176 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



class of fall fruit, the Jersey Sweet exhibits results that fall in line 

 with the others. Comparatively few larvae emerge in any one of the 

 first seven dsivs, the average number per thousand drops being 4 

 for the first 24 hours; 2 for the second; 2 for the third; 5 for the fourth ; 

 6 for the fifth; 8 for the sixth; and 12 for the seventh. Thus there is 

 a considerable increase toward the end of the seven daj^s, but the 

 total for the first week, taking an average of all the apples observed, 

 is 39 larvae per thousand drops. This number rises to a maximum of 

 2,555 larvae per thousand drops in the fourth week after the fruit falls, 

 and then diminishes to 8 per thousand the eighth week. 



In the Winter Sweet we have an apple that belongs in the class of 

 genuine "svinter fruit. In this variety practically no maggots appear 

 until the apple has been off the tree for five weeks. The ratio is 

 only 2 larvae per thousand drops the first week; 1 the second; 7 the 

 third; 5 the fourth; and 5 the fifth. For the sixth week the number 

 increases to 33; for the seventh 46; for the eighth 78, which is the 

 maximum; for the ninth 74; for the tenth 19; and for the eleventh 11. 



At this point, an examination of the records gives definite answer 

 to three questions connected with control of the apple maggot bj^ pick- 

 ing up drops; as follows: 



First, the summer or early fall fruit is of such character that a 

 much larger percentage of maggots finds it possible to mature in it 

 than in late varieties. From other records on hand it might be shown 

 that the August Sweet and the Winter Sweet handled in these experi- 

 ments did not differ wadely in the average number of egg punctures 

 per apple, Nevertheless the former, an early variety, gave for the 

 season an average of 6,898 maggots emerging per thousand drops, 

 while the latter, a winter variety, gave a ratio of only 281 maggots 

 per thousand drops. In other words, the early fruit needs particularly 

 to be watched by the grower. 



Second, whatever the variety, the drops that first fall will mature 

 the most maggots. If we examine representative lots in each variety 

 and compare the total number of larvae emerging from apples that 

 dropped early as compared with those that dropped late, we find that 

 there is a steady decrease as the season advances. This means, 

 of course, that whatever the kind of fruit, the grower must not neglect 

 the early drops. 



Third, there is little need to pick up . drops after the middle of 

 October in the latitude of southern New Hampshire. Early varieties 

 have passed out of existence by this date, and late drops, though 

 badly infested, do not mature many larvae. 



This leaves for consideration the main question: How often must 

 the drops be gathered? 



