74 Protecting Trees /rom Canker-worms. 



experienced by making a change no greater than that from horse to cow 

 manure. 



The points which we have touched on might be elaborated, had we 

 space, to ten times the extent ; but our main object has been to impress 

 all with the necessity of avoiding all waste of fertilizing matei^ial, and 

 of utilizing every substance that can take the place of the manures which 

 were once so ample, but are now more and more insufficient ; and we 

 end as we begj^i, that the subject is of the highest importance, not 

 only to the cultivator of the ground, but to every one who eats food 

 or wears clothing, for not merely the food of animals and men, but 

 every fibre of clothing, comes more or less directly from the ground. 



PROTECTING TREES FROM CANKER-WORMS. 



By T. C. Thurlow, West Newbury, Mass. 



Seeing an excellent article under the above heading in your October 

 number, from Mr. Barker, of Cambridge, it occurred to me to suggest 

 something cheaper, and which has proved in this vicinity quite as effect- 

 ual, viz., printers^ ink. Mr. Barker recommends boxes to be placed 

 around the trees, to which are fastened zinc troughs filled with oil. The 

 lowest cost of the boxes and fixtures he estimates at two dollars pei 

 tree. I have seen these in various places around Boston, and have m 

 doubt that if properly adjusted and carefully watched they will pro^e 

 efficient, and probably for a few trees in a city lot this would be the best 

 protection. My observation of the canker-worm has been mostly con- 

 fined to Essex County, Massachusetts, and Rockingham County, ISfew 

 Hampshire, and extends back to about i860. Previous to that tme 

 they had not been seen here (except in a few localities) for many years. 

 Many of the farmers at that date had hundreds, or even thousaids, 

 of apple trees, generally young, and just commencing to bear. The 

 destruction of the trees has in many instances been frightful, aid in 

 some almost total. A large part of the orchardists have done nothing 

 as yet to protect their trees, trusting that through the " natural course 

 of events," an untimely frost, or some other freak of nature, the^r trees 

 might be rid of these pests ; but they have generally waited to their 

 sorrow. Some, at the start, commenced to tar, others to apply the vari- 

 ous " patent protectors ; " but we hear very little of either at present. 



