Miscellaneous. 363 



from the sting of the grape moth and curcuHo that produces the larva 

 or worm that is so often found within the berry itself, and they protect 

 them from the attacks of several kinds of birds that break the skin of 

 grapes and invite further injury by bees and insects and from chickens. 

 •Grapes that have been sacked are always clean and free from dust and 

 smoke, and being sound may be allowed to remain for use much longer 

 on the vine than those not sacked. Indeed, they may remain on the vine 

 until they are in danger of being frozen, and if then cut when dry and 

 laid away in a cool, well-ventilated room, with the sacks on, they may be 

 "kept for use for a long time, after grapes that were not sacked are gone. 

 The operator — perhaps the farmer's wife or daughter — equipped with 

 sacks and pins or wires, slips the open mouth of a sack over the newly 

 formed cluster of grapes and folding it down about the stem, pins it in 

 place or makes it fast by passing a very small piece of pliable wire around 

 the neck of the sack, and the work is done. The pins can be of the 

 cheapest make, or if wire is used, it should be cut before-hand into 

 lengths of about 4 inches. The mouth of the sack must be carefully 

 folded about the stem of the bunch, or otherwise it may admit insects or 

 disease germs or even rain water that will sometimes fail to find its way 

 out through the sack, and it would thus spoil the fruit. A little. practice 

 will soon render the operator expert m aflfixing the sacks. — Orange Judd 

 Farmer. 



PARASITE FOR CODLING MOTH IS AT WORf 



IV. 



The long heralded and much advertised parasite for the codling 

 moth is at last at work in the orchards of California. The first distribu- 

 tions were made during the past week, eight colonies being sent out to 

 orchards in different parts of the State, most of them going to localities 

 in the Paparo valley. Other colonies will be sent out soon, distribution 

 of the insect to be made to all of the principal apple producing sections 

 of the state. 



Mr. George Compere, the discoverer and collector of this parasite, 

 returned to San Francisco this week, after his long absence in Europe, 

 and the colonization of the parasite is being made under his personal 

 supervision, he and Mr. Ehrhorn having visited the various localities for 

 the purpose of liberating colonies of the insects. 



Mr. Compere, who was seen at the office of Mr. Ehrorn this week, 

 by a representative of California Fruit Grower, is enthusiastic over the 

 possibilities of this little insect. But he does not count on mere pos- 



