WINTER MOTH ; GREASE-BANDING. 165 



The material employed is the kind of tough paper which is 

 made use of by grocers for wrapping up butter, lard, and the 

 like, and is known as " grease-proof " paper. This is applied 

 by a band as many inches wide as is thought fit (the wider 

 the better) being passed round the stem of the tree. The 

 band should be cut long enough for the ends to overhip well, 

 and these are fastened by paste, and the whole is made secure 

 by a piece of bast-mat, or anything that will not cut the 

 paper, being tied round the paper near each edge. This work 

 can be rapidly and well done by women. On the paper bands 

 the grease or application may be spread in any way preferred, 

 but the best way is considered to be to lay it on with a thin 

 flat bit of wood, and plentifully, both as to width of band and 

 thickness of layer. In this way (when I saw the managers of 

 the Toddington Fruit-grounds in the autumn of 1889), 80,000 

 Plum trees and about 40,000 more of other kinds were being 

 treated. 



A slightly different method of binding was tried, also with 

 good success, by Mr. E. E. Cheesman, of Bough Bridge, 

 Edenbridge, Kent, of which he gave me the following note : — 



" Now the course I have followed is this : I have first placed 

 bands of impervious paper (such as is used by grocers for 

 butter and other greasy substances) of about seven inches in 

 width round the trees, a foot from the ground, first removing 

 loose and rough bark so that the bands should lie quite close ; 

 on this I have placed a similar width of glazed lining-calico, 

 and tied tightly with strong string at an inch from both_ top 

 and bottom of band, so that wind and rain cannot move it in 

 the least. I have then used a mixture of cart-grease and soft- 

 soap, mixed to the required consistency with train oil, and 

 laid on to the bands with ordinary paint-brushes. This was 

 done by October 16th, and they have been served in the same 

 way every week since, so as to keep them always sticky. . . . 

 We have caught some thousands of both the males and 

 females (which seem to keep together) of the Cheimatohia, a 

 few of a much larger sort of moth, also wingless or nearly so 

 [probably Mottled Umber — Ed.], but these latter are not in 

 any quantity here. I may add that in very few cases have any 

 of "the moths got as far up as the middle of the band, and I 

 am fairly satisfied that we have caught all that had attempted 

 to ascend. This mode is a little trouble and expense, hut the 

 latter does not exceed twopence per tree, even on full-grown 

 trees, which most of mine are, many being very large ones ; 

 and this is a very trifling outlay, if a crop can be saved by 

 this means."— (E. E. C.) 



It is of great importance to begin the grease-handing in good 

 time. 



