THE CODLIN MOTH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 92, 18 April 1908, Page 6

THE CODLIN MOTH.

Considerable discussion has been going on for some time as to whether the grub that attacks apples, pears., etc., is the same as the borer which is doing so much damage to the potato crop this season. The Governor's Bay correspondent of The Press,' having heard that Mr William Cowlin, a very old and experienced fruit-grower and gardener residing in the Bay, was taking much interest in the matter, interviewed that gentleman on the subject. Mr Cowlin said:—"l think things are in a very unsatisfactory state. The inspectors come and tell us that we must keep our trees clean and free from'the codlin grub, etc., but they do not give us a remedy. So tar all the dressings used for that purpose have been perfectly useless. My opinion is that much of the trouble has come from the potato borer, which, if not precisely the same, is very much like the other. I have had both grubs lately under a powerful microscope, and I cannot see any difference, except that the apple one is the largest. Perhaps the juice of the c? p]e I^sao5 aoF c fattening to account for that. We know that the small birds go right through all varieties of fruit

from the cherry to the hardest keeping apple. I have put both the grubs in a bath of pure kerosene oil, and they seemed to like it, and it did tnem no harm whatever." Mr Cowlin concluded by suggesting that if the Department knew of any remedy they should have the mixture made up and sell it to the public at about cost price, or undertake to clear the orjchards at a reasonable cost. "Failling that," he s said, "I should advise the growers of fruit to do what I am now doing— that is to use freely c ! axe, saw, ■ and the grubber, as they [ win be far better without ,ac trees." * The Press correspondent says his experience is that the grub does in ' a great measure come from the potato, and probably other sources. The ood- •-,£*£ "as bee. n known in a very mild form for eight or ten years in the district, and he always found that it was worse near land that was in crop or had been in crop with potatoes. It generally attacked the early and summer fruit. He had a separate piece of orchard, mostly late varieties' or apples, the trees being all due: round during the winter or early spring, and the rest of the ground being m cocksfoot grass. As the undergrowth was becoming matted and rough he had it all dug in, and planted with potatoes between the rows of trees, and the; next season the trees SlffiP 6*^ im? r<>™d, with strong SS «f 7™s a i dark clean leaves > and the fruit nearly as large again as former y, but badly infestel with thl grub, for which he blamed the potatoes. Informer seasons the fruit in 3* <>j the orchard was quite free from this dreadful pest. -