REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 191 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



venient place on the twigs, where they spin their winter coverings. This generally 

 takes place, Professor Slingerland found, in the first half of September, and is done 

 irrespective of the weather, even if it be fine and hot, and there is abundance of food. 

 Like all other insects, they seem to know instinctively that it is the proper time for 

 them to prepare for winter. The spring appearance of the caterpillars, on the other 

 hand, is much less regular as to date and will vary as much as three or four weeks, 

 according as the spring and the time of the opening of the buds is early or late. 

 However, it may be generally stated that the caterpillars leave their winter quarters 

 and begin their depredations at the time the leaf buds open. There is only one brood 

 of this insect in the year, the caterpillars which attack the leaves in the late summer, 

 being the same ones which destroy the leaf buds the following spring. The rnoAs 

 appear at only one period in the year, viz., during the three or four weeks from the 

 middle of June till the middle of July. Since the life-history of this insBcl has been 

 discovered, better remedial measures have been devised than were previously known. 

 The fact that the caterpillar passes the winter haK-grown, accounts for the large 

 amount of injury which is done so soon after growth begins in spring. The Eye- 

 spotted Bud-moth attacks, besides the apple, the plum, the peach, the pear, the quince 

 and the blackberry. 



The remedy which, as stated above, has given the best results, is to spray 

 the trees thoroughly with a Bordeaux and Paris green mixture at the time 

 the buds are opening, covering the whole tree so that every bud may receive its share 

 of poison. The Bordeaux mixture will also, when applied at that time, materially 

 hold in check the troublesome Black Spot disease of the apple. There are, of course, 

 many other kinds of poisons which may be used ; but those which have given the best 

 results, are Paris green. Arsenate of Lead or Disparene, and Green and Pink Arse- 

 noid. Where great care is exercised in mixing and making the application ac- 

 cording to instructions and also in destroying carefully all surplus left on hand after 

 spraying, white arsenic in any of its combinations raay be used and v/ill destroy all leaf- 

 eating insects, upon trees which have been sprayed with a mixture containing it ; but 

 its use is attended with considerable danger to foliage and also with great risk to ani- 

 mal life, including human beings, from having about a house or outbuilding a sub- 

 stance which so closely resembles so many materials used in a household. In Prof. 

 Bailey's most useful little Horticulturists' Bule Book, under the head of arsenic, we 

 find the following : — ' Arsenic. — Known to chemists as arsenious acid or white oxide 

 of arsenic. It is considered an unsafe insecticide, as its colour allows it to be mistaken 

 for other substances ; but in its various compounds it forms one of our best inscctides. 

 From one to two grains, or less, usually prove fatal to an adult; 30 grains will usually 

 kill a horse, ten grains a cow, and one grain, or less, is usually fatal to a dog. In 

 cases of poisoning, while awaiting a physician, give emetics ; and, after free vomit- 

 ing, miUv and eggs. Sugar and magnesia in milk is useful. In the very complete 

 experiments which have been recently carried out under the instructions of Dr. L. O. 

 Howard, the United States Entomologist, by Mr. C. B. Simpson, on the Codling 

 Moth, the following important statement is made as to the insecticide which he found 

 most useful in his extensive investigations : — 



' Arsenite of Lime ivWi Soda. 



White arsenic pound 1 



Sal soda (crystal) pounds 4 



Water gallon 1 



* The ingredients are boiled in the required amount of water until dissolved, 

 which will take place in a comparatively few minutes, after which the water lost by 

 evaporation is replaced. To every 40 or 50 gallons of water a pint of this stock 

 solution and from 2 to 4 pounds of fresh slaked lime are added. The chemical com- 



