WINTER MOTH. 77 



Fortunately for the proprietors of orchards, 

 the female is without wings, so that she is 

 ohliged to creep up the trunks of the trees in 

 order to lay her eggs, and may be intercepted by 

 various means. 



The most effectual plan seems to be a coat of 

 Bome sticky substance applied in a broad ring 

 round the stem, and continually renewed as fast 

 as it hardens. Mr. !N"ewman recommends a mix- 

 ture of Stockholm tar and cart-grease. This, 

 however, must only be applied in November and 

 December, as it dries too fast in the warmer por- 

 tions of the year. When the female Moths try 

 to ascend the tree, they are caught in the tar ; 

 and in some places where the insect is plentiful, 

 the tar-belt is as thickly covered with Winter 

 Moths as is the " catch-'em-alive " of the street 

 hawker with flies. 



As it is probable that some of the insects may 

 have escaped the tar, and have scaled the tree 

 before it was apphed, they may be seen by visit- 

 ing the trees after dark, and directing the light 

 of a lantern upon the stems and lower branches. 

 The males may be allowed to go free, but not a 

 female should be permitted to escape, as eacb 

 will produce, on an average, about a hundred 

 caterpillars. 



