The Codling-Moth. 133 



once ; while Trimble's hay-rope band was found equally effective, it 

 was not nearly so convenient to make or use, and was thus early dis- 

 carded.* Any of the above bands are easily made and quickly 

 applied by placing them around the tree and either putting a tack 

 through the overlapping ends and into the tree or else by simply tying 

 a cord around the middle of the band. To work the most successfully, 

 the tree should be scraped quite smooth where the band is applied; 

 the band should be arranged to present one or more folds, in which 

 the worms Hke to spin their cocoons ; and two bands should be put on 

 each tree, one near the crotch and the other near the base, thus offer- 

 ing convenient places for the worms which may come down from the 

 apples on the tree, and also for those which may go up from the 

 *' windfalls." The bands should be put on in June or about the month 

 after the blossoms have fallen, and they should be kept on until the 

 fruit is gathered. They must be removed and examined every ten 

 days until the latter part of August, when it will not be necessary to 

 examine them again until late in the fall, except where more than two 

 broods of the pest occur. All of the cocoons with their living con- v 

 tents must be destroyed at each examination ; this can be done either 

 by burning the cheap paper bands and putting on new ones each time, 

 or, in the case of cloth bands,by putting them in hot water or by running 

 them through a wringer. The necessity for this frequent examination 

 of the bands arises from the fact that some of the worms will be 

 changing to pupae and the moths would soon escape, thus defeating 

 the whole object of the use of the bands. All those who have expressed 

 an opinion after using the bands extensively, state that the expense 

 during the season need not exceed four cents per tree, or that they can 

 be used with decided profit. 



* In 1870 or 1 87 1 there was patented and put on the market what was 

 known as " Wier's shingle trap." It consisted of three shingles, separated 

 for a slight distance and held together b)^ a large screw through their cen- 

 ter, by which they were also fastened to the side of a tree. The idea was 

 that the worms in seeking a place to spin upon the trunk of the tree would 

 be allured to these shingles. The trap could be easily detached from the 

 tree and by turning the shingles the insects between them could be quickly 

 crushed. This trap aroused considerable interest at the time, but careful 

 comparative tests by Riley and LeBaron soon showed that it was not nearly 

 so effective as almost any kind of a band which went completely around the 

 tree ; and Wier's shingle trap was soon discarded. 



