INSECTS. 343 



cutting the dead bark until we find them, often along the 

 main roots ; the follicles with the pupae should also be 

 sought. This work can be done in the autumn and spring ; 

 if at the former season, the removed earth should be left 

 away from the stem, when coal tar may be applied to de- 

 stroy any worms left in the tree and to act as a preven- 

 tive against future attacks, but this substance should be 

 used with great caution. If applied, the earth should be 

 thrown back to the tree. Boiling soap-suds has been 

 used with good effects. 



PREVENTIVES are sometimes better than cures, and in 

 this case they have been very successfully used. They 

 all consist in means to keep the moth from depositing her 

 eggs in the part of the tree where, alone, the borers can 

 be harmful. Some raise a little mound of earth about 

 the tree in the spring, and allow it to remain there all 

 summer. The first application of this principle consisted 

 in placing a chimney crock about the base of the young 

 tree when planted ; into this coal ashes, cinders, or even 

 gravel was placed, which protected the base of the tree. 

 In the autumn the crock was lifted, and the materials 

 scattered. An open box, made of four bits of board, 

 tacked together, answered the same purpose. A cone of 

 coarse brown paper, tied about the tree with grocers' 

 string, or pasted upon the tree itself, when applied, will 

 answer a very good purpose in keeping off the fly. 



A small portion of sulphur thrown about the tree is 

 said to have the desired effect, but the statement has not 

 been confirmed by trial. It has been recommended to 

 plant Tansy with every peach tree, but doubt attaches it- 

 self to this suggestion also. 



