THE FRUIT BORER.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1348, 19 February 1881, Page 3

THE FRUIT BORER.

When looking far borers iv the stem of trees, it is well to take a look among the large branches, because there is another kind of borer. Their presence can usually be detected by dead patches of bark, and when these are cut out, the borer will be found underneath, or in the live bark near by. If the wale twigs are dead or appear to be withered, they should be cut off and examined closely for the ?' Wig-borer" (Araphicerus bicandatus) which is destructive, boring gut the centre of the young shoots of the previous years' i growth. These little borers are less than o tic-half an inch long, and not more than one-eixteenth in diameter, but large enough, to do considerable damage when plentiful. The egga of i, the American tent caterpillar can at this season be found in small twigs of the trees, and may be readily removed by , hands, or the twigs' cut off and burned.- The eggs are very minttte, and glued together in masses of several hundred, each one of, which, if .allowed tq remain upon the tree and hatch, , will jnrpduoe a voracious swarm capable of eatrasr many full-grown apple leavea in* the summer.-: Of course, trees denuded; of ihoiuc foliage, by -these; worms 6auuot grow or produce fruit. Another pest, of the p#ar or-, apple trees known as the "leaf orninpier'MPhyotta nebulo) is also made conspicuous j^y ; its, habit of folding up a leaf or two in the fall, and hiding within during the pold weather* The.se dried dead leaves' are, securely tied to the 1 twigs 1 6f the treek, and may ibe readily 1 e&n' l durmg,'the', winter, and gathered''and bttrried. There are also! currant and ' raspberry borers', which. Smay be, sought f for"'in, 'the' dead stems of 'these " fclants, which' should "bei icul out and burned' with their contents-. • - ' -It is a'gi^at njistalie' to either wait until summer before attemptiqg to destroy nppdouiinsebts/or to throw the brushwood and< trimmings from trees, vines and other plants into heaps in; some, oul>of-the-wa^jphiot»n^.J ei «L ve -% e ? 1 - t ' n^®' to fl MiKfcAXl eaou retUM ahouldJbe.bagneda* toon m possible after it is romovedfrom the plants »aSi'}t the #oodJ#^M)' green J to bcm f^tfyi j»d4i«ubughiar*}stoaterial -to" insure tl;? flotobustion-of tho #hrteiF»\V«w jr numbers ©f noxiou* iiuebts nfay be'dd-

wkieJj tn»y..orjni|f nptiie knovfij td, the gardener* or' nrmev Vhb performs the operation. , 'AifeiiTKoufe'ot even days do-yoted-to the search for -insects, and the oleaniagjip of ; rubbishrrtrUl ibei time well spent, and ii all {&xmers -would do co, insoot peets might fats »ura6to»i9 than at prewnfc. /. The increase of noxious insects ift.not.i caused m«rdy by; th« des.^ruction; of athfiir natural enemies, or the cleaning up of the country, bat is due in .great p*rt to the indifference of the farmer and gardener in tht taking df the simplest precautiouary measures to prevent it. "" '' * '