OCR Text |
Show PEACH TREE BORER HARMFUL Insects May Be Destroyed by Proper Use of Chemical Known as Paradichlorobenzene. Wherever peaches are grown in the United States east of the Uocky Mountains Moun-tains the trunks and large roots of the trees are subject to attack by a white worm which feeds on the outer living layers of the tree. The peach tree borer may be detected by masses of gum containing sawdust-like particles par-ticles which exude from the trunk of the tree near the ground. If !'he in-fesiation in-fesiation is serious trees may be completely com-pletely girdled in one or more seasons. The larvae feed actively in the fall, spring and summer months; during the cold winter they are more or less dormant. When the larvae become full grown during the summer they construct cocoons, composed of particles par-ticles of excrement or bark bound together to-gether with gum and silk, and turn into brown pupae. The cocoons may be found on the trunk in the old burrows bur-rows or in the soil adjacent to the tree. In three or more weeks the adult moths emerge. The- pencil tree borer may be controlled con-trolled by removing or killing the borers by the use of a sharp knife or by treating with paradichlorobenzene. The gas coming from the crystals of paradichlorobenzene appears to be heavier than air. One ounce treatments treat-ments placed about peach trees when the temperature of the soil is 70 degrees de-grees F. or higher requires six or more weeks for complete evaporation, while one ounce of crystals placed about peach trees when the soil is 50 degrees F. or lower (as in November) will remain re-main in tlie aoii from November to July. Puradiehlorobenzene is non-poisonous to man (unless taken into the stomach), but decidedly poisonous to insects when they are exposed to it "Death Ring" of Paradichlorobenzene. for a considerable period of time. The gas will injure tender roots and the growing tissues under the bark of most plants. Fortunately the bark on peach trees six years of age or older is thick and acts as a barrier for the tender growing layers underneath. The crystals should be evenly distributed dis-tributed in a continuous narrow circular cir-cular band two inches from the tree. Do not place tlie crystals against the trunk, for serious injury may result. Material placed four to six Inches from the tree has given fairly satisfactory results, providing the soil is dry and plenty of dirt is placed above the crystals. After the material is in a ring about the tree, place several shovels (four to six) of dirt free of weeds, grass, sticks, large stones, etc. over the crystals and compact them with a shovel, a hoe, or otherwise. The first shovel of earth placed above the "death ring" should he' finely divided and carefully placed on top of the crystals in order that the position of the paradichlorobenzene paradichloroben-zene will not be disturbed. |