OF THE FAEM AXD GARDEJf. 



143 



door to keep the liorse in, after lie is stolen; even suppos- 

 ing there were any philosoj)hY in the plugging system, 

 which there is not; the round smooth holes ?.re infallible 

 indication thai the borer has left, while the plugging up 

 of any other holes or cracks where the castings are seen, 

 will not affect the intruder. This insect probably has 

 some natural enemies, belonging to its own great class, 

 and some wood-peckers doubtless seek it out from its 

 retreat and devour it; but its enemies are certainly not 

 sufficiently under our control, and to grow healthy apple 

 trees, we have to fight it artificially. Here again preven- 

 tion will prove better than cure, and a stitch in time will 

 not only save nine, but fully ninety-nine. 



Experiments have amply proved that alkaline washes are 

 repulsive to this insect, and the female beetle will not lay 

 her eggs upon trees protected by such washes. Keep the 

 base of every tree in the orchard free from weeds and 

 trash, and apply soap to them during the month of May, 

 and they will not probably be troubled with borers. For 

 this purpose soft-soap or common bar soap can be used. 

 The last is perhaps the most convenient, and the newer 

 and softer it is the better. Home-made soft-soap, such 

 as is prepared on many farms from ley of wood-ashes, 

 ^ usually contains an Recess of alkali, and when thinned 

 with water, so that it will work Avith a brush is excellent. 

 This borer confines himself almost entirely to the base of 

 the tree, though very rarely it is found in the crotch. It 

 is therefore only necessary in soaping, to rub over the 

 lower part of the trunk and the crotch, but is a very 

 good plan to lay a piece of hard soap in the principal 

 crotch, so that it may be washed down by the rains. In 

 case these precautions have not been taken, and the 

 borer is already at work, many of them may be killed by 

 cutting through the bark at the upper end of their bur- 

 rows, and gradually pouring hot water into the cuts, so 

 that it will soak through the castings, and penetrate to 



