22 



BULLETIN 847. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE PAGE ORCHARD. 



The Page orchard, like the Darnall orchard, was found in 1914 

 to be heavily infested with roundheaded apple-tree borers. The 

 trees within the orchard and within a strip 300 feet in width sur- 

 rounding the orchard were cleaned of borers. The orchard contained 

 464 trees from which were removed 290 borers, 254 of which were 

 from eggs of the current season. This orchard was surrounded en- 

 tirely by pasture lands over which grew scattering seedling apple, 

 crab apple, and hawthorn trees in which many borers were develop- 

 ing. The second annual examination,, which was made in August, 

 1915, showed that 55 eggs had been laid in the orchard trees. One 



Fig. 3, A. — Saperda Candida. Plat of Page orchard illustrating distance of flight of 

 female beetles during oviposition. Circles represent locations of infested trees and 

 the figures within show number of borers found. Orchard surrounded by 300-foot 

 strip cleaned of borers. Plat 1 : Infested trees and number of borers found at first 

 examination (1914). Orchard contained 290 borers, 254 of which developed from 

 eggs of the current year. 



borer had been overlooked in the orchard during the examination of 

 the previous year and this had developed into an adult female, as 

 was apparent from the size of the exit hole, and near to the tree 

 from which it issued two trees were found containing, respectively, 

 4 and 9 young borers. In another part of the orchard a group of 7 

 trees contained 42 young borers. This group of infested trees was 

 near the outer border of the orchard, and 275 feet distant another 

 fresh female exit hole was found in a seedling apple growing in the 

 pasture field, the author of which had been overlooked the previous 

 year. It seemed probable that this beetle had flown to the orchard 

 and that the two females overlooked the previous year were respon- 

 sible for all the eggs which, were deposited within the orchard in 

 1915. 



