No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 581 



the time of the birth of this codling moth and the time of its action. 

 In our section — we are located th^ same as your section at North 

 East, and we are influenced by exactly the same weather conditions 

 that Dr. Thorpe touched on this morning, — the matter of the lake 

 being our protection, our cold storage and our supply of heat. Now, 

 back from the lake six miles, where I am located, we have a differ- 

 ent time of blossoming than they do right at the lake, more than you 

 would imagine; sometimes fully a week's difference between the 

 blossoming, and even the harvesting of some of our early fruit, 

 like the strawberry. It stands to reason you have studied the his- 

 tory of the codling moth, the time of its appearance and disastrous 

 work, would differ as regards locality and climatic conditions. This 

 year we had an altogether longer period of blossoming than we have 

 had in former years, and still it didn't correspond to the appearance 

 oi the codling moth. We naturally expect a forward season means a 

 forward appearance of the codling moth, and I wonder, Prof. Sur- 

 face, if you have noticed anything similar in Pennsylvania. 



PKOF. SURFACE : I consider there are some instances like that. 

 I think the point is well taken. You cannot fix this time at which 

 to spray. You must depend upon the season. 



MR. BASSETT: We had Prof. Hammer, who worked with Prof. 

 Johnson at North East, who was working the life history of the cod- 

 ling worm about eight miles from my home. We started to spray. 

 Prof. Hammer knew it, and he telephoned up, "I think you are too 

 early," so we desisted, and those who followed Prof. Hammer's ad- 

 vice this year had the best crop of apples, and I have no doubt that 

 little bit of advice that Prof. Hammer gave us was worth |50,000 

 to that particular section. 



PROF. SURFACE: What was the state or condition of the blos- 

 soms when you sprayed that you got the best results? 



MR. BASSETT: A little later than we usually do. We want to 

 be ahead of the closing of the calyx. We always supposed if we 

 started when three-fourths of the petals had fallen, that was the 

 right time, but this year he said he went to the cider mills and 

 gathered up these codling moths, put them into boxes or wire nets 

 right in the orchard, under natural conditions, and bred those. 

 "WTien they came forth, he knew they were coming forth in the 

 orchard, because they were there in natural condition, so he could 

 give us intelligent knowledge as to the exact time when they were 

 coming out. Now, this is pretty difficult to do. I know in our state 

 they advised the banding of the tree, and then watching the coming 

 out of the codling moth from those old bands. We are trying to 

 keep a scientific man there from the government, and hope to do so. 

 But it is essential that this work should be done at the right time, 

 not only the right material but the right time. The third element 

 in this tripod of success is in the right manner, and there is where 

 we often fall down. Now, nine-tenths of the m.en — and I am with 

 the nine-tenths, who think they have done a good job — don't do a 

 very good job after all. The oil is a good lazy man's spray, because 

 if you don't cover the tree completely over with lime and sul- 

 phur, you haven't done the work, and the oil will do some of it, 

 crawling for itself, but T don't suppose you ar-e lazy men, so I am 



