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affected tree in tbe fourth row was not at the time fully dead, but the 

 foliage was turning- yellow and falling, while hundreds of beetles were 

 busdy at work burrowing into the bark. Others of these rows of trees 

 were also being attacked, but to a much less degree. The three trees 

 most seriously infested were saturated with coal oil and burned as they 

 stood, while those less infested were recommended for treatment with 

 a wash comi)Osed of soft soap and carbolic acid. 



On July 31 specimens of the beetle and sections of infested apple 

 tree were received from Mr. E. E. Wilkinson, of Princeton, Indiana, 

 with complaints of the ravages of the insects among both apple and 

 pear trees. August 4 and 5 the orchard of Mr. Wilkinson was exam- 

 ined, and a considerable number of trees, both apple and pear, found to 

 be infested by the insect in all of its stages. The orchard comprised 

 1,000 Ben Davis apple trees set alternately in rows with the same 

 number of Keifer Hybrid pear, the trees having been planted in 188S. 

 The ground had, for the most part, been but recently cleared before the 

 trees were planted, some of it having been cultivated and other por- 

 tions not. At the time of my visit the land was badly overgrown with 

 ■weeds and underbrush, and was being pastured with hogs and horses. 

 The owner stated that one tree had been attacked and died in 1888, 

 fifteen or twenty in 1889, and forty or fifty the present year. After 

 considerable time spent in the examination of infested trees, Mr. Wil- 

 kinson called my attention to the condition of the roots of infested trees, 

 claiming that the roots ot trees attacked in his orchard had been dis- 

 eased, he was quite sure, prior to their becoming infested by the borers. 

 A further study of his orchard did not prove the correctness of his 

 theory, but did reveal the fact that all trees seriously injured by the 

 insects in question were either diseased at the root, or else had sus- 

 tained some injury tending to destroy the free circulation of the sap, 

 although the tree itself might appear in a healthy condition. 



The orchard of Hon C. A. Buskirk was next examined. This com- 

 jjrised 500 Keifer Pear trees, 500 Peach trees alternated with 500 Ben 

 Davis Apple trees, and 1,100 miscellaneous Pear trees, all except the 

 last having been purchased of the same dealer, and set out at the same 

 time as Mr. Wilkinson's. The condition of this orchard was entirely dif- 

 ferent from the one previously examined. Xearly every tree was vig- 

 orous and healthy, showing the best of care and attention. The soil 

 above the roots, except where treated with lime and ashes, had been 

 fertilized with stable manure. The land had been thoroughly culti- 

 vated, but not cropped between the rows, and no cultivation was given 

 during the latter part of summer. The fatalities from all causes up to 

 date of examination amounted to one Pear and two Peach trees, only 

 the latter having been attacked by Scolytu.s, although the roots of the 

 Pear tree had been attacked by the same fungus to which Mr. Wilkin- 

 son attached so much significance. One of the Peach trees had been 

 dug up several weeks before, and from Iving out in the hot sun and 

 wind the bark had become thoroughly dead, except that on some of the 



