THE PEACH. Wl 



from the wounds, and a portion of which pushes itself 

 a little above the surface of the ground. The worm, 

 which is of a yellowish-white color, grows to the size of 

 an inch in length, is very voracious, and the product of 

 a four-winged long-shaped fly, with dark steel-blue 

 wings, and yellow bands about the body. It is a species 

 of ^geria, called by Say, who has described it, exigiosa, 

 or the destructive, and its eggs are deposited during the 

 summer upon the outer surface of the tree near the 

 root. As soon as these hatch, the minute maggot-like 

 larva penetrate the bark, and begin their work of de- 

 struction, which increases with their size. They live in 

 this way about a year, when they cut out and enter 

 their chrysalis state, between the tree and the earth, 

 covered with the gum which bulges out from the base 

 of the tree. After lying here a little while, they come 

 forth in the new form of winged insects, and are soon 

 busy in depositing a new crop of eggs for the production 

 of more extensive destruction. A particular description 

 of this insect and its habits may be found in the Farm- 

 ers' and Planters' Encyclopc^dia, under the head 

 "Peach." Putting a quart or more of unleached ashes 

 around the crown of the root in the month of April is 

 recommended as a good destroyer of the peach worm. 

 A mixture of common salt and saltpetre, one-eighth of 

 the latter to seven-eighths of the former, has also been 

 successfully applied in a similar manner. Freshly 

 slaked lime, half a peck heaped up around the crown 

 of the root of each tree, is also recommended, the lime 

 to be spread oUt over the ground the succeeding year. 

 All these plans are doubtless advantageous, not only 

 from their often destroying the worm, but by their con- 

 tributing fertilizing qualities to the soil. 



