262 



AAT ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



siderable feeding before winter arrives. ' ' Worming' ' peach- 

 trees, or cutting out the larv^, is a recognized method of getting 

 rid of these insects, and has the advantage of being effective, if 

 thoroughly done. It has the disadvantage of gashing the trees, 

 and sometimes causing a considerable amount of injury before 

 the insect is found. If carelessly done a few will escape, and 

 sooner or later the tree becomes girdled at the base, or so 

 weakened that it proves attractive to bark-beetles, who complete 

 the work begun by the borers. Our task is to keep the insects 

 out if possible, and the best method is to cover the bark with 

 some material upon which the insect cannot lay its eggs or through 

 which the young larvae cannot penetrate. On old trees white- 

 lead paint in boiled linseed oil is about as good as anything, but 

 it should not be used on young trees, nor should turpentine be 

 used to thin out the lead in any case. On younger trees white- 

 wash thoroughly applied and kept on from quite early in the ' 

 spring until after midsummer will answer the same purpose, but 

 as this washes off readily, it must be renewed as often as the 

 coating becomes imperfect. Quite a satisfactory method is to 

 wrap newspapers or tarred paper around the lower two feet of 

 the trunk, hilling up against it at the base and tying at the top. 

 This must be replaced yearly, but is an effective protection when 

 well put on. Fine wire netting will answer the same purpose, 

 and has the advantage of being more lasting ; or an application 

 of *' insect lime" or " dendrolene," applied early in the season 

 and maintained until midsummer, will serve perfectly. Anything, 

 in fact, that forms a mechanical protection to the tree will 

 answer, and this is the most satisfactory method of keeping out 

 borers generally. 



There are other species of this family boring in maple, and 

 their empty pupa shells may often be seen sticking out of the 

 bark ; and so plum, pear, and a great variety of other trees are 

 sometimes attacked. Where maples are to be protected, the 

 whitewash affords the best hope of success, unless wire netting 

 much finer than the ordinary mosquito screening is employed. 

 Sesia acerni^ the ' ' maple clear-wing, " is a slender-bodied little 

 creature, prettily marked with red and yellow, and would be 

 able to oviposit through the meshes of an ordinary mosquito 

 screen without trouble. 



