﻿REMEDIES 
  AGAINST 
  CANKER 
  WORMS. 
  187 
  

  

  wash, 
  to 
  absorb 
  the 
  oil 
  that 
  may 
  fall 
  upon 
  it. 
  Care 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  

   renew 
  the 
  oil 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  it 
  escapes 
  or 
  becomes 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  insects. 
  

   These 
  troughs, 
  though 
  costing 
  more, 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  less 
  troublesome 
  than 
  

   tar, 
  and 
  may 
  safely 
  be 
  recommended 
  and 
  employed, 
  if 
  proper 
  attention 
  

   is 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  precautions 
  above 
  named. 
  

  

  If 
  oil-troughs 
  are 
  used, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  much 
  safer 
  and 
  surer 
  to 
  

   sink 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  close 
  around 
  the 
  butt 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  than 
  to 
  wind 
  

   them 
  around 
  the 
  trunk 
  higher 
  up. 
  There 
  will 
  then 
  be 
  no 
  chance 
  for 
  the 
  

   young 
  worms 
  to 
  get 
  up 
  between 
  the 
  trough 
  and 
  the 
  tree, 
  and 
  all 
  danger 
  

   of 
  hurting 
  the 
  tree 
  with 
  oil 
  or 
  tar 
  is 
  entirely 
  avoided. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  description 
  of 
  a 
  trough 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  is 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  

   report 
  of 
  a 
  committee 
  chosen 
  to 
  award 
  a 
  premium 
  of 
  $100, 
  offered 
  in 
  

   1871 
  C?) 
  by 
  the 
  Essex 
  (Mass.) 
  Agricultural 
  Society, 
  for 
  a 
  ^^new, 
  cheap 
  

   and 
  effectual 
  remedy 
  against 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  Canker 
  Worm'^: 
  

  

  The 
  protector 
  used 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  is 
  simply 
  a 
  trough 
  or 
  gutter 
  laid 
  upon 
  the 
  ground 
  

   around 
  the 
  tree, 
  and 
  filled 
  with 
  coal-tar 
  from 
  the 
  gas-works. 
  The 
  troughs 
  used 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  two-by-three 
  joists, 
  sawn 
  from 
  two-inch 
  plank. 
  A 
  channel 
  

   an 
  inch 
  or 
  more 
  deep 
  and 
  an 
  inch 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  wide 
  is 
  grooved 
  oat, 
  and 
  the 
  stock 
  i» 
  

   then 
  sawed 
  off 
  in 
  a 
  miter-box 
  at 
  suitable 
  lengths 
  for 
  different 
  sized 
  trees, 
  and 
  the 
  

   pieces 
  nailed 
  together,* 
  one 
  side 
  slightly, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  removed 
  when 
  placed 
  

   around 
  the 
  tree. 
  A 
  square 
  box 
  or 
  trough 
  is 
  thus 
  made 
  which 
  is 
  laid 
  level 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground 
  around 
  the 
  tree. 
  The 
  space 
  between 
  trough 
  and 
  tree 
  trunk 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  dirt, 
  

   the 
  trough 
  itself 
  filled 
  with 
  coal-tar 
  from 
  the 
  gas-works, 
  and 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  done. 
  

  

  The 
  tar 
  has 
  rosin 
  oil 
  mixed 
  with 
  it, 
  and 
  is 
  stirred 
  up 
  or 
  replenished 
  

   three 
  or 
  four 
  times 
  in 
  autumn, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  spring. 
  

  

  "On 
  plowed 
  land 
  it 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  level 
  up 
  the 
  earth 
  around 
  the 
  tree, 
  but 
  

   on 
  grass-ground 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  carry 
  sand 
  or 
  dirt 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  

   place 
  the 
  trough. 
  The 
  troughs 
  first 
  used 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  had 
  a 
  cover 
  

   of 
  boards 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  rain 
  and 
  leaves 
  from 
  getting 
  into 
  the 
  tar. 
  But 
  

   he 
  finds 
  the 
  plain 
  troughs 
  just 
  as 
  effective 
  at 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  expense^ 
  

   although 
  they 
  require 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  care. 
  He 
  states 
  that 
  he 
  made 
  his 
  

   troughs 
  himself, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  cost 
  from 
  twelve 
  to 
  seventeen 
  cents 
  per 
  

   tree. 
  Of 
  course 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  cheapest, 
  coarsest 
  planky 
  

   and 
  after 
  they 
  are 
  laid 
  down 
  the 
  tar 
  will 
  help 
  to 
  preserve 
  them 
  many 
  

   years. 
  

  

  "The 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  coal-tar 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  small. 
  Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  states 
  that 
  

   he 
  found 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  stir 
  the 
  tar 
  but 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   or 
  fall, 
  and 
  that 
  few 
  troughs 
  required 
  refilling. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  holding- 
  

   the 
  annual 
  fair 
  in 
  Gloucester, 
  he 
  told 
  us 
  that 
  by 
  stirring 
  the 
  tar, 
  then 
  

   in 
  the 
  troughs, 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  would 
  effectually 
  bar 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  

   grub. 
  These 
  statements 
  seem 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  trees 
  will 
  require 
  but 
  

   little 
  labor 
  or 
  exi)ense 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  after 
  the 
  troughs 
  are 
  put 
  down. 
  

   The 
  testimony 
  of 
  other 
  parties 
  who 
  have 
  used 
  these 
  troughs 
  is 
  unani- 
  

   mous 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  effectiveness 
  when 
  properly 
  u^ed. 
  

  

  "The 
  troughs 
  used 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Leach 
  differ 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  

   only 
  in 
  having 
  a 
  triangular 
  channel, 
  which 
  Mr. 
  Sawyer 
  admits 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  

   improvement. 
  Mr. 
  Leach 
  thinks 
  his 
  troughs 
  can 
  be 
  furnished 
  ready 
  

  

  