52 WOODPECKERS IN RELATION TO TREES. 



Apple (Malus malus). — "Some apple trees [attacked by this 

 species] died back at the top and did not thrive, so that I cut them 

 down as useless" (Ellwood Cooper, Santa Barbara, Cal., Feb. 8, 

 1909). 



Along in February and March, this species does a good deal of tapping the apple 

 trees, more particularly in old orchards isolated in outlying canyons and mountain 

 flats. In one old apple orchard in Culls Canyon [near Haywards, Cal.] certain varie- 

 ties of apple trees are badly girdled, as the bellflower, winter pearmain, and Baldwin. 

 This I have noticed all through the Santa Cruz Mountains, where a good many apple 

 orchards lav. 



September 10, 1908, while on the McCloud River near Baird, Shasta County, 

 I was in a small orchard patch of a dozen trees, situated in a deep ravine of the moun- 

 tains, where no other orchards were in miles; these trees were the worst affected of 

 any I ever saw by the S. ruber work. From within a foot of the ground up, all the main 

 branches were literally cut up with their sap holes. It could plainly be seen where 

 the trees had rapidly healed or grown up again and left the bark all pitted. No evil 

 effect was noted as to small fruit, for I never saw finer sized nor colored apples in 

 the coast counties. In a 10-mile drive from there to the railroad I observed wherever 

 there grew an apple tree it was netted with ruber's sap holes. [W. O. Emerson; Hay- 

 wards, Cal., Mar, 14, 1909.] 



All the old [20 to 50 years] pear and apple trees are badly scarred up from the 

 ravages of this bird. ... I have removed numbers of the old apple trees which were 

 affected. [Ernest Adams, Clipper Gap, Cal., Apr. 30, 1909.] 



THE PLUMS AND CHERRIES (aMYGDALACE^e). 



Peach (Prunus persica). — Mr. Carberry stated that if he did not 

 keep these birds in check they would kill every fruit tree he owned. 

 At least a dozen peach trees were scarred from top to bottom with 

 small borings of tins bird (J. H. Gaut, Burney, Cal., Aug., 1905). 



Apricot (Prunus armeniaca). — "It taps fruit trees, especially 

 prune and apricot. . . . Trees are frequently killed by . . . punc- 

 tures. . . . The evil ... is wrought in summer when the dry 

 season has enfeebled the tree" (Cook). 



Plum (Prunus domestica). — The plum is attacked by the red- 

 breasted sapsucker (W. O. Emerson, Haywards, Cal., Mar. 14, 1909). 

 See also quotation under Apricot, just above. 



the rue family (rutace^e). 



Orange (Citrus aurantium). — "Some complaint has been made 

 from Riverside and Los Angeles Counties of this species cutting the 

 orange trees badly during the winter months" (W. O. Emerson, Mar. 

 14, 1909). Orange trees are very seriously injured (Ellwood Cooper, 

 Santa Barbara, Cal., Jan. 22, 1909). 



THE SUMAC FAMILY (aNACARDIACE.e). 



Pepper tree (Schinus molle). — The red-breasted sapsuckei is 

 "oftenest noticed, even along the noisy city streets, in the pepper 

 trees, the sap of which this bird seems to particularly like" (Grin- 

 nell, 1898). 



