AGRICULURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 207 



the trunk of the tree with the band, while other orchards in the 

 vicinity were infested. Regarding the matter of importance, we 

 addressed some questions to Mr. Remick and condense the follow- 

 ing facts from his reply : " My trees, Baldwins and Benonies 

 five years old and just commencing to bear. They are planted on 

 sandy loam and have been well fertilized with manure about the 

 roots and are vigorous. My orchard is younger than my neigh- 

 bors'. There are orchards within a short distance of mine. My 

 trees have never been scraped but are naturally smooth and I have 

 never applied any washes to protect them from borers. 



I rub the trunks well with the hand twice every season-, once in 

 June and again in September. I rub as low as possible and to 

 some height oh the trunk." We tried to secure some larvae of 

 borers from the adjoining orchards, so as to learn which species 

 of borer was common in the region, but did not. Under the 

 circumstances we are not able to decide regarding the efficacy of 

 the remedy. We see no reason why rubbing about the crown and 

 lower part of the trunk would not destroy the eggs o r newly 

 hatched larvae of the Round-headed Borer, (see S'ation Rept. 

 1888, p. 153.) The trunk would have to be free from crevices 

 and the rubbing done at the right time, to prove effectual. We 

 see no special efficacy in the hancl and think a stiff brush would be 

 better. If it is the Flat-headed Borer (see Station Rept., 1888, 

 p. 155) that is working in the adjoining orchards and the above 

 species rare, the vigor of the trees would protect them, as this 

 borer usually prefers sickly trees, and as it lays its eggs on the 

 branches as well as anywhere on the trunk, rubbing the base of the 

 trunk would not protect the tree. We hope to get some of the 

 larvae this season. 



We have noticed somewhere another remedy that seems to be 

 simple and apparently practical for the Round-headed Borer, viz : 

 to dig away the dirt an inch or two at the base of the tree, then 

 tie around it a piece of thick paper, allowing it to extend a foot 

 or more up the trunk ; then put the dirt back. This arrangement 

 prevents the beetle reaching the crown to lay its eggs. The paper 

 should be left on the tree during the time the beetles are on the 

 wing, that is from June to August. The paper could be poisoned 

 with Paris green. Wrapping in this way is also advised to pro- 

 tect trees from rabbits. 



