STATE HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 109 



word of commendation, and I will only say that such a paper as that 

 read by Mrs. Randolph is an honor to any Society, and you may well 

 be proud of it. In Wisconsin, we are getting the ladies interested 

 in our Society, and find that it is increasing in profit and interest. 



Mr. Gray — The paper referred to, suggests, to my mind, the 

 figure "of apples of gold in pictures of silver," and I feel that 

 " golden silence " will be the proper setting for this beautiful picture. 



Prof. Forbes having arrived, now presented his paper on 

 THE ARSENICAL POISONS AND THE CODLING MOTH. 



HY PROF. S, A. FORBES. 



From the summary of the Assessors' Reports contained in the 

 Croj) Report of the State Department of Agriculture for August, 

 1884, 1 leani that the value of the average annual crop of Illinois for 

 the five years preceding 1884 was about four and three-quarters mil- 

 lions of dollars. From observations and experiments presently to be 

 detailed we may infer that about fifty per cent, of the possible apple 

 crop of the State is sacrificed each year, on an average, to a single 

 injurious insect, — the apple worm or codling moth (Carpocapia 

 pomonella, L.). That is to say, if it were not for this insect we 

 might reasonably expect the apple orchards of this State to yield ap- 

 proximately twice their present income. To this codling moth, con- 

 sequently, we may reasonably attribute a loss to the farmers of Illi- 

 nois of, say four and three-quarters millions of dollars each year. 



I would like next to show you that a considerable percentage 

 of this loss is preventable. A part of the apple crop reported, 

 however, is doubtless obtained from neglected orchards, already too 

 badly damaged to repay especial attention; and in many cases, also, 

 where the trees are heavily laden, the apples remaining uninjured 

 after the codling moth has done its worst may amount to more than 

 half the fullest crop permissible. For these and other modifying 

 circumstances we will make the liberal allowance of fifty per cent., 

 reducing our estimate of the loss due to the apple worm to one-half 

 the value of the average apple crop, or $2,375,()0() per annum. It is 

 my ])urpose in this paper to demonstrate to you that at least seven- 

 tenths of this loss may be prevented l)y a single remedial measure, 

 so simple that any one may apply it, and without cost, so far as its 

 effect on the codling moth is concerned. To prove this will be to 

 show you how, at a nominal expense, we may save to the farmers 

 of Illinois at least a million and a half of dollars every year in the 

 value of the average apple crop. 



I read to you last year a paper giving a report on some pre- 

 liminary experiments made with two arsenical poisons and with 



