44 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



I 



some, and oil of any kind will undoubtedly destroy those with 

 which it comes in contact, but the difficulty is, too many escape, 

 and besides, there is danger of injuring the trees by such 

 applications. Of the autumn caterpillar, which draws its web 

 around the foliage, feeding upon what is inclosed, and gradually 

 extending and enlarging as pasturage becomes necessary, go 

 directly to the colony, using ladder if out of reach, and with 

 your hands take erery one, and let the after treatment be 

 summarily performed as in the case of the tent caterpillar. 

 Another worm clusters on the under side of the leaf, and feeds 

 upon the same, making neither tent or web ; consequently it is 

 not often discovered until the branch on which it is at work is 

 denuded of foliage. In all cases take them off, and that can be 

 more easily done by cutting every leaf on which they are 

 clustered. In short, my doctrine is this : destroy all vermin 

 that feed on the foliage of fruit trees, and for reasons so obvious 

 that argument is unnecessary. 



There is, however, another pest, which must not be over- 

 looked. I allude to the apple-tree borer. He is more stealthy 

 in his operations, working under cover of the bark and generally 

 near the ground. There are exceptional cases, for we not unfre- 

 quently find borers in the branches near where they fork. 

 During the months of July and August, and when there has 

 been no rain for a few days, young borers may be readily dis- 

 covered, and as easily extracted with the point of a knife. 

 Immediately after a shower, which obliterates borers' tracks, — 

 they being in the form of little reddish brown castings or chips, 

 thrown out by the boring larvEe, — it is better not to search for 

 them. 



The canker worm, too, is already within the limits of our 

 society, and farmers must be on their guard, or we shall ere 

 long see our orchards burned over in the month of June by 

 that most difficult of all the insect pests to eradicate. 



I cannot forbear writing a word in relation to the birds which 

 feed upon some if not all the insects and their larvte to which 

 allusion has been made. The titmouse and woodpecker are 

 known to belong to that class, and remain with us during the 

 year. The tongue of the woodpecker being very elastic, — capa- 

 ble of extending the point (hard and armed with hooks,) an 

 inch and a half, more or less, beyond the point of beak, — they 



