798 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



trees at this period with arsenate of noticeable until the insect has completed 

 lead at the rate of 1 pound to 10 gallons its transformation. In summer, the 

 of water in order to poison the beetles in infested trees show wilted leaves and 

 their process of feeding. This method many dead twigs. Holes in the base of 

 has probably been of some service but the petioles of these leaves are also 

 can be little depended on and the salva- sure signs of the workings of the insect, 

 tion of the hickory trees really lies in At the present time the mature beetles 

 the rapid, timely and absolute destruc- are emerging from the infested trees 

 tion of all infested bark. and soon it will be time for those 



interested to select the hope- 

 lessly infested trees, mark 

 them for removal and cut 

 them down in winter. The 

 hickory wood is heavy, hard 

 and strong and that of the 

 removed trees sufficiently suit- 

 able for agricultural imple- 

 ments, carriages and wagons, 

 for fuel, telephone poles, ties 

 and posts. 



The hickory bark borer is 

 an old enemy in this coun- 

 try but has never before been 

 serious enough to cause special 

 comment. Now it is serious 

 enough, in the vicinity of New 

 York, at least to cause alarm. 

 It was observed as early as 

 1867 and has since then been 

 studied by entomologists in 

 many parts of the country. 

 In 1903 a serious infestation 

 occurred at Belle Isle Park 

 in Detroit, Michigan. All 

 the hickory trees there were 

 threatened with destruction 

 and only a timely cutting 

 down of the infested ones 

 saved the rest. The felled 

 trees were sold and covered 

 the expense of the cutting. 



The writer first observed 

 its presence on Long Island 

 at Prospect Park in 1906. 

 He then obtained the per- 

 sonal assistance of Dr. A. D. 

 Hopkins, Chief of the Division 

 of Forest Insects in the United States 

 Bureau of Entomology and of Dr. E. 

 P. Felt, State Entomologist of New 

 York. We then experimented with 

 numerous methods of eradicating the 

 borer and finally came to the conclusion 

 that the most practical way was to re- 

 move and burn the infested trees before 

 the month of May. Accordingly we cut 

 out and burned all the badly damaged 



1'$' 



Inside the Bark 



inner side of hickory tree bark showing parental and 

 larval galleries as diagramed in the first illustration 

 in this article 



After the period of feeding, the beetle 

 bores small holes into the trees in which 

 it deposits its eggs. These eggs hatch 

 out into grubs and the life cycle of the 

 insect is repeated. The presence of the 

 insect can be detected by the small 

 holes in the bark of the tree and the 

 fine sawdust which is ejected from these 

 holes when the insects are active. 

 These holes, however, will not be 



