THE CODLING MOTH. 167 



Having thus portrayed the natural history and habits of this incorrigible 

 pest, we are prepared to discuss the remedies. The great desideratum in the 

 ▼ay of preventive is to capture the moth, thus nipping the whole evil in the 

 llud; but as yet we are unable to accomplish this. Yet, having full faith that 

 xnan's wisdom and inventive faculties are entirely commensurate with his 

 needs, I most thoroughly believe that this discovery is to be made. And, Mr. 

 President, I would favor the offering of a prize of not less than $100 to the one 

 who should determine a practical Codling Moth exterminator. If, as Prof. 

 Eiley says, this is impossible, no harm can result ; if it brings success (I use 

 the indicative mood) it would be worth millions of dollars. 



The common opinion that lights will attract these moths, and that they 

 may, in consequence, be destroyed by building fires, is, as stated in the report 

 of 1872, wholly erroneous. The fiict already noted, that these moths are some- 

 times seen on the window panes, though in the day-time, may have led to this 

 ©pinion, though it is far more likely that it originated in the fact that many 

 moths are thus attracted, and that even intelligent people are entirely ignorant 

 as to the special markings of this particular species. 



Nor is there warrant for the remark that sweet liquids or adhesive syrups 

 will entrap them. I have spent considerable time and thought in exptriments 

 «f this kind, but as yet with no marked success. It is clear, then, that our ef- 

 forts must be directed against the larva and pupa?. 



THE HOG TRAP. 



The policy of turning swine or sheep into the orchard has long been advo- 

 eated, and of late has an enthusiastic champion in our secretary. Now there 

 is no doubt but that this method is excellent so far as it goes, and as every 

 aid in such a contest is worthy to be brought into requisition, so as our worthy 

 eecretary cries " swine" I will add a hearty "amen." Yet in our enthusiasm 

 in behalf of so cheap and available a trap, let us not forget that scarce more 

 than half of the larva ever reach the ground at all, as they leave the fruit be- 

 fore it falls, and hide about the trunk or limbs without ever leaving the tree ^ 

 and as swine are very far removed from those beings which are said to possess 

 wings, they are all powerless in the destruction of about half of these insects. 

 As a society we ought not to stop short of the very best remedies known in our 

 recommendations. While we may mention the less useful ones, we should' 

 emphasize the most perfect. 



That only about half of the larva do come to the reach of either swine or 

 sheep may easily be determined by each of you. Examine affected apples 

 never so early in the season, which are still hanging on the trees, and that too 

 on trees which drop their apples the worst, and you will almost invariably find 

 that full half of the apples are empty of the larva; and closer examination 

 will reveal the culprits concealed about the branches and trunks. That these 

 did not swing to the ground and crawl up I proved by the following experi- 

 ment. I took a tree under which there was nothing that could secrete the 

 larva, and the bark of which was perfectly smooth ; around this tree I put five 

 bands. Six examinations of these bands gave five hundred and forty larva, 

 which were distributed as follows: The lowest band gave one hundred and 

 eighty, the second ninety-seven, the third thirteen, the fourth sixty-eight, 

 while the upper band gave one hundred and eighty-two. We thus see that the 

 two topmost bands caught two hundred and fifty larva, the lowest two hun- 

 dred and seventy-seven, and the middle one only thirteen. The limited num- 



