462 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 
which the worms, suspended themselves and carrying them to a 
distance, repeating the operation day after day. But little benefit, 
however, appeared to result from this measure. More good may 
undoubtedly be dcyie by attaching a long stiff' handle to an old tin 
pan, smearing the inside of the pan with tar, bird lime or some 
similar adhesive substance, and catching the worms in this by 
swinging it around under the tree, as they hang suspended— 
renewing the coating as often as it becomes so covered with the 
worms and their threads as no longer to adhere to them. 
The fact of the sudden disappearance" of these worms with 
showers of rain was noticed in several places in the year 1853, 
and suggests the showering of trees when infested with the palmer 
worm, with water, by means of a garden engine, as a measure 
whereby to dislodge and destroy this enemy. At the time of 
its disappearance in the manner .stated, worms of all sizes old 
and young were upon the leaves, showing it was not in conse¬ 
quence of their having come to maturity and being ready to 
withdraw, that they left the trees thus abruptly. The fact is 
reported (Trans. N. Y. State Ag. Soc., vol. xiii, p. 187) that 
a gentleman having a farm near Albany, discovering that two of 
the trees in his orchard had their leaves destroyed by these 
worms, procured some whale oil soap and diluting it with water, 
drenched the remainder of his trees with it, with a garden en¬ 
gine, whereby they were entirely preserved from the ravages of 
these worms. The worms were no doubt numerous upon those 
as they were upon all other trees at that time. Whether the 
whale oil soap made the application more efficacious than it would 
have been without it can only be known by further experi¬ 
ments. But the suddenness with which a portion of these 
worms drop themselves from the leaves of a tree when it is 
shook or jarred, renders it probable that the greater agitation 
which showering the leaves, simply, will occasion, will entirely 
rid them of these vermin. 
