﻿REMEDIES 
  AGAINST 
  CANKER 
  WORMS. 
  18^ 
  

  

  CLASSIFICATION 
  OF 
  CONTRIVANCES 
  AND 
  PRECAUTIONS 
  NECESSARY. 
  

  

  " 
  Now, 
  all 
  these 
  appliances, 
  of 
  whatsoever 
  character, 
  are 
  divisible 
  into 
  

   two 
  classes 
  : 
  First, 
  those 
  which 
  prevent 
  the 
  ascension 
  of 
  the 
  moth 
  by 
  

   entangling 
  her 
  feet, 
  and 
  trapping 
  her 
  fast, 
  or 
  by 
  drowning 
  her 
  ; 
  and^ 
  

   second, 
  those 
  which 
  accomplish 
  the 
  same 
  end 
  by 
  preventing 
  her 
  from 
  

   getting 
  a 
  foothold, 
  and 
  thus 
  causing 
  her 
  repeatedly 
  to 
  fall 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  

   until 
  she 
  becomes 
  exhausted 
  and 
  dies. 
  

  

  '' 
  The 
  remedies 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  class 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  effectual 
  when 
  applied 
  

   understandingly 
  and 
  persistently. 
  And 
  by 
  this 
  I 
  mean, 
  that 
  the 
  or^ 
  

   chardist 
  must 
  know 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  moths 
  of 
  vernata 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  

   those 
  of 
  pometarla 
  issue 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  applications 
  

   must, 
  in 
  consequence, 
  be 
  made 
  at 
  least 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  

   October, 
  and 
  that 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  keptin 
  effective 
  condition, 
  through 
  all 
  but 
  

   freezing 
  weather, 
  till 
  the 
  leaves 
  have 
  well 
  put 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   spring, 
  and 
  that 
  if, 
  at 
  any 
  season, 
  the 
  parents 
  or 
  the 
  worms 
  are 
  run- 
  

   ning 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  they 
  may 
  bridge 
  over 
  the 
  obstacles 
  with 
  their 
  

   dead 
  bodies, 
  over 
  which 
  the 
  later 
  individuals 
  can 
  pass, 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  a 
  

   renewed 
  application 
  must 
  be 
  made. 
  Furthermore, 
  he 
  must 
  know 
  that 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  moths 
  — 
  frustrated 
  in 
  their 
  efforts 
  to 
  climb 
  the 
  tree 
  — 
  will 
  

   deposit 
  their 
  eggs 
  near 
  the 
  ground 
  or 
  anywhere 
  below 
  the 
  application,, 
  

   and 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  worms 
  hatching 
  from 
  them 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  pass 
  behind 
  

   the 
  slightest 
  crevice 
  or 
  over 
  the 
  finest 
  straw. 
  Thus, 
  if 
  troughs 
  are 
  used 
  

   around 
  the 
  trunk, 
  they 
  must 
  be 
  fitted 
  over 
  a 
  bandage 
  of 
  cotton 
  wool,, 
  

   cloth, 
  hay, 
  or 
  seaweed, 
  so 
  that 
  when 
  the 
  trough 
  is 
  drawn 
  tightly 
  around 
  

   the 
  tree, 
  it 
  will 
  do 
  no 
  injury, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  all 
  the 
  inequalities 
  

   of 
  the 
  bark 
  will 
  be 
  filled 
  up 
  ; 
  "the 
  joint 
  must 
  likewise 
  be 
  kept 
  smeared 
  

   either 
  with 
  tar 
  or 
  molasses, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  worms 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  pass. 
  

   In 
  the 
  neglect 
  to 
  thus 
  fasten 
  them, 
  lies 
  the 
  secret 
  of 
  failure 
  which 
  many 
  

   report 
  who 
  use 
  such 
  troughs. 
  

  

  " 
  Contrivances 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  class 
  are 
  of 
  no 
  avail 
  whatever, 
  for 
  although 
  

   the 
  moth 
  is 
  unable 
  to 
  travel 
  over 
  a 
  very 
  smooth 
  surface, 
  I 
  know 
  from 
  

   experience 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  worms 
  can 
  march 
  over 
  the 
  smoothest 
  glass 
  

   by 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  glutinous 
  silken 
  thread 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  spin 
  from 
  

   the 
  very 
  moment 
  they 
  are 
  born. 
  For 
  these 
  reasons, 
  even 
  the 
  ' 
  Merritt's 
  

   Patent 
  Tree-Protector,^ 
  which 
  was 
  so 
  well 
  advertised 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Howard 
  

   in 
  his 
  otherwise 
  excellent 
  article 
  on 
  the 
  Canker 
  Worm, 
  in 
  the 
  Michigan 
  

   Agricultural 
  Eeport 
  for 
  1865, 
  must 
  be 
  classed 
  with 
  the 
  worthless 
  pat- 
  

   ents. 
  This 
  ^Protector' 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  ring 
  of 
  glass 
  grooved 
  below 
  and 
  

   hung 
  from 
  the 
  tree 
  by 
  a 
  tent 
  of 
  canvas, 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  fastened 
  by 
  aiL 
  

   iron 
  clamp." 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  year 
  that 
  tar, 
  ink, 
  or 
  any 
  substance 
  which 
  kills 
  the 
  moth 
  is- 
  

   used, 
  there 
  is 
  constant 
  danger 
  that 
  the 
  moths 
  will 
  appear 
  in 
  such 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  as 
  to 
  " 
  bridge 
  over," 
  and 
  thus 
  enable 
  some 
  to 
  cross 
  on 
  the 
  dead 
  bodies, 
  

   of 
  their 
  comrades. 
  But 
  after 
  an 
  orchard 
  has 
  been 
  well 
  protected, 
  there 
  

   is 
  little 
  danger 
  that 
  the 
  moths 
  will 
  next 
  year 
  go 
  up 
  in 
  sufficient 
  numbers 
  

   to 
  do 
  this. 
  

  

  