THE CODLING MOTH. 83 



is hatched on my own grounds, and the moths that are bred in m}' neighbor's 

 orchard fly over to mice, and the second brood of worms — which do the prin- 

 cipal damage — spoil my fruit in spite of my utmost care. 



Of the immensity of the loss to the people of this State from this one insect, 

 but few have any just conception. I believe there can be nothing more easy 

 of demonstration than that this season, in many regions, if not generally, it 

 would equal the amount of all taxes — town, county and State. Last year (crop 

 of 1871), I lost at least two hundred bushels, that, but for the worms, would 

 have sold in the spring for a dollar a bushel, above marketing. 



This is the most discouraging aspect of this question, — the impossibility of 

 securing anything like a unity of action, or a properly concerted effort against 

 these pests, whether of the field or the orchard. This is abundantly exempli- 

 fied in the case of the Potato Beetle, that is now ravaging the State. And if 

 not more than one in three or four of the mass of farmers will come out and 

 fight to the bitter end an enemy so obvious and palpable, what can be expected 

 when the depredator is so insiduous and unapparent as is this apple worm? 

 However, men's necessities sometimes bring them to the apprehension of truths 

 that a prudent forethought and a wise economy may preach in vain. 



There is reason to believe that not a very great many of these moths survive 

 the winter, and the small proportion of the fruit that is spoiled by these in the 

 depositing of their eggs would not be a serious matter if the product could all 

 be caught in the larval state, so that there would be no second brood, and the 

 pasturing of the orchard to hogs or other stock, if of any value, is in the influ- 

 ence it has in restricting the second deposit of eggs. And here is still a dis- 

 puted point. Some claim that the apples that rear the first brood do not fall with 

 the worms in them, or only to a very limited extent. Consequently the eating 

 of them by stock does not destroy the insect. In my observations I am led to 

 think that this view is a partial one. I have cut open a great many of these 

 iirst fallen apples, and at all times during the season ; and while those falling later 

 have more worms in them, in the earlier ones, even before they were one-fourth 

 grown, I have found worms, and when stock pick them up at once they must 

 destroy a great many. Nor is the value of stock in the orchard confined to 

 the number of the worms destroyed. The instinct of the miller leads it, 

 measurably at least, to shun the trees where stock are. This was very marked 

 in my several orchards the past summer. I had hogs or sheep, or both, in two 

 of them. One of these was the worst infested of either last year, and this year 

 comparatively free, while the one in cultivation, where stock were excluded, 

 gave me nearly all my wormy apples. 



In closing I wish to say to such of the members of the Volinia Farmers' 

 Club as feel disposed to give some time to experimenting with this apple 

 worm, that I will furnish these rims gratis to the number required for 50 or 

 100 trees, only stipulating that they shall be used as above directed, and the 

 result dul}! reported to this club. 



Fruit men in other portions of the State can no doubt obtain the common 

 berry-box material in the flat, and without creasing, cheaper than I can 

 afford these rims, and they would have the advantage of being longer, as they 

 are some 24 inches long. In putting them on they should be soaktd in water 

 and tied with twine. 



Now, gentlemen, it will be some time before the apple trees will be in blos- 

 som again, but in the meanwhile do not forget this little infinitesimal pest 

 that is waiting, no less than we, but to spoil the harvest of our hopes. 



