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Experiments on the Codling Moth and Curculios. 



(Garpocapsa pomojiclla, Linn. ; Antlionomus quiulrigibhas, Hay. ; Cono- 

 traclielus nenuphar, Herbst.) 



By H. a. FORBES. 



No insect has been longer or more unfavorably known to the 

 apple grower than the codling moth. It is a denizen of the whole 

 earth, wherever the apple has found a home, and has probably in- 

 fested that fruit in the old world at least, from immemorial time. 

 It was first described as a species by the great Linnaeus a hundred 

 and thirty years ago, at which time its injuries to the apple seemed 

 well known; and there has doubtless been no year since when it 

 has not deserved and received the heart-felt anathemas of the fruit 

 grower over a large part of the civilized world. It would seem, at 

 the first blush, remarkable that there should be anything further to 

 say concerning an insect that has centered upon itself for so long 

 a time an extraordinary share of the deeply interested attention of 

 the horticultural world ; but in this case, as in very many others, 

 our knowledge, gathered by chance, by a great many observers, and 

 systematically and perseveringly studied by none, is fragmentary and 

 indefinite, — our acquaintance with remedial measures especially fall- 

 ing far short of the completeness and accuracy necessary to guide 

 us to a correct practice. 



Dismissing for the present all other parts of the subject, it is my 

 purpose here to confine myself wholly to a report of some system- 

 atic experiments with remedial measures made by me and my 

 assistants during the summer of 1885, — only incidentally mentioning 

 the life history and habits of the insect, as related to the character 

 and value of the remedies used. 



While the investigation to be here reported was originally planned 

 for the codling moth alone, we found ourselves engaged almost as 

 deeply with the plum and apple curculios as with this former in- 

 sect ; and for this reason enlarged the field of our experiment so as 

 to cover all three of these species together. 



Until quite recently the standard measures of defense against the 

 codling moth liave been but two, — the destruction of the fallen fruit 

 with the larv;e or "worms" within it and the application of bands 

 of rags, or similar material, to the trunks of the trees as a temp- 

 tation to the larvffi seeking a suitable place for pupation, — the 

 pup* found under the shelter of these bands being removed and 

 destroyed at short intervals. Both of these remedies have the very 



