably a species of Uiaptris. So singu 

 lar is the appearance of its corselet, that a 

 bystander remarked, " it seems like a bras* 

 kettle over its head." In the few bookf 

 which we have on Entomology, we find no 

 specific description ; but the following gen- 

 eric character is taken from Professor Ea- 

 ton's Zoological Text Book : 

 Diaperis. (Shield bug) head concealed un- 

 der the corselet, or received in a deep ex- 

 cavation in its forward end ; the sides of 

 the corselet and of the chest project over 

 the body. It is often very flat, oval, and 

 in the form of a shield. 

 From the foregoing account, it will ap- 

 pear that this insect is much smaller than 

 the Borer noticed by H. G. Spafford. He 

 says, " His chips and excrement [were] ly- 

 ing in heaps like saw dust around the stem 

 I ran in a sharp-pointed pocket-knife blade 

 of two inches in length, and could turn i- 

 horizontally quite round." 



Should any other reader of the Genesee 

 Farmer have made similar discoveries, 1 

 respectfully solicit for publication in this 

 journal, a notice of such observations ; and 

 we will offer our thanks even if it should be 

 very brief. D. T. 



P. S. Since writing the above, I have ex- 

 amined some young peach trees to ascertain 

 whether my recollections were entirely cor 

 rect ; and the longest hole of Jive worm' 

 which 1 have taken out this day, (5 mo. 26 

 did not exceed two inches,\he average length, 

 an inch and a half. The wood in no place 

 appeared to be eaten. D. T. 



CULTURE OF THE VINE. 



The following observations on the culture 

 of the Vine, are extracted from a little work 

 lately published in New- York, entiled " Out 

 Neighborhood," containing many excellen' 

 practical directions, and ingenious specula 

 tions respecting the art of horticulture. In 

 speaking of this work, the New- York Eve 

 ning Post says, " It contains nothing of com 

 pilation ; the knowledge it communicates i- 

 gathered fresh from the observation of na ■ 

 ture — the precepts it conveys are transferred 

 directly from practice in the garden to the 

 pages of the book. It is a good omen foi 

 any art when such minds occupy themselves 

 in its improvement. Horticulture has comt 

 to be. regarded as a liberal pursuit — as a sub 

 ject worthy of the attention of cultivated tin 

 demanding? and benevolent hearts. It i- 

 no wonder that under such auspices it should 

 improve as it has done for a few years pas' 

 to such a degree, that a person on going m 

 to our markets now, and comparing them 

 with those of ten years since, might almost 

 think that the climate had changed." 



Monday, November \sti 18 . — I begji 

 this morning to open the earth around my 

 grape vines; young Hay ward remaining 

 with me to show me the way that succeeds 

 best with him. He spent Sunday with me, 

 and I find him quite a sensible man. He 

 says that he has tried every method suggest 

 ed by the experience of others, and yet he 

 does not consider himself as successful ii 

 the culture of grapes. Dr. Bently has a grea:. 

 many grape vines, and takes uncommon 

 pains with them ; yet, unwilling as he is tr. 

 own it, he had but a few bunches tlrat ripen 



