1.58 THE FLORIST AND 
extensive business in a neighboring county, found, on examining bis young 
apple-trees this spring, that in some parts of his grounds, eight in ten of 
all of them were hopelessly ruined by the borer. 
Another gentleman has told us that a considerable number of his apple- 
trees, and some mountain-ash-trees on his grounds are greatly injured or lost, 
in the same way. 
These facts and many others like them should startle every one who has 
planted a tree, and who would not have his hopes blasted in consequence of 
inadvertance or misinformation. We must give battle to this insidious and 
destructive insect at once, or thousands of dollars of loss will be suffered 
by the nurserymen, and fruit-growers of the West, in a very short time. 
Indeed, we think we should not be far wrong, were we to say that among 
the fifty thousand readers of the Farmer, thousands of dollars have been 
already lost, within the last three years by the ravages of the borer. 
If these things are so, our readers will permit us to make a few remarks 
on the natural history of the borer ; and on some other matters which may 
throw light on the best mode of resisting its attacks. The season too, is at 
hand when the insect commences its work of destruction ; and it seems 
peculiarly fit that attention should be turned to the matter now. 
What is the Borer f The Borer is the larva, or grub which is hatched 
from the egg of a beetle, belonging to the family of Buprestidse, or Bupres- 
tians. The beetle itself is about half an inch long, with brown and white 
stripes, and flies at night. 
When does it lay its Eggs ? In the latter part of May, and first part of 
June, it pierces the bark of the tree with its spear, and deposits its eggs 
under the bark. This it does near the root of the tree, in perhaps the 
greater number of cases, especially in small trees. Indeed some writers, 
whose observations seem to have been confined to one or two classes of 
operations performed by the beetle, state that it deposits its eggs only at 
the root of the tree. This is a mistake. We have dug them within the 
last few weeks, from all parts of the trunk, from the ground to the branches ; 
they seem to have a special liking for those parts of the tree which are de- 
cayed. On the south-west side of the tree where the sun has scorched the 
bark or the wood beneath ; also where the bark has been bruised by cattle, 
or in any other way ; also where the tree is naturally weak, and shows signs 
of early withering and death — wherever any or all these inducements are 
offered, the beetle seems quite ready to accept the invitation, and make its 
investment. Let no one imagine, therefore, that his trees are free from the 
borer, because he finds none about the roots ; let him examine all parts of 
