CODLIN MOTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 246, 23 October 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

CODLIN MOTH.

The fruit trees now being in flower will cause fruitgrowers to think about what remedies they are going to adopt so as to keep the codlin moth under. 1 know that a number of people think that it is of little use to syringe with any poisonous mixtures. To my knowledge it is very effective, and if care in taken from 70 to 80 per cent, of fruit can be saved, even though in the immediate neighbourhood of other orchards which are not syringed. To be effective the first syringing should be given immediately after the little apples are set or formed. It is about this period that the female moth is about looking for some suitable place to lay her eggs on, and the newlyformed fruit is just the place. The eggs are generally laid near the eye of the apple. Now, if the tree is sprayed with some jioisonous mixture, and if one particle of the mixture touches the eggs as they develop, or before the grub has time to penetrate into the fruit,they will be killed. If we had only one moth, or rather if all the moths were to distribute their eggs at the same time or within a week or so of each other, the spraying of fruit trees would be a simple matter. Unfortunately for us there is for at least two months a continual succession of eggs being deposited upon the fruit. This, of course, necessitates a number of sprayings at intervals, so as to kill the different sets of eggs which have been laid upon the fruit. There is another consideration —that is, if rain takes place immediately after the trees have been sprayed, the spraying must be gone over again immediately after the fruit has become dry, as the rain will wash the poison off the fruit. One of the easiest of all concoctions to spray with is Paris Green and water, which can easily be mixed and used at any time. The quantities of the above to use are one pound of Paris Green to one hundred and fifty gallons of water. In using this mixture the water must be continually stirred. Paris Green, being much heavier than water, will always sink to the bottom, and if not stirred the latter portion of the mixture will be much stronger than the first portion. There is another consideration—that the sprayer used must be a very fine one so that the water and poison may be well distributed throughout the whole tree. Another consideration is to distribute a portion over each fruit on the tree. A friend sends me the following communication re mixture which he has used for some time with success. He says-: 'I have, at your request, enclosed recipe for the destruction of the codlin moth, which I have used With entire satisfaction for the last three years, gallons of water, four ounces of bluestone (sulphate of copper), one large teaspoonful of Paris Green, and two pounds of lime. Slake the lime in water and strain the coarse particles from the lime so as not to injure the spraying pump. I spray in the evening on a mild night, so soon as a sufficient quantity of apples is formed to ensure of a fair crop. I do not wait till all the blossoms are off the tree. I spray again as soon as the eye of the apple turns down, and again in about a fortnight. Three sprayings I find sufficient to keep the moth in check unless it comes very wet after spraying. In such a case the spraying has to be repeated.' In conversation the writer stated that his orchard is a small one in the suburbs, and there is a number oif other small orchards near his. They do not spray, with the result that it is seldom they obtain a single sound fruit In his orchard there is seldom an apple destroyed. Next summer he intends to let me publish his name and address, so that those who may be interested may view his orchard while the fruit is ripe.