PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 161' 



THE PEACH GRUB. 



Here is a subject for discussion, which, if it should elicit a 

 remedy, would be interesting to everybody. The letter is from 

 East Wilson, Niagara County, N. Y., and having the great merit 

 of being brief and to the point, I will read it. The writer says : 



" A large and interested community, comprising at least jive 

 thousand peach growers in this county, ask for light. What can 

 be done to stay the riavages of the red-headed peach-grub 1 Dig 

 him out and kill him will only insure an armistice for about ten 

 days ; fresh wood-ashes applied to the trees only seem to sharpen 

 his appetite for destruction. Hundreds of orchards and thousands 

 of trees are dying from his operations. There are half a million 

 of peach trees in this vicinity suffering from this pest. Will tar 

 prevent his operations ? and will it injure the tree ? Can you 

 or any of your numerous readers or correspondents tell us of 

 any specific which will kill the grub without injuring the tree? 

 If you can do so, you will confer a substantial favor upon many 

 hundreds of your readers." 



Andrew S. Fuller. — The best remedy is to preserve the birds — 

 the natural insect destroyers. It is their decrease that has in- 

 creased destructive insects. 



Wm. Lawton stated that he had taken great pains to preserve 

 birds around his place, and was now reaping the benefit. As to 

 any outward application to kill the peach-worm, he did not know 

 of anything that would destroy it without destroying the trees. 

 If the worms are dug out, and a plaster of soft cow manure is 

 applied, the tree may recover. It is a very tedious operation. 



The Secretary advocated the cultivation, or rather protection, 

 of wrens and insect-destroyers. 



Mr. Fuller said that the wren was a mischievous bird, and 

 destroyed the eggs of other birds. 



DISEASE or CHERRY TREES. 



Solon Robinson read a letter from A. Langdon, Belmont, Alle- 

 gany County, N. Y., asking for a remedy for the disease of cherry 

 trees that exude gum, and finally crack open and die. 



Wm. Lawton said that cutting out the gum-spots very carefully, 

 not to injure the inside bark, and it will work a cure. The cause 

 is an excessive growth. * 



[Am. Inst.] K 



