414 Report of the Horticulturist of the 



were about half grown, gave very unsatisfactory results. It is not 

 improbable, however, that had the experiments been made earlier 

 while the caterpillars were small the poison would have had more 

 effect. Where practical, as in the case of small trees, the cater- 

 pillars may be jarred off in the same manner as the plum curculio. 



MAGGOT. 



{Bliagoletis pomonella Walsh.) 



Description. — This insect is popularly knowTi as the " apple 

 maggot " or " railroad worm." It is one of the most important 

 species that attacks the fruit. Its life-history has been fully 

 worked out by Dr. F. L. Harvey.^ The adult insects are two- 

 winged flies. They appear in June. The female punctures the 

 skin of the fruit with her sharp ovipositor and lays her eggs just 

 beneath. In a few days the eggs hatch into white maggots which 

 make numerous irregular channels in the pulp of the apple, enlarg- 

 ing them as the maggots increase in size. This injury often does 

 not show on the outside, and hence infested fruit may be harvested 

 and unintentionally sold as good. Badly infested fruit usually 

 falls early. 



The maggots leave the fallen fruit and enter the ground to 

 pupate, remaining until the following spring before emerging as 

 adults. 



The apple maggot appears to be spreading in this State, and aa 

 it is capable of doing great injury it should be carefully watched 

 for and promptly checked when found. 



Treatment. — This insect has proven a difficult one to controL 

 as the maggots work only within the fruit spraying the trees will 

 have no effect. Probably the most practical remedy is the imme- 

 diate destruction of the windfalls in infested orchards. This 

 may be conveniently done by allowing hogs and sheep to run in 

 the orchards. Fall plowing will have some effect by destroying 

 many of the pupse in the ground. 



8 Maine Agr. Exp. Sta. Ann. Eept., 1889: 190. 



