12 APPLE. 



In orchard-growing on the very large scale of U.S.A. culti- 

 vation, it has been found to answer well to feed sheep and 

 pigs on the ground. These are supplied with requisite amount 

 of dry food, and from the destruction of the maggots and 

 trampling and manuring of the ground the infestation was 

 found to be much lessened, and also the trees to thrive well. 

 To prevent gnawing of the smaller trees, awash of "a solution 

 of soapsuds, whale-oil soap, and sheep manure was applied 

 once a month, and water also given." * In this country the 

 water might or might not be needed. 



But though destroying the fallen Apples gets rid of a great 

 deal of infestation, it does not help us with regard to the 

 caterpillars that go down to the ground by threads, and creep 

 up the Apple trunks ; or creep down to the trunk from un- 

 fallen Apples on the twigs. For this we need various methods 

 of treatment of the bark, and the first in order are those for 

 trapping or stopping the maggots on their ascent (or on their 

 journey down the tree). A very simple plan recommended 

 by the late Prof. Eiley, Entomologist of the U.S.A. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, was to wind a hay-rope in three coils 

 round the trunk of a tree at a little distance from the ground, 

 and to apply other hay-bands also to the larger branches. 

 The hay-band was fastened as tightly as it could be pulled ; 

 and Prof. Ptiley's rules as to its application were as follows : — 

 " First, the hay-band should be placed around the trees by 

 the 1st of June, and kept on till every Apple is off tbe tree ; 

 second, it should be pushed up or down, and the worms or 

 chrysalids crushed that were under it, every week or at the 

 very least every two weeks " [this appears to me very impor- 

 tant, E. A. 0.] ; " third, the trunk of the tree should be kept 

 free from rough old bark, so as to give the worms no other 

 place to shelter ; and, fourth, the ground itself should be kept 

 free from rubbish." f 



The point of the above treatment is — have the bands for 

 trapping the maggots placed early enough, and clear out all 

 that are captured soon enough ; and remove all other shelters, 

 so that the maggots have (so to say) no choice but to resort 

 to those which can be kept under observation. 



With a similar object, handing the trees, as especially re- 

 commended by Mr. Frazer Crawford, may be carried out in 

 various ways, as follows : — " For this purpose, old sacks, old 

 clothes (if woollen all the better), or brown paper may be 

 used, bat the latter is not so good. These should be cut into 



* See detailed account, by Mr. J. S. Woodward, in ' New York Weekly 

 Tribune ' for June 9th, 1880, quoted at lengtli by Mr. L. 0. Howard, p. 96 of 

 his paper previously referred to. 



t See Mr. L. O. Howard's Keport previously referred to. 



