EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



295 



She is somewhat more robust than the male, and ash-grey in color, marked with 

 black. 



The life-history of the spring canker-worm conforms in most particulars to 

 that of the one described, except that the adults do not come out until spring. 

 The loopers or span-worms of this species lack the pair of rudimentary legs 



Fig. 12. — Banding a tree for Canker-worm. Second operation. 



on the fifth abdominal segment. The work of these insects usually is conspicuous, 

 commencing in some restricted spot, and gradually spreading over an extended 

 region. The branches of the infested tree are often covered with fine silken 

 threads resembling spider webs. The leaves turn brownish in color, and often 

 fall, making the trees look as if a hot wind had scorched them. When jarred, 

 the worms will drop part way to the ground sustaining themselves in mid air 

 by long threads. 



REMEDIES. 



Two methods of fighting this insect are known; first, banding with cotton- 

 batting, to prevent the adult, wingless females from getting into the trees to 

 lay their eggs, and second, spraying with the arsenites. Banding is done as 

 follows, — a strip of cotton-batting about four inches wide and long enough to go 

 around the trunk of the tree is placed as in (Fig. 11), a piece of ordinary white 

 cord is then passed around the lower border of the band and tied tight, after 

 which the top is turned down over the tied portion as shown in (Fig. 12). This 

 will prove effective as long as the cotton remains fluffy, but it must be kept on 

 from the first part of October until winter is well under way and then replaced 

 during the first early thaws of spring and kept on until the foliage is well out. 



