SHADE TREE PESTS 



53 



value of birds in keeping other pests under control is also strikingly 

 shown in the experiment conducted by Mr E. H. Forbush, ornithologist 

 of the Massachusetts board of agriculture. In a typical orchard at 

 Medford, Mass., a little trouble was taken to attract the native birds, 

 the nests of the English or h'>u-e sparrow being destroyed. The results 

 were greatly in favor of protecting our indigenous forms. In the neigh- 

 boring orchards it was evident that canker worms and tent caterpillars 

 were very numerous, but in the orchard in question, the trees were 

 seriously injured in only one or two instances, though no attempt was 

 made to control the insects by spraying or other artificial means. 



Our native birds are undoubtedly of great value and will richly repay 

 any slight effort that may be made for the purpose of attracting them to 

 a locality. Winter birds may be induced to remain in a neighborhood 

 by hanging in the trees pieces of meat or partial 1 y picked bones, and 

 will spend much time in searching out and devouring numerous insects 

 and their eggs, relying on the meat only when conditions are unfavorable 

 for obtaining insect foot. Migratory birds may be induced to remain in 

 larger numbers in a locality by providing them with suitable nesting 

 places and materials, and by protecting them from cats and cruel boys. 

 Thickets in the vicinity will affbrd shelter for ceitain species and if a few 

 mulberry trees are set out, their fruit will serve to protect cherries, as 

 the birds are said to eat the mulberries by preference. Most of these 

 suggestions are taken from a very practical paper by Mr Forbush. 



SPRAYING TREES 



Though it is rather costly to spray trees in a thorough manner, in the 

 case of the elm leaf beetle at least, it is much more satisfactory than 

 any other method of fighting the pest and possesses the additional 

 advantage of also controlling other leaf feeding species. 



Rules for spraying. Apply the poisonous mixture at the time the 

 insects begin to feed and on the part of the tree eaten. To control the 

 elm leaf beetle it is best to spray once after the leaves have partly 

 unfolded in order to kill the beetles before they can deposit many eggs, 

 and a second time early in June for the purpose of destroying the grubs 

 hatching from eggs laid by stray beetles. The second spraying must be 

 on the under surface of the leaves because the grubs eat only the more 

 tender under portions. They grow so rapidly and their development is 

 affected to so great an extent by local conditions that the proper time for 

 treatment must be determined largely by observation. If the eggs of the 

 white marked tussock moth have not been removed, as advised on a 

 preceding page, the caterpillars can be destroyed by spraying the latter 



