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THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. 



ENTOMOIiOaT. 

 No, X.— Dorer In Apple Tree*— The DupreatU 



In tho fifth volume of the Country Gcntloman, page 

 3-(5, W. M. T. of Jossamino county, Ky., asks for in- 

 formation rcapocting a worm which has done groat in- 

 jury in his orchard of young apple trees, some of tho 

 trees being entirely killed by it. Ho has not been 

 ubie to find this worm ; but we gather from his account 

 that it invariably commences its depredations upon the 

 south side of the young tree, gonernlly about n, foot 

 above the ground, and feeds upon the inner bark and 

 outer wood, filling the cavity which it makes with its 

 eastings, and at the end of its burrow it penetrates 

 inward into the solid wood, tho only external indication 

 of its destructive work beiug tho dark color of the 

 outer surface of the bark- 



A letter from S. Moore, Esq., of Kensington, Conn., 

 states that a worm answering in all respects to tho 

 above account, is at present very troublesome in his 

 and other orchards in his vicinity. He has repeatedly 

 found tho worm in its burrow under the bark. It is 

 usually from a half to three-fourths of an inch in 

 length. Ho and others are very desirous to know 

 what insect this is, and what are its habits. 



We wish Mr. M. had sent us spccimensof this worm, 

 and of the wood showing its operations. Wo fool much 

 like the Israelites under their Egyptian task-masters 

 — brick required of us, and no straw given us with 

 which to make them. We have never seen an apple 

 tree depredated upon in the manner above described. 

 From what is stated of it, the insect would appear to 

 be a species of tho family Bhprestida', or the brilliant 

 snapping beetles, many of the larvae of which mine a 

 flat or shallow burrow in tho sap-wood of the trees 

 which they infest, immediately under the bark, which 

 burrow is commonly winding or serpentine, and bo- 

 comes more broad as the worm increases in size, and 

 at its broadest end has a hole sunk into the solid wood, 

 in which the insect lies during its pnpa state. And it 

 is most probable this insect is the Thick-legged Bu- 

 prestis. Specimens of this beetle, from an orchard in 

 Michigan, were sent to the office of the Country Gen- 

 tleman Inst summer, for information as to its name, 

 and I am indebted to Mr. Barby of Rochester, for 

 pieces of wood containing the larvas. But my infor- 

 mation respecting this insect, the dates when its trans- 

 formations occur, &c., is by no means complete. I pro- 

 pose, however, to present such an account of it as will 

 enable Mr. Moore to ascertain whether this is the in- 

 sect which is infesting his orchard. And if it is not, 

 we hope he will not fail of forwarding us specimens of 

 his insect, that will enable us to ascertain what it is. 

 The perfect insect can probably bo obtained by select- 

 ing a young tree which is fatally wounded by these 

 worms, sawing it off above whore the worms are nest- 

 ling, and drawing a small bag or cap mado of gauze, 

 or of the netting used lor muskoto bars, over the 

 stump, and tioing its mouth below where tho worms 

 are reposing. Or, without cutting the tree down, net- 

 ting may be sewed in tho form of a cylinder around 

 tho trunk, and its ends tied in such a manner that the 

 insects will be imprisoned within it when they emerge 

 from the wood. And all other worms which are found 

 burrowing in the wood or bark of trees, the reader 

 should know, may be obtained in thoir perfect state in 

 this same way, except a few kinds which leave the 

 wood and bury themselves in tho ground to pass their 

 pupa state. 



Those insects which people commonly call snap-bugs, 

 or snapping beetles, from their having the faculty of 

 giving a sudden snap or spring, whereby many of them 

 are able to throw themselves over when laid upon their 

 backs, form two extensive families of the order Colk- 

 OPTEHA. One of these families, named Elators, (Ela- 

 TEBiDiB,) are nearly all of dull colors, black, liver 

 brown or chestnut. The other, named Buprostians, are 

 mostly of highly polished metallic colors, many of 

 them being among tho most splendid and brilliant of 



any insects known. It is to the latter family, as 

 already intimated, that the insect which we ore about 

 to describe, belongs. 



Next to the common apple tree boror (saperda bi- 

 vittala,) tho raostcommou boror in tho trunks of apple 

 trees in our country, is the Thick-logged Buprestis, 

 named chrysobotkris femorata, by entomlogists, from 

 its anterior thighs, which are remarkably thick and 

 swollen as it wore, and have a little augular projection 

 or tooth on tho middle of thoir under sides. Hitherto, 

 it is in Ohio ami other western states, that complaints 

 of this insect have been made. But, as it is a com- 

 mon species in all parts of our country, it will proba- 

 bly be depredating upon orchards everywhere. It is 

 a native insect of this country, existing hero, there is 

 no doubt, long before the apple tree was introduced. 

 Its natural haunt is the white oak, and other species 

 of oaks. And it is probably in consequence of the ox- 

 tensive clearing up of our native forests, that it has 

 boon forced to select other trees on which to deposit 

 its eggs, for the purpose of continuing its species. And 

 not only tho apple but peach trees are attacked, and 

 young trees are sometimes killed by it. 



The perfect insect is a flatish oblong beetle, half an 

 inch in length or somewhat less, with its head sunk 

 deep into its thorax, the thorax being more broad than 

 long and rounded at its sides. It is of a shining black 

 color, and of a firm hard consistence, and on each of 

 its wing-covers tho naked eye can discern three raised 

 linos, running lengthwise, the two outer lines being 

 interrupted by two impressed spots, which appear as 

 though they were stamped upon the surface by moans 

 of a seal. When tho wing-covers are spread apart, 

 the back beneath them is seen to be of a beautiful 

 brilliant green color. Tho under side and legs are like 

 burnished copper, the feet being deep green. 



These beetles make their appoarunco upon tho Iroos 

 they infest, during tho months of Juno and July, run- 

 ning in the hot sunshine up and down the trunk and 

 branches upon their south side, and dropping their 

 eggs in tho crevices of the bark. The worms which 

 hatch from those eggs, feed upon the soft sap-wood im- 

 mediately under tho bark, and probably upon tho in- 

 ner layers of tho bark also, forming a shallow wide 

 cavity between the bark and the wood. When they 

 approach maturity they fill the cavity which they have 

 formed, with their castings, and sink themselves deeper 

 in tho solid wood, forming not a round but a long nar- 

 row hole, and only deep enough for the worm to be 

 contained within it. Many of tho insects of this family 

 pass two or three years in their larva state, and it may 

 be tho same with this species. 



Those worms or larvte, in their form, boar some re- 

 semblance to a tadpole or to a battledoor, being quite 

 broad anteriorly, and suddenly narrowed into a long 

 gradually tapering tail consisting of several joints. 

 They have no feet, and are very flat botlj on their up- 

 per and under side, appearing as though the bark had 

 been pressed down and distorted them. They are pi;lo 

 yellowish, with two small black points jutting out in 

 front, which are the jaws. A figure of this larva, and 

 a more full description of tho species than what is hero 

 presented, with some account of a parasitic worm which 

 destroys it, will be found in my Report on Noxious In- 

 sects, published in the last volume of tho Transactions 

 of tho N. Y. State Agricultural Society. 



To enable us to devise tho best modes for combatting 

 this or any other insect, it is necessary that we have 

 full information respecting its history and habits. But 

 from tho analogy furnished by similar insects with 

 which we are acquainted, we may be able to suggest 

 remedies to which resort can be had, until further in- 

 vestigations shall make known to us others which will 

 be more convenient and effectual. 



Wherever, by the discoloration of the bark or any 

 other sign, one of these worms is found to be present, 

 the bark should be cut away until tho worm is reached, 

 when it should bo destroyed. The wound which is 

 thus mado in tho bark, will by no means injure the 



tree so much sus tho worm will If it is allowed to re- 

 main. But it is probable that beloro the worms can 

 be discovered by any external appearances, they will 

 have done much injury, especially if several are pre- 

 sent in tho samo tree. Hence it is most important 

 that wo should have some resort by which to wholly 

 shield the tree from tho attack of these insects. One 

 mode of thus protecting it, will bo to impregnate tho 

 bark with gome substance which will not be injurious 

 to tho tree, and which will at the same time repel 

 these insects from it. The parent has the instinct to 

 discover whether her progeny can subsist where she 

 places them, and probably will never deposit her eggs 

 in situations where tho young will perish. It appears 

 to bo well established that all alkaline substances are 

 poisonous to the larva) of insects, whilst they also pro- 

 mote the health and vigor of vegetation. By alkaline 

 substances the reader will understand mo as referring 

 to different preparations of the " fixed alkalis," potash 

 and soda, and not to the whole class of chemical sub- 

 stances to which tho term alkali is extended. Wo 

 thus have every reason to believe that these beetles 

 will not deposit their eggs upon tho bark of a tree 

 which is impregnated with alkaline matter. One of 

 tho most convenient and economical substances with 

 which thus to tincture tho bark of trees, is tho com- 

 mon soft soap, found in all our hmlscs. It probably is 

 not till towards the close of their lives in the month of 

 July that these beetles deposit their eggs. Therefore 

 if about the last of Juno the bark of apple and peach 

 trees bo rubbed with soap, or if this substance be 

 pla<!ed in the forks of the larger limbs, from whence it 

 will bo washed downwords upon the bark by the rains, 

 these insects I doubt not will discover it, and will for- 

 sako every tree which is thus treated. Asa Fitch. 

 Sahm, N. Y., June 2d, 1856. 



Good and Bad Seed Corn. 



There has been a very general complaint this spring 

 that corn has failed in coming up ; many fields have 

 had to be planted the second and some the third 

 time. This no doubt has been owing to two causes. 

 First, the unusually wet and cold spring, and second- 

 ly, the seed not properly secured, has been generally 

 bad. Last fall was very wet, and corn placed in large 

 bins heated to such a degree as in many instances to 

 destroy its vitality. 



The germ of corn is very tender — particularly so- 

 und but little fermentation is necessary to prevent it 

 from coming up. A person in this neighborhood, who 

 selected his seed last fall when he was husking, and 

 braided the husks of the ears and hung them in hia 

 erib, had scarcely a single failure in a large field — in- 

 deed, he said that he had never known com to come 

 up more evenly before in his life — although ho planted 

 very early. Tho cause, no doubt, was owing mainly 

 to his seed being properly scoured last fall. The dam- 

 age resulting from com faiing to come up, has been 

 very great — which might no doubt have been in a 

 great measure prevented, by adopting tho above men- 

 tioned course. E. W. Herendeen. Macedon, N. Y. 



Curing Clover Hay. 



The Boston Cultivator recommends the following 

 mode of curing clover ; 



Cut tho clover, if practicable, when free from wet. 

 Leave the swaths unspread for three or four hours. 

 Then, with fork.", put Ihe mown clover into oooks which 

 will make each about fifty pounds of dry hay— taking 

 oaro to lay it up in flakes, and rounding off the tops so 

 ea to give the best protection against rain. The pro- 

 cess of curing will advance according to the state of 

 the weather. By examination from day to day, a good 

 judge can tell when it is cured, or how much more time 

 it will require. When it is so near dry that it may be 

 finished in one day, if tho weather is fair, turn tho 

 cooks bottom upward, after the dew is off, and lighten 

 tho damp part ns much as seems necessary, being care 

 ful not to dry it so much that it so much that it will 

 dling. 



