Insects and Diseases. 177 



but is far more formidable than the tent caterpillar. It has until 

 late years been mostly confined to portions of New England, but 

 more recently it has spread largely through portions of Western 

 New York, and will doubtless find its way elsewhere. It should be 

 well known to cultivators that they may destroy it when it first ap- 

 pears. It attacks both leaves and fruit ; and when numerous the 

 webs and the denuded branches together give the trees at a dis- 

 tance the appearance of having been scorched. As the female 

 cannot fly, various expedients for preventing it from ascending the 

 tree in winter or early spring have been devised. One of the best 

 contrivances for this purpose is represented in Fig. 503, and consists 

 essentially of a band or circle of tin, a few inches outside the trunk 

 of the tree, and held there by a circle of muslin, attached to the tin 

 at its edge, and drawn with a cord at the top, so as to fit the tree 

 closely, and prevent the insects from getting up without going over 



Fig. 504. Section. Fig. 503. Canker Worm Protector. Fig. 505. Stctwn, 



the tin, which is covered with a mixture of castor oil and kerosene. 

 As soon as they touch this they drop to the ground. Fig. 504 is a 

 section of the contrivance, and Fig. 505 a section of the union of 

 the tin and muslin, effected by turning over the upper edge of the 

 tin before it is bent to a circle, inserting the edge of the muslin, 

 and hammering them together. The tin may be about three inches 

 wide, and long enough to rest three or four inches off from the 

 trunk, when bent around in the form of a hoop, and se'cured by 

 rivets or small tacks. After the tin and muslin are attached to the 

 tree, the whole inner or lower surface of the tin is daubed with a 

 mixture of equal parts of kerosene and castor oil. The tin and 

 muslin entirely protect the oil from the sun and weather, and it will 

 not dry for several days. It will not run down, as the castor oil 

 thickens it. Of course it needs occasional renewal, with a small 



