312 GOOSEBERRY. 



some have the upper hah' of the wing white and the lower 

 black, or the reverse ; some have the ground colour of the 

 wing (instead of merely a band) yellow ; and in some cases 

 the hinder wings are striped with black. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — The best method of preventing 

 attack from these caterpillars in the spring is to destroy them 

 whilst they are torpid during the winter. There is a difference 

 of opinion as to whether the caterpillars winter beneath the 

 fallen leaves on the ground or each in its folded leaf-cradle 

 hung from the bough. However this may be, they may easily 

 be got rid of by gathering the fallen leaves together from under 

 the bushes, scraping up just a film of the surface-soil with 

 them (so as to ensure none of the grubs being left behind), 

 and at the same time casting a glance over the bush and 

 picking off any hanging leaves that may be seen. 



The habit of the caterpillar of wintering on or under the 

 food-bush is the one to be acted upon to get rid of it thoroughly, 

 but very early autumn pruning and dressing of the ground 

 beneath the bushes should be avoided. I have had notes 

 from two localities wdiere this was customary of caterpillar- 

 attack being bad, and the reason seems obvious. If the 

 caterpillars have either not become thoroughly torpid, or the 

 weather is still open enough for them to re-establish them- 

 selves in shelters, many will escape by creeping away or 

 sheltering in the disturbed surface, which otherwise would 

 have been destroyed by winter operations. If the bushes are 

 properly pruned and all hanging leaves cleared, and likewise 

 the surface-soil with the fallen leaves upon it scraped oft", and 

 either carried quite- away or so treated that the caterpillars in 

 it will be destroyed, the plan will answer as well to check 

 repetition of the attack next spring as it does with that of 

 Gooseberry Sawfly caterpillar. The pests being absolutely 

 cleared out from under the bushes, there is nothing to come 

 up in any stage of life. 



Thorough cultivation is a good preventive for this attack ; 

 where the bushes are properly pruned, and consequently care- 

 fully examined during the winter, there can be very little har- 

 bourage left on the boughs for the caterpillar ; and a good forking 

 beneath the bushes, with an addition of manure, especially of 

 the rich sorts applied in Gooseberry-growing districts, cannot 

 fail to much diminish the number of caterpillars sheltered on 

 the ground. A ring of ashes sprinkled with tar, or with any 

 cheap sticky mixture (see " Lubricants " in Index), put towards 

 March or April round each Gooseberry stem (at a few inches 

 from it), would keep any caterpiUars from being able to crawl 

 up it. 



