GOOSEBERKY AND CURRANT MOTH. 93 



answer well. Also (as a preventive), where this conspicuous 

 moth is seen in large numbers, it would be worth while, and 

 quite possible from its day flying and quiet habits, to lessen 

 its numbers greatly by use of a common butterfly-net, or 

 sometimes even with the hand. 



Placing pieces of canvas or sheets below the bushes, and 

 shaking or jarring the boughs sharply so as to dislodge the 

 caterpillars, and then gathering them up in the cloths and 

 destroying them, has been found good treatment. 



For dustings or sprayings powdered hellebore is one kind 

 of eftective application so far as killing the caterpillars is 

 concerned ; but it is so very poisonous, and the effect would 

 be so dangerous to all who partook of the fruit, unless it had 

 been washed quite free from the dressing, that I cannot take 

 upon myself to advise it. 



Flour of sulphur dusted on the leaves wlien the dew is on so 

 that the powder would adhere, or a liberal application of soot 

 similarly used, are serviceable remedies and quite safe. 



Paris-green sprayings, though these to succeed proj)erly 

 should be in such minute quantity of the arsenite contained 

 that they would be {demonstrably) j^f^rfectly without any cause 

 of risk to the consumers of the fruit, yet might raise a pre- 

 judice against it injurious to the seller. But the well- 

 known "kerosine emulsion" would do much good without 

 danger, and the "anti-pest" of Messrs. Morris, Little & Son, 

 of Doncaster, which is almost the same as the " kerosine 

 emulsion" of the United States of America in constituents, 

 but is sold ready mixed in a semi-fluid state at a very cheap 

 rate, would probably save much trouble and damage, from 

 (respectively) the difficulty there usually is in mixing the 

 "emulsion" so that the kerosine and soft-soap wash may 

 unite permanently in the operation of mixing, and the great 

 harm to the leafage in case the mineral oil separates, so that 

 the kerosine (or paraffin) remains undiluted on one part of 

 the leaves, and the soft-soap remains, not doing all the good 

 that it was meant to do, on the other. 



All the measures which are found serviceable in checking 

 infestation of Gooseberry Sawfly (and of which notes are given 

 under this heading) will be equally serviceable in lessening 

 damage from caterpillars of the Magpie Moth, which are 

 easily kept in check by moderate care. 



