WINTER MOTH, 67 
of ‘‘erease’’ which, beyond the action of the grease itself, will not do 
harm, even if smeared on the bark. 
Others, however, will do great harm to bark: of these, such a 
composition as ‘Pitt's axle-grease’’ would probably do immense 
mischief if used as a smear to be laid on the bark itself. This mixture 
is stated to be composed of black-oil or petroleum residue, animal 
grease, rosin (powdered), soda-lye, and salt dissolved in a little water. 
Where, however, ‘‘ grease-proof’’ paper is really impervious to greasy 
or injurious external applications, of course almost any sticky insect 
deterrent may be smeared on it; where the paper is pervious (as may 
very likely be the case) damage occurs just in proportion to its ineffici- 
ency. The practical difficulties connected with ‘‘greasing”’ or ‘‘sticky- 
banding” are,—the material drying so quickly that it ceases to be 
sticky; or, again, where great numbers of moths are stuck fast, the 
bodies of these make a coating outside the sticky material over which 
the ascending moths may creep in safety. This is a difficulty which 
may very soon occur, as the male moths, being attracted to the bands 
by the females, a coating or sprinkling of both winged and wingless 
moths is soon formed. 
Yet another point to be considered is deposit of eggs. Numbers of 
these are laid on the bands by the “stuck fast’’ female moths, and of 
these it just depends on various circumstances whether many or few 
will hatch out their caterpillars in due course to ascend the tree in 
spring. Also there is an almost certainty of an egg deposit wnder the 
lower edye of the sticky band, beneath the part where it is tied to the 
tree. 
All the above matters need looking to if ‘‘ sticky banding ”’ is to be 
successful, and for most of them another application of the smear is 
enough; but the really great difficulty in the matter lies in the 
successive or long-continued appearances of the moths. These may 
go on, as noted by Mr. Goodwin at p. 638 (to take one of the observa- 
tions of the past season), for a couple of months, or they may recur at 
intervals during the winter from the middle of October to the beginning 
of March, and it appears to me totally impossible to guard against 
this at a paying rate in great orchards where trees are grown by 
thousands. The greatest number of moths, the great force of the attack, 
however, appears to be that which comes the first, the great infestation of 
the latter part of October and earlier part of November ; and to check 
this in its ascent makes an enormous difference in amount of coming 
evil. And here we pass to the remedial measures, which the imperfect- 
ness of preventive measures makes imperative only too often in the 
following spring. 
When the caterpillars are found to be at work on the leafage, the 
only treatment which appears to be of really trustworthy service is 
F 2 
