13 . [433J 



1st. Destroy iruj the insects in their icinter quarters. — When we consider 

 that each female moth is capable of laying' fifty eggs, or»more, and that 

 every worm of the first brood ruins an apple, we can see the importance 

 of destroying these insects before they leave their winter quarters. 

 We have alreadj^ stated that, in the state of nature, these worms pass 

 the winter in cocoons, concealed under the bark, or in the crevices of 

 apple trees. The summer brood of worms which remain but two weeks 

 in the pupa state, sometimes content themselves with a very slight pro- 

 tection, but it is the nature of the insect to seek deep concealment ; and 

 the instinct of the second brood, which is to survive the winter, leads 

 them to search for the deepest protection they can find. We therefore 

 rarely find them under shallow and loose scales of bark, but very often 

 in deep cracks and crevices, partially embedding themselves in the sub- 

 stance of the wood or bark. Any superficial scraping- of the trees, or 

 • white-washing, or other outward applications, would not therefore be 

 likely to reach many of them. And inasmuch as they may be hidden 

 upon any part of the trunk or large branches, any attemi)t to discover 

 them with the intention of digging them out, would evidently be im- 

 practicable. But at the point where we become powerless, the wood- 

 peckers come to oui" aid. In theh' search for just such hidden worms as 

 these, these busy foragers unite business with pleasure, and all through 

 the wintry day the sharp rattle of their beaks may often be heard in the 

 orchard, as with ear intent, and sharpened beak, and ai)i)etites not less 

 sharp, they j)ursue their hidden prey with unerring and fatal j>reci- 

 sion. 



A more efficacious way of destroying these worms, so far as our own 

 instrumentality is concerned, is to search for them about the barrels and 

 bins in which fall and winter apples have been kept. I have heard of 

 instances where the side-boards of the bins have been taken away from 

 time to time, as the apples were removed, and thrown one ujaon another, 

 in which these boards became so fastened together by the webs of the 

 worms between them, that a number of boards could be raised by taking 

 hold of the upper one only. There can be no doubt that the destruction 

 of the Codling-worm at this stage of its existence, would be very effec- 

 tive, and that it has been by far too much neglected. 



2d. Ficldng the loormy apples from the trees. — We have stated above 

 that the young worms, soon after they have entered the apple, begin to 

 throw out their castings through the hole which they made in entering. 

 As this hole must be originally almost microscopically minute, it is evi- 

 dent that they must enlarge the opening for this jjurpose. We further 

 stated that a portion of the castings adhere to the rough and shrivelled 

 calyx, forming a rust-colored mass, which is easily seen from the ground 

 below. Some horticulturists, amongst whom we may mention Mr. Oliver 



