506 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ .lune 25, 1874. 



into bed by nine o'clock, as he could not keep himBelf warm 

 outside, and there was no fire inside his house. — S. N. Maetin. 



THE WINTER MOTH. 



Some reference has already been made in these pages to tho 

 above insect, which, though bearing a name which is not a 

 " sound of dread," is yet a troublesome species, and one not 

 easily mastered. This season, which seems to be a " jubUee 

 year " with certain kinds of blight in our gardens, has produced 

 some strange manifestations of activity and odd changes of 

 diet on the part of some insects, aud I have been a little sur- 

 prised to find the larvaj of the Winter Jloth (Cheimatobia 

 brumata) attacking the Kose. Of course, in theory, one would 

 not be surprised at its visiting other Rosaceous plants, from 

 its well-known partiality to the Hawthorn in our hedges ; but 

 it more generally, when it enters the domain of the garden 

 and orchard, singles out fruit trees as the object of its attack, 

 being sometimes very hurtful to the Apple, Pear, and Plum, 

 and occasionally also stripping the Filbert. Indeed, the larvas 

 have such a convenient appetite, that a list of all the trees on 

 which they can feed would be a long one ; still, as they appear 

 to show a preference for trees or shrubs, I hardly expected to 

 find any upon dwarf Kose trees. It is to be hoped this new 

 taste will not extend itself, for the poor Rose has already a 

 quavt. s!(/r. of insect and vegetable enemies to contend with, 

 and might adopt as its motto the oft-quoted epitaph, " Afflic- 

 tions sore longtime I bore;" though, fortunately lor the plant, 

 modern physicians are not so much in vain as their predeces- 

 sors of fifty years since, for if there is anything in which we 

 can show a marked improvement it is in the culture of the 

 Bose. 



A few further notes on this pest, Cheimatobia brumata 

 (fi;). 1), maybe of service to others besides Rose-growers. The 

 larva is one that needs to be looked 

 after. It does not, like some of 

 the enemies of the gardener, pa- 

 rade itself in our view, as if to 

 say, " See what mischief I'm do- 

 ing." The larva very ingeniously 

 draws together a few leaves with 

 silk, so as to hide itself from view, 

 usually feeding under this shelter. 

 The abode is so slight that it does 

 not attract the eye in many in- 

 stances ; and as each larva dwells 

 alone, there is none of the con- 

 spicuousness of the nests con- 

 structed by other leaf-devourera, such as the small Ermine 

 (Yponomeiita padella). The larvae of this species is one of 

 the very earliest to come forth ; and, less fortunate than some 

 of our insect pests, which defy the colds of spring, these often 

 suffer severely from the frosts of April, which kill whole broods, 

 and so serve to keep their numbers somewhat in check. The 

 survivors fall-to upon the leaf-buds, and thus do more damage 

 than larv.-c which, coming forth from the eggs at a later date, 

 devour the leaves of plants when they have fully expanded. 

 One of Nature's remedies for this evil is the visitation of small 

 birds, which seek out the young larvaj of C. brumata for their 

 own sustenance and that of their nestlings. Mr. Newman, in 

 some valuable observations upon this moth communicated to 



the Field newspaper, 

 states that the bull- 

 finch and the titmouse 

 are especially given to 

 seek out the larva; ; 

 but if it be true, as 

 some observers report, 

 that the bullfinch, like 

 the goldfinch, is get- 

 ting very scarce with 

 us, we shall not have 

 much help henceforth 

 in that way. Though 

 a warm defender of 

 our small birds, Mr. Newman admits that the feathered hunters 

 of the larv.'e of C. brumata in their eager search open and 

 destroy a great many buds which contain no larv;e. A small 

 species of Ichneumon Fly deposits its eggs upon the larva; of 

 this moth, and the grubs kill a certain number of them ; but 

 they are not largely reduced thereby, and as yet the history of 

 this parasite has only been partially worked out. 



Cheimatobia brumata. 



Fig. 2. — Yponomeuta padella. 



An inveterate foe of the Winter Moth belongs to the same 

 order of insects, being the species designated the Dun-bar 

 (Cosmia trapezina), the larva; feeding in May and June on the 

 Hawthorn, Hornbeam, and Oak, and having a taste for animal 

 as well as vegetable food. No doubt the abodes spun by the 

 larva; of C. brumata serve for their partial protection from the 

 voracious and larger larva; of C. trapezina, and even in a chase 

 along a twig, Mr. Newman found the tJeometer, though fur- 

 nished with but ten legs, would sometimes escape the Noctua 

 with its sixteen. Also C. brumata drops readily from a leaf 

 or branch by a cord of silk, an expedient at which C. trapezina 

 is not so apt. Of the proceedings of the latter Mr. Newman 

 writes — " It is curious to observe that he does not seize the 

 caterpillar by the hinder part of the body, but never slackens 

 his pace until his head is abreast of the other's neck, which he 

 then seizes with savage eagerness, reminding one strongly of a 

 deerhound pulling down a stag, or at least the representations 

 of this cruel feat by the inimitable Landseer. When the first 

 paralysing grip is given it is all over with the leaf-feeder — 

 there is scarcely a straggle." It would be of advantage to us 

 if the larva; of C. trapezina frequented gardens and orchards; 

 but they do not very often follow their favourite prey to those 

 situations, preferring woods and hedges. If the horticulturist 

 wishes to operate upon this enemy while in the larval con- 

 dition, there are only two feasible ways — either careful hand- 

 picking, which is not so easily done in the case of trees ; or 

 agitating the twigs and branches with sufficient force to cause 

 the larva; to drop by threads, when they may be caught or 

 crushed at once. 



It may be noted that the favourite posture of this larva when 

 nearly adult is with the body partly bent. In colour we find 

 great variety in different specimens. Some are a deep brown, 

 others quite a light green. The ordinary appearance of the 

 larva is between the two — somewhat of a dull green tint, with 

 stripes of white on the sides, and down the back a darker stripe, 

 supposed to be produced by the food in the alimentary canal 

 being seen through the skin ; the claspers and legs are semi- 

 transparent. Most of these are adult in May or the beginning 

 of June. As the larva descends to the earth, and there inters 

 itself to become a chrysalis, a thorough digging of the ground 

 beneath trees that have been attacked has been advised. This 

 kills some, and exposes others to be killed by the sun or by 

 bird and insect enemies ; still, it cannot always be carried out. 



The German plan of proceeding by way of anticipation is 

 best ; the trees or shrubs being daubed with rings of a compo- 

 sition consisting of equal parts of Stockholm tar and cart- 

 grease, in such situations on the trunks or branches that they 

 will be hkely to intercept the female moths in their march 

 upwards to deposit their eggs : for as these are wingless, their 

 only way of getting up in the world is to crawl, and they are 

 thus entangled and killed by the sticky compound while en- 

 deavouring to reach spots suitable for the deposition of their 

 eggs. It has been ascertained that this preparation does no 

 harm to trees when smeai'ed on moderately in November and 

 December, just at the time the Winter Moth emerges. Those, 

 however, who have experimented with it in the spring with the 

 idea of killing other insects, have found injury result. A great 

 many moths may be taken by examining the trunks with a 

 lantern at dusk as soon as the emergence has begun ; and 

 since, in spite of all precautions, eggs are sure to be deposited 

 here and there, these gi'eenish masses should be looked after 

 in the crannies of the stems any time between Christmas and 

 AprU.— J. R. S. C. 



Midland Counties Grand Hobticdltukal Exhibition. — 

 We are authorised to announce that, with a view to accom- 

 modate intending exhibitors of plants, fruits, vegetables, Roses, 

 etc., at this important Show, the last day for making entries 

 has been fixed for Saturday, the 27th inst., instead of the date 

 announced in the schedule. Entries should be sent direct to 

 Mr. H.G. Quilter, the Lower Grounds, Aston Park, Birmingham, 

 and should state the classes in which it is intended to exhibit, 

 and the superficial measurement in square feet of space re- 

 quired. Competitors for either of the silver challenge cups 

 must deposit a sum of £2 at the time of making the entry. 

 These deposits will be returned on the morning of the Ex- 

 hibition to such exhibitors as duly stage their exhibits. The 

 programme of conditions and arrangements for the lawn- 

 mower contest are now in circulation. Arrangements have 

 been made for holding a public dinner, at 6 p.m., on the second 

 day of the Exhibition, at the Lower Grounds, Aston Park, 

 Birmingham, which wiU be presided over by the Mayor of 



