I once found a young tree in a distant part of
my place that I could push over with my finger. In June a brown
and white striped beetle deposits its eggs in the bark of the
apple-tree near the ground. The larvae when hatched bore their way
into the wood, and will soon destroy a small tree. They cannot do
their mischief, however, without giving evidence of their
presence. Sawdust exudes from the holes by which they entered, and
there should be sufficient watchfulness to discover them before
they have done much harm. I prefer to cut them out with a sharp,
pointed knife, and make sure that they are dead; but a wire thrust
into the hole will usually pierce and kill them. Wood-ashes
mounded up against the base of the tree are said to be a
preventive. In the fall they can be spread, and they at least make
one of the best of fertilizers.
The codling-moth, or apple-worm, is another enemy that should be
fought resolutely, for it destroys millions of bushels of fruit.
In the latitude of New York State this moth begins its
depredations about the middle of June. Whatever may be thought of
the relation of the apple to the fall of man, this creature
certainly leads to the speedy fall of the apple. Who has not seen
the ground covered with premature and decaying fruit in July,
August, and September? Bach specimen will be found perforated by a
worm-hole.
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