Alexandria Daily Advertiser

Alexandria Daily Advertiser.
TUESDAY, JUNE 16.

MR. KNOWDEN,

HAVING observed among your useful communications an enquiry respecting the destruction caused by the fly, or rather worm, after being injected in the locust tree; am desirous of communicating my own experience.

I bored several trees when the sap was rising, of various kinds, where insects were harboring, so hurtful to both trees and fruit. The hole was bored in the sap near the north or shady side of the tree, with a small tap-borer or large gimlet, slopeways towards the root, about two to four feet from the ground, in which was injected as much of the spirits of turpentine as the hole would contain, making use of a small funnel for convenience, and being plugged up was afterwards repeated as often as it evaporated for several days successively according to the supposed necessity from appearances. Finding the infusion so obnoxious to insects in general I tried it on willow loaded with the long green caterpillar and the vegetation apparently destroyed; indeed they had become offensive to the smell—a few applications of this injection caused them to fall off in bodies either dead or in a very weak state. Their number was truly astonishing; and the tree very soon recovered a flourishing verdure.

The borer, as I term the worm which does so much mischief to the locust-tree, is no doubt injected by a fly in the spring, as early as the genial warmth animates them, or the egg may be left in the bark the preceding autumn. It would be really worth the attention of the well-wishers to the increase and preservation of this most valuable timber, to eradicate the rough protuberance of the bark as high as could be conveniently reached with a scraper, as early in the spring as possible or during the autumn and winter; previous to either white-washing with lime or plaster, both of which is very nourishing, salutary and preventive, and the expense or trouble very trifling. A portion of lime spirits of turpentine or common fish oil infused in the latter would be highly useful and cause durability to the application. Boring fruit trees in the spring, or sap-rising, and inserting the spirits of turpentine, would disaffect and dislodge the caterpillar and other noxious insects, without ever affecting the fruit or the taste at all, as it evaporates and passes off with the rising vegetation previous to any possible effect of that kind However this may be partially tried.

The destruction caused particularly to that most valuable fruit the peach, may be greatly prevented by removing the earth from the root for some distance scraping the gum and other filth in which is contained the insect and eggs, substituting round the root either ashes lime or plaster. This treatment has saved many trees nearly lost, but which have ever since borne excellent fruit. I make no doubt but that the worm which we often find in the peach is engendered at the root, rises with the sap, and incorporates a disease in all its parts and not as some supposes is injected by visiting insects in nearly a ripe state. Compare the worm at the root with that found in the peach, and you will find them of the same genus: therefore simply keep the roots near the surface from the spurious gum-like effusion, caused by the worm in its grubbing state, and both trees and fruit may be preserved.

M. R. If tar could be procured, a little brushed on the main root where the disease generates, previous to either plaster, lime, &c. would be highly useful, as nothing is more obnoxious to worms and grubs in general. It has been repeatedly tried with success, to take a sponge or woollen mop bound to the end of a pole and dipped in spirits of turpentine. This has effectually destroyed those caterpillar nests within reach, especially by the application being made in the morning before they scatter.