SEPTEMBER 



IRISH GARDENING. 



approaching- maturity, it attacks the pips or 

 seeds, and this causes the apple to fall. When 

 the apple falls to the g-round the grub sets to 

 work to bore a tunnel through which it may 

 escape to the outer world But no sooner is it 

 out than it crawls back to the tree, creeps up the 

 trunk, and shelters itself in 

 one or other of the crevices 

 of the bark. It is now 

 snugly settled in its winter 

 quarters. There it gradually 

 changes into a pupa or 

 chrysalis in order to quietly 

 undergo those wonderful 

 changes by which a grub 

 evolves into a winged insect. 

 Those that do not reach the ground in fallen 

 fruit either bore their way out, while the apple 

 still hangs on the tree, and lowers themselves to 

 the earth by means of silken threads, or if be- 

 lated in development are harvested with the crop. 

 The former reascend the tree as in the case of 

 the windfalls. By the fol- 

 lowing spring the meta- 

 morphoses is complete, and 

 the little creature flies oft' 

 from the tree that has been 

 its home throughout the full 

 round of the year. It still, 

 however, haunts the orchard, 

 and so soon as the ground 

 is flecked with the snowy 

 petals of the scattered apple 

 blossoms it fulfils its destiny 

 in the scheme of things by 

 laying its eggs one by one, 

 as its mother did a year ago, 

 in the yet open calyces of 

 recently fertilised flowers. 



This is the life-story, then, 

 of the codlin moth vcr\- 

 briefly told, and knowing- it, 

 it is relatively easy to shield 

 the tree from its attacks, at all events we 

 know when and how to fight it. To begin 

 with, it is clear that in the fallen apple we 

 have the grub entirely in our power. It is 

 actually inside the fruit, but it will lose no time 

 in getting out. Obviously these apples should 

 be immediately picked up and given to pig's or 

 be cooked, or be at once destroyed. This will 

 get rid of a good many. The next point, grubs 

 crawl up the trees after falling to the ground. 



The Codlin Moth 



(Natural size.) 



A Magc;otv Apple 



Cut to expose the (huh of Codlin Moth 



During their ascent they may be trapped by 

 bands of straw, which, on the approach of 

 winter, should be removed and burned. This 

 will get rid of some more. The grubs hyber- 

 nate as pupa under the loose bark. By scraping 

 tha bark you will remove those that have other- 

 wise escaped your vigilance, 

 especially if the operation is 

 followed by winter spraying 

 with a caustic w'ash. But if 

 the moth is prevalent in the 

 district, egg-laying females 

 may migrate from neighbour- 

 ing plantations and make 

 use of your trees for their 

 reproductive operations. 

 This may be checkmated by spraying the 

 trees in spring- immediately after the fruit has 

 set with a poisonous wash, such as arsenate of 

 lead or Paris green. But one fact must be 

 especially remembered, and if overlooked will 

 render spraying inefi^ectual. When the petals 



fall after fertilisation, the 



calyx of the flower is open, 

 but as the young fruit swells 

 the cup gradually contracts, 

 and by the tenth day or 

 thereabout it is closed. 

 When closed no spray can 

 touch the hatching egg of 

 the moth, so that the work 

 must be done before the 

 development of the young 

 apple goes so far. 



Bulb Culture in Bowls. 



No prettier decoration for rooms 

 can be used than fancj- bowls with 

 flowering- bulbs grown witliout 

 drainage. A good compost is 

 cocoanut fibre refuse, mixed with 

 fine shell and a little charcoal. 

 The present month is a good 

 time to plant. Fill a bowl 

 (a 4-inch one for small bulbs like crocus and squills, 

 a 5 or 7-inch for larger bulbs, and a lo or 15-inch 

 one for a mass of bulbs) w'ith the compost to 

 within an inch of the rim, and press down firmly. 

 Insert l>ulbs so as lo let their tips appear above 

 the surface ; then plunge them in cocoanut fibre or 

 ashes in a cool, dark room until the stems are about an 

 inch long, when they should be removed to a cool room, 

 frame, or greenhouse for several days to "harden." 

 Keep fibre moderately moist by occasionally watering 

 witli hike-warm water. Place bowl in a well-lighted 

 winilow, and turn it every day until the flowers appear. 



