WINTER MOTH. 343 



Tivo of the most important points to he considered in " Sticky- 

 banding " trees are : — {1st) What material is best to use in order 

 not to hurt the trees, or {if it is of a hurtful nature) hoiv best to 

 prevent it soaking into the hark. {2ndly) What time or times 

 of year the " smear" should be applied. 



With regard to the material to be used, the following notes 

 show that cart-grease answers the purpose' of catching the 

 moths thoroughly well, but also that (what is called) cart- 

 grease may be so mixed with tarry or other matter dele- 

 terious to the health of the tree, that it is requisite for all 

 orchard-growers to ascertain what the application sold them 

 is made of. 



On December 1st, 1888, I was favoured by Mr. Charles D. 

 Wise (Deputy Manager of the Fruit-grounds at Toddington, 

 Winchcomb) with the following note regarding commence- 

 ment of operations. This report shows the large scale of the 

 operations, and their success in preventing the ascent of the 

 moths, and likewise warns against the use of tar. Mr. Wise 

 wrote : — " I think you will be interested to hear that we have 

 caught millions of the wingless moth this season. As many 

 as 500 have been counted caught in the band of grease on a 

 single tree. As we have something like 100,000 trees, it has 

 been a great business putting the bands on and keeping them 

 sticky. We have tried many different mixtures, but on the 

 whole I have found cart-grease by itself, put on thick, answers 

 best ; it is cheapest, and, I think, does no harm to the tree." 

 " Where tar has has been used, I have found the tree alive 

 uj) to the place where the band was put on, but above the 

 band dead." And in another letter Capt. Corbett (Manager) 

 further wrote on the same subject : — " Please note I have dis- 

 carded tar, for I have found instances where, even when 

 mixed with grease, it has, on drying, formed a tight band 

 round the bark, and destroyed the tree." 



The following valuable observation on the subject of nature 

 of grease or material used for banding, and necessity of pro- 

 tecting live bark from being choked by smears, was also 

 kindly placed in my hands by Mr. J. Masters, of Evesham, 

 Hon. Secretary of the Fruit Insect Conference Experimental 

 Committee ... " It is most important to be guarded in 

 buying grease. Some dealers offer you a cheap article, and it 

 is a vile compound of injurious mixtures. Get a good article, 

 free from tar, if you pay more money for it, is my advice. 



" I should recommend in all cases where there are young 

 trees, and where the bark of the tree is smooth and tender, 

 that grease-proof paper should be first banded round the tree 

 and the grease put on the paper. But on old trees where the 

 bark is rough, I do not think that grease {good) would be 



