291 APPLE. 



these methods are tedious, and, though they are of use -where 

 just a few trees can be carefully tended, are of little service in 

 orchard treatment. 



A far better way is to watch for the webs, and, as soon as 

 they are seen, to carry out the old French method and cut the 

 shoots through with a pair of nijipers and destroy the web- 

 nests and their contents. But where the plan of destroying 

 the caterpillars in their webs is adopted, care should be taken 

 that this is done when the caterpillars are within them. 

 It should be done on an overcast, wet day, or early or late, 

 and it is best for two people to carry out the work. One man 

 should have a pail with some fluid in it, — water and paraffin, 

 or fluid mud with a little paraffin, or anything, in fact, that 

 will prevent the caterpillars that fall in rambling away. If 

 the pail is held by one man, so that the web-nest cut off by the 

 other falls into it, this is an excellent remedy for such part of 

 the attack as maybe in reach. In any case, measures should 

 be taken to prevent stray caterpillars returning up the stem of 

 the tree to the leafage. 



A less troublesome but less complete method is to shake 

 the boughs, or strike them smartly, so as to make the cater- 

 pillars drop, and sweep those that dangle by their threads in 

 the air down with the hand. These may be trampled on, or 

 gas-lime, quick-lime, or anything that will kill them, may be 

 thrown on them ; but it should be done at once. 



Spraying the infested trees is of service with this as well as 

 with other orchard caterpillar attacks ; for observations on 

 which see notes under the head of ''Winter Moth;" also 

 references to " Paris Green," " Soft-soap Washes," &c., in 

 Index. The Lackey Moths harbour in long grass and leaves 

 on the ground, and, therefore, keeping the trees clear of a 

 neglected undergrowth of weeds and rank herbage, such as is 

 too often seen in uncared-for orchards, is a useful measure of 

 prevention. 



To what extent birds should be encouraged is a matter for 

 the consideration of the orchard-grower. It is certain that 

 some of the mainly insectivorous kinds give help by clearing 

 out eggs and small grubs from nooks which can be got at in no 

 other way, and that these should to all reasonable extent be 

 preserved ; but at the same time bird presence should by no 

 means be encouraged to such an overwhelming extent that 

 they demolish the very crops they were meant to protect. In 

 the case of Lackey Moth, a special word may be said for the 

 Cuckoo as a helper, for this bird is particularly partial to hairy 

 caterpillars. 



The attacks of the Small Ermine Apple Moth are placed 

 next in order, as they lie to some degree under the same 



