FIGHTING THE CODLIN MOTH.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 325, 15 December 1888, Page 6

FIGHTING THE CODLIN MOTH.

The information' contained in tho following article reprinted from the, Auckland Slav has been given in the columns of the Fabmkr m the many papers we have published on the subject of t.ie Codlin Moth during the last two or three years. Much of the information thus given was derived from similar sources to that which furnished what appears below. But although the subject has been so exhaustively treated in previous numbeifc of this journal, it has been thought well bo print thus article hereat this season of the year, especially as e\ery month so many new subscribers tako Tm; Farmer, who have noc had the advantage of the instructions contained in former numbers. When tho public meeting of fruitgrowers was held some time ago, it was decided to get the best available information as to the codlin moth, its habits, and the piocosses by means of which its uivages might be decreased, and, it possible, stopped permanently. Accordingly, His Worship the Mayor sent over to the Department of Agricultuieat Was-hington, asking for information. A couiteous repl} \\m- leceived, together with a copy of the icpoit^ of the Department for 1887. This contains a lengthy leport by Professor L. 0. Howard (entomologist), upon the codlin moth. The following \aluable information has been extracted troui this leport. LVoiessor Howard says :—: — " Before the use ot arsenical remedies it was a difficult thing tor a single fruitgrower to otow comparatively wormlesss apples without combining, in the use of the band system, with the orchaidists of the neighbourhood, on account-, of the restocking from adjoining orchaids. Now, however, with the poisoned spi.iy the incir, idnal may keep his apples nearly perfect, no matter hovy careless his neighbour may be. The poisoning has the additional advantage over the bauds that it pie\ent? the damage of the brood to -which it is applied, while the bands 6rily capture the worms alter they have done their damage, and thu& lesson the numbers ' of the succeeding brood.. " Tbe writer then refers to the introduction of the codlin moth (Carjiocup^i pomondla) from Enrobe, and proceeds to describe the habits of tho pest. He states that in America it is two-brooded far noith into Canada, while in the South it is threebrooded. Its round of life is described as follows :—": — " Soon after the blossoms have fallen and the fiuit has begun to set, the moths is.>ue from the -cocoons in which they have winteied, and which are usually situated in cracks in the bark of tho tree, when they pair and lay their eggs at the apex of the forming fruit In the little crumpled-tip spot caused by tbe falling off of the calyx, the eggs ai'e hidden, sometimes two or thiee in a single apple or pear. The eggs are laid sometimes upon the smooth cheek of the apple and sometimes in the hollow at the stem, but these aie both unusual. The young larvae, on hatching, eat their way immediately to the core of the apple, where they live «nd grow, casting their skin four times, and excavate la.ge cavities in and around the core, sometimes fii>t eating the seed;-." Further on the report states :—": — " The larvie reach full growth in about four weeks from the time of hatching, and the infested apples now begin to fall to theground. The lai va now bores a hole to the side of the apple, and issuing crawls about for a suitable place to spin its cocoon and transform. In the great majotity of instances it returns to the trunk of thetiee, and crawling up some distance, hides itself in a cre\ ice under some pa-tially detached bit of bark, where the thin, slazy-looking cocoon is spun. Occasionally the apples do not fall, and in this r-ase the larva on issuing crawls down the trunk instead of up, and usually spins at a higher point nearer the crotch, or even above it. ' Professor Howard then devote? consider-able-pace to describing thegeneration of the moth and the hatching of tbe second brood. He states that the pupa condition lasts not more than two weeks, after which the moths lay the eggs for a second generation. Each moth lays about 50 eggo, and de\elopment extends from ten days to two weeks. The moth is described as a night-flier, but, unlike most night-fliers. *\ nof readily attracted by a li'jht, and is *fdom captured by poisonous baits. The codlin moth i-, above all. an apple pest, but i« aho a general feeder, and is found in pears, haws, peaches, plums, and apricots. The writer states that almost all orchard birds will feed upon the codlin moth. He al o mentions as its enemies a hair snake (JFenai- acaiviinafa), and various hymenopterous para&ites, all of which are lchneuminoid<. The Penny&lvania soldier beetle and the two-lined soldier beetle are also described as feeding upon the larva; of the codlin moth. Under the heading of remedies, Professor Howard mentions the destruction of windfalls, feeding and trampling by sheep and hogs, jai-iinj? or picking the fruit, confining the moths which issue in store-rooms, houses, or barns, the bandage trap, and the use of arsenical mixtures, all of which, he states, could be used in a badly-infested orchard to good advantage. As showing the immense propagating Dowers of the codlin much, he states that Mr F. C. De Long, of Marin, Cal., has 250 acres of land, in which are 31,000 trees. The moth wab noticed in June, 1881, when a single pupa was discovered. Later the fruit was gathered and carried into the apple house, very few affected apples being noticed. During the winter months, Mr De Long had mo&quito netting put over all of the windows, and nailed up all the doors excepting one, the key of which he put in the possession of a trusty man. The moths began to appear about the middle of April, and up to May 27,671 had been killed and counted. Fro.n May 28th on, a daily count was kept, and "the moths issued in great numbers until nearly the end of August. The number caught and killed altogether by Mr De Long's assistant was 15,627, and the highest catch for one day was 990. Professor Howard next refers to the capture of moths with baits of diluted vinegar, molasses, lights, and by plants of the genus Physianthus. Attention to the latter he mentions as having been called by Mr J. T. Campbell, U.S. Consul for Auckland, who was interested in it through Dr. (Mr) Cheeoeman, of the Auckland Museum. The writer stated that Professor Riley — the entomologist to the Department— after 15 years' experience with this plant, states that he had never caught a single codlin moth with it, even when grown -near to apple trees. Professor Howard further mentions that the moths forwarded by .Mr Campbell to the Department as having been captured by this plant, in New Zealand were not codlin moths, and not even a single lorbricest. All the 'specimens were recognisable as noctuids and pyralids. Professor Howard also quotes from Professor Rileys ■ report to show that neither fires, lights, bottles of sweetened water, vinegar or any other liquid could be used with success in fighting- the codlin moth. Professor Riley states that he did, however, catch numerous insects which were beneficial rather than hurtful. Ho considered

all such processes blind ways of shirking the more sure and efficient remedies. Ho recommends, as more effective, bands round Lho trunks of trees These should be i trip-* of old sacking foiu inches wide, and lined on one side with pieces of lath tacked on traversely, and ab such a distance from each other that u lien orouglit aiound the tree they form an almost complete wooden ring. He also stales that in various experiments the bands lowest down the tinnk captured the most worms. These bands require examining once a week. Spraying the trees with arsenical mixture is also highly reoom mended. faris-green is advocated as the best, one pound of ie to be used to one hundred gallons ot water. When propei ly used the lemedy ib stated nob to be at all dangerous, although it is admitted that fall poisoning possesses some danger on account, of the cumulative ctlects of aicenic. One application of tho uoison made before the applet aie larger than peas, in fact almost as soon as the blob&oms have well fallen, is often all sufficient. The writer then quotes from Profe.ssoi Forbc&'s report of expciimcnts mado as follows :—": — " The experiments seem fco me to prove that at least 70 per cent, of tho loss commonly &u tiered by the fruit-power from the ravages ot the eodiin moth, or apple worm, may be prevented ab a nominal expense, or practically in the long run at no expense at all, by thoroughly applying Paris gieen in a spray with water once or twice in early spring as soon as the fruit is fairly set, and not so late as the time when the glowing apple turns downward uu the stem."