FRUIT PESTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5612, 5 March 1902, Page 2

FRUIT PESTS.

20 THK BDITOB

Sift,—The * worm eaten' apples tent to th« Domain on Saturday had been attacked by the native oortlin moth, Ac the habits of this ioieot differ from those of the Introduced or true podlin moth, perhaps a brief description of the habiti of both Inieott may aid lrnSt» growers in identifying them when met with* The caterpillar of the native species feidi only on the surface of the fralt, conoeaHng itself under a dry leaf, which it attaobes to the fruit by ftqe tilkeo threads* The Introduced, or true codlin moth of Europe, deposits its eggs on the anrfaoe •! the fruit* When hatched, fchfy eat through the skin and penetiate to the core, and consume the pips and internal portions of the applet or pears they abtacki When they attain maturity, especially In the later varieties of apples, they eat their way to the intfaot and crawl on to the branches, in any niobe of which they conceal themselves under a fiat web for the winter, and change Into the chrysalis stage in early spring. After remaining is this state for from a month to three months, the perfect or winged inseofc appears, and again deposits its eggl en the fruit), as explained, with the lame result. In the case of the earlier ripening varieties of apples and pears attacked by the moth, it frequently happens that (he fruit drepg from the tree before it is tlpei The half grown caterpillars then eat their way oat of the fallen fruit, and ingblnotively ascend the stem of the same tree from which It fell to repeat their Attacks on sound trnlb on th* trees. Most people are aware of the bitter taste of the inner portions of the flesh of 1 worm eaten' apples aad pears. Suoh fruit should never be eaten raw, but the sound parts could be eaten with safety when cooked in pies. The core or internal cavities of worm eaten fruit It generally surrounded by a mats of a whitish funguiiilegrowth, fn tbf mofiter piffts of which, under a high power ct the miorbeoope,hayebeeo detected myriads tif bacteria* It is, perhaps, improbable tnaf they are pathological or disease producing forms in man, but it Is alwayi safer to avoid them, by abstaining from eating diseased fruin It is very regrettable to know thai both species of oodlin mo&s are rapidly inoreaiing in this district, and are destroying a great amount of valuable fruit this season, —I am, etc.!

W.W»B.