60 THE APPLE. 



empt ; they are now, however, through the great amount of importa- 

 tions of trees from the Eastern States, becoming numerous and 

 troublesome. 



The Borer, (Saperdabivittata), is yet little known ; a few instances 

 only of its appearance West have been noticed. It is an insect that 

 should be watched and checked on its first appearance. It is de- 

 structive, not only to the apple, but the quince, thorn, mountain ash, 

 suffer equally. The perfect insect is a brown and white striped 

 beetle, about half an inch long, which, flying at night, may be de- 

 stroyed in the month of June by building bonfires in the orchard. 

 In its larvse state, in which it does its work of destruction, it is a 

 fleshy white grub, which enters the tree at the collar, just at the sur- 

 face of the ground, girdling or perforating the wood to such an ex- 

 tent as often to cause death before its attack is noticed, except by 

 the careful observing orchardist ; the small round holes from which 

 dust is ejected indicate its presence. Some cut out the worm with 

 a knife, others use a barbed wire, which is .either thrust into the hole 

 and destroys the worm, or on withdrawing brings it out. Downing 

 advises as a preventive, washing the bodies of trees with the follow- 

 ing mixture : " one pint of sulphur, one gallon soft soap, and suffi- 

 cient tobacco water to reduce to the consistence of paint." 



The Caterpillar, (Clisiocampa Americana,) or common orchard 

 Caterpillar, has been long known as destructive of the foliage of 

 orchards. This, says Thomas, is hatched in spring as soon as the 

 leaf buds begin to open. At this time, it is not the tenth of an inch, 

 long, nor so large as a cambric needle, but it continues to increase 

 constantly in size for several weeks, until two inches long, and a 

 quarter of an inch in diameter. It then spins a cocoon, and passes 

 to the pupa state. In the latter part of summer, it comes out a 

 yellowish brown miller, lays its eggs, and dies. The eggs are 

 deposited in cylinders or rings, containing three to five hundred each, 

 encircling the smaller branches, and usually within a few inches of 

 the extremity. They remain through winter, protected from the 

 weather by a vesicular water-proof varnish, and hatch in spring, 

 as just stated. Each collection of eggs makes a nest of caterpillars." 



A mode for their destruction, is to cut off the small branches 

 which hold the eggs, during autumn or winter, and burn them. Those 

 that escape this mode, may be destroyed in May and June by 

 attaching a sponge or round brush to a pole, and saturating the first 

 with spirits of ammonia, turn it around among their nests. For 

 this work, one hour in the morning early, is worth four at any other 

 time in the day. 



The Canker Worm. (Anisopteryx pometaria.) This insect we 



