December, "08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 353 



poison into the lower calyx cavity in order to obtajn satisfactory re- 

 sults against the codling-moth. 



After reading the assertive and accusing article above mentioned, 

 on June 27, I went to Nature for the facts as regards the feeding 

 habits of the young codling-moth larv£e. Do they feed any in the 

 upper calyx cavity after scpieezing through between the closed calyx 

 lobes ? Or do they go on down through the closely set row of stamens 

 into the lower calyx cavity for their first meals? The answer to 

 these questions would determine if it was necessary to drive the poison 

 spray into the lower calyx cavity. 



I found that in every case where the young larva had entered the 

 apple at the calyx end it had stopped to feed in the outer calyx cav- 

 ity. Furthermore, the larva had fed in the outer cavity for several 

 days, or through the first larval stage. The only ones I found go- 

 ing farther into the apples had a head diameter of about .54 mm., 

 which corresponds almost exactly to Simpson's recorded diameter for 

 the head of codling-moth larvae in the second stage. At D on the 

 plate is shown such a larva in the second stage that was just going into 

 the lower calyx cavity. It had fed quite extensively around in the 

 upper cavity, partly on the fleshy stamens, and a few pellets of its ex- 

 crement had dropped into the lower cavity. I was unable to obtain 

 any evidence that the larva? worked their way into the lower calyx 

 cavity without first taking several meals in the outer cavity. Several 

 other Eastern entomologists with whom I have discussed these facts 

 have made similar observations. The young codling-moth larvae may 

 have different feeding habits in recently-set apples in the far West, 

 but thus far I have not seen any definite facts or pictures to prove 

 that they do not first stop to feed in the outer calyx cavity w'hen they 

 enter young apples at this point. 



Remarkable results have been recorded from thorough, drenching, 

 forceful arsenate of lead sprays in the West, perhaps better results 

 than Eastern fruit-growers usually get, but is it not due more to the 

 thoroughness and method of application than to the 200 pounds of 

 pressure which is supposed to be necessary to drive the spray into the 

 lower calyx cavity? All entomologists and many progressive fruit- 

 growers now understand the great importance and necessity of the 

 application of a poison spray for the codling-moth soon after the 

 petals have fallen and before the calyx lobes close up. But there still 

 remain many apple growers who do not spray thoroughly enough or 

 direct the spray properly into the calyx cups, and it is not because of 

 the laxity or proper advice of entomologists. Such is human nature. 



Finally, from recent codling-moth literature and from the facts I 



