58 



with one-half bushel of dry ashes, and sprinkled the ashes on the beans just as there was 

 a shower coming on ; the rain washed the ashes all off into the ground, and I had no 

 more trouble with the worms, but had a good crop of beans." 



Professor Riley (First Missouri Report) says : — " From the orchard planted upon 

 light warm soils, the climbing cut-worms can be driven away entirely by claying the 

 ground about the trees ; a wheelbarrow full is well-nigh enough for each tree when 

 spread around its base and as far as the limbs extend. This is the most thorough and 

 lasting remedy." 



The Fall Web-Worm. 



This very destructive insect (Hyphantria cunea, Drury ; textor Harris), is a familiar 

 nuisance all over Canada and the northern and middle States. Last autumn Professor 

 Saunders observed it defoliating trees in British Columbia; and last year (1886), it 

 became so serious a plague in Washington, D.C., that the attention of the public authorities 

 was drawn to it, and the Entomological Commission was called upon to devise a remedy 

 for its attacks. Professor Riley states in his report (page 521) that : "the city of Wash- 

 ington, as well as its vicinity, was entirely overrun by the caterpillars, with the exception 

 of trees and plants the foliage of which was not agreeable to the taste of this insect ; all 

 vegetation suffered greatly. The fine rows of shade trees which grace all the streets and 

 avenues appeared leafless and covered with throngs of hairy worms. Excepting on the 

 very tall trees, in which the highest branches shewed a few leaves, too high for the 

 caterpillars to reach, not a vestige of foliage could be seen. The trees were not alone 

 bare, but were still more disfigured by old and new webs made by the caterpillars, in 

 which bits of leaves and leaf-stems, as well as the dried frass, had collected, producing a 

 very unpleasant sight. The pavements were also covered with this unsightly frass and 

 the empty skins of the various moults the caterpillars had to undergo were drifted about 

 with every wind and collected in masses in corners and tree boxes. As long as the cater- 

 pillars were young and still small, the different communities remained under cover of 

 their webs and only offended the eye ; but as soon as they reached maturity and commenced 

 to scatter, "prompted by the desire to find suitable places to spin their cocoons and trans- 

 form to pupas, matters became more unpleasant, and complaints were heard from all those 

 who had to pass such infested trees. In many localities no one could walk without step- 

 ping upon caterpillars ; they dropped upon everyone and everything ; they entered flower 

 and vegetable gardens, porches and verandas and the house itself, and became, in fact, a 

 general nuisance." 



The above extracts are given in order to show what a plague this insect may become, 

 and to warn our readers how serious an injury it may cause to an orchard or garden if no 

 effort is made to keep it in check. 



The large unsightly webs made by this insect are no doubt familiar to everyone ; 

 they are especially noticeable on ash and wild-cherry troes, but may often be found on 

 fruit trees as well. They may be distinguished from the webs of the tent caterpillar by 

 their later appearance in the year in this country (in the south there is a spring brood as 



well), and by their enveloping two or three feet 

 of the extremity of a branch," instead of being 

 constructed in the fork of a limb. The accom- 

 panying illustration, Fig. 17, represents the 

 caterpillar, chrysalis and perfect insect. The 

 moth is a pretty little white creature ; it flies 

 only at night, and is consequently not often 

 observed. It appears about the end of May, 

 or early in June, and lays its eggs on the under 

 side of leaves near the ends of branches ; from 

 these the caterpillars come out from June to 

 August, according to the locality. The winter 

 is spent in the chrysalis state. 

 The simplest and generally the most effective remedy is to cut off the portion of the 

 bough covered by the web and to destroy by burning or treading under foot the enclosed 



Fig 17. 



