Slimmer Meeting. 1C9 



by failing to catch the insects wanted, and in the second place, by kill- 

 ing immense numbers of Ichneumon flies and other beneficial parasitic 

 and predaceous insects. Hence, for the various reasons given, the in- 

 discriminate and ready use of moth catchers renders them unsafe, and 

 it is for these reasons that trap lanterns of all kinds have justly been 

 called "humbugs." In all our experiments in orchards with these moth 

 catchers, we have captured only two Codling Moths and one Round- 

 headed apple-tree borer; we have taken no Peach-tree borers, no Flat- 

 headed borers, and, with the exception of the Tent-Caterpillar and Fruit 

 Leaf Roller, none of the other common injurious orchard insects. 



We recommend the traps for what little they are useful for, and con- 

 demn them for the harm they will do and for the danger connected with 

 their use. We condemn the false and deceptive methods, statements and 

 misquotations that are being used to further the sales of the moth catchers. 

 We approve of the action of many agricultural and horticultural papers 

 in refusing to advertise the moth catchers just so long as these errone- 

 ous claims are made for them. 



Taken as a whole then, the use of moth catchers by the general 

 public will do more harm than good. 



Miss M. E. Murtfeldt, Entomologist, Kirk wood, ]Mo. 



I have had numerous letters asking my opinion of the Haseltine 

 Moth Catcher, its efficacy, especially for Codling Moth and Curculio, 

 and was obliged to return what I felt would be very disappointing an- 

 swers ; but I could not conscientiously confirm the hopes of the writers 

 that this trap would obviate the burden of spraying. 



I have not published anything concerning its destruction of valuable 

 parasitic flies, but that is one of the chief objections to its use. 



The Rural World sent the collection of insects received from Mr. 

 Denny to INIiss Mary E. Murtfeldt, one of the best entomological au- 

 thorities. She reports as follows : 



"There were not only not Codling Moths, but not even any of the 

 small species usually so much attracted to light, and which by the un- 

 initiated are so often mistaken for the Codling Moth. There were no 

 Curculios of any species. The capture of the apple tree pruner and the 

 cricket is somewhat unusual. The list is quite evenly balanced between 



the "good"' and "bad" species. 



"MARY E. MURTFELDT." 



