72 OKCHARD CATERPIliLAES. 



Winter Moths, being winged, may, of course, betake themselves any- 

 where ; but the females, which cannot fly, must, so far as they de^Dend 

 on their sole exertions, walk up the trees, beneath which they have 

 lived in chrysalis-state, and on which they feed as caterpillars ; and 

 their absence is a proof of the good which has been done by treat- 

 ment. — Ed. 



The following notes which refer to success in clearing caterpillars 

 from Black Currant leafage, by means of application of Paris-green 

 spray with the " Eclair" knapsack-pump, were sent me, on May 18th, 

 by Mr. John Speir, of Newton Farm, Newton, near Glasgow. Mr. 

 Speir noted that the first of the caterpillars were seen on the 10th, 

 and the next two days, being particularly warm, they appeared in 

 thousands; and that he had "had the 'Eclair' going for two days 

 previously, but, as showers were coming on occasionally, the Paris- 

 green appeared to get washed off, and to do no good. Also, as new 

 leaves were unfolding almost daily, there were always some clean 

 leaves to feed on." 



Consequently, however, on this great appearance of caterpillars, 

 Mr. Speir had energetic measures taken ; and I give his report verbatim 

 as a record of the success of the application on fruit-bushes, and also 

 as the experience of one of our very leading fruit-growers : — 



"From Monday morning I kept spraying from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., 

 using at first 1 lb. to 200 gallons, and latterly 1 lb. to 150 gallons. At 

 first the spraying appeared to have no very great effect on the cater- 

 pillars, but about the 14th I saw they were decreasing, and from then 

 till now (18th) they have died off wonderfully. On Monday it was 

 difficult to get a sprig without caterpillars, while to-day few are to be 

 had with them. All my bushes have been gone over once, some twice, 

 and a few three times, and I am going to go on as long as any remain. 

 In only a very few cases have any of the leaves been scorched, and 

 then apparently from the liquid at the bottom of the ' Eclair.' I am 

 also doing the Apple trees, and, although I see I am quite unable to 

 prevent damage to the foliage to a little extent this year, I expect 

 I will be able to very much reduce it by another one, as an enormous 

 crop of chrysalids must be done away with." 



On Tuesday, May 12th, during the visit of the Fruit Experimental 

 Committee at Toddington, Mr. Gibbon (Chairman) reported that "he 

 had been spraying his Gooseberries. He observed the sawfly on the 

 Gooseberry bushes, and they sprayed them with Paris-green, and they 

 could not see any left now. They used 1 oz. of Paris-green paste to 

 12 gallons of water. His trees were looking beautifully healthy." * 



* The above is quoted from the ' Evesham Standard' for May 16th, giving a 

 detailed report of the meeting, as I cannot at this minute lay my hands on a report 

 by Mr. Gibbon on this point amongst his other observations sent me. — E. A. 0. 



