70 



should do, a number of the more prominent of these Inefficient methods 

 are l>rielly discussed. 



It has often been reconnnended that moth balls be hung in the trees 

 in order to keep the moths away. If there were any virtue in this 

 remedy, so many of the moth balls would have to be hung- on each 

 tree, to do the work, that the expense would render it valueless. 



Smudging the orchard, or burning ill-smelling compounds so that 

 the fumes will pass through the trees, has been practiced to some 

 extent. The theory is that the moths will be kept awa}- by the fumes 

 and go to other orchards to deposit their eggs. It is quite evident 

 that as soon as those fumes are ))lown out of the orchard the moths 

 will return if they have left, and in order to produce any results it 

 will be necessary that the smudge be continued practically throughout 

 the season. 



Plugging trees with sulphur or other compounds and plugging the 

 roots jvith calomel have been practiced to some extent, on the theory 

 that the sulphur or calomel will be taken up by the sap, distributed 

 through the tree, and prove distasteful or poisonous to the insect. 

 Trustworthy scientific experiments have been carried on which show 

 that it is absolutely impossible for the tree to take up any amount of 

 these su])stances, and little or no effect upon the insects results. 



The writer has found several orchards in which the trees were 

 banded with tarred paper, the evident intention ])eing to keep the larvfe 

 from getting up into the trees. Knowing the habits of the insect 

 when in its larval form, we can see that this method is ridiculous, and 

 instead of being a detriment it is a positive aid to the insect; in many 

 cases larvffi were found which had spun cocoons under the bands, 

 which formed a place in which they were comparatively free from the 

 attacks of their enemies. 



There seems to be a popular idea among many farmers and fruit 

 growers that all insects are attracted to light. Based upon this idea, 

 there have been many recommendations to keep tires burning in the 

 orchards, or to arrange some sort of a trap lantern by which the insects 

 are to be attracted to the lights and fall into water on which is a film 

 of kerosene and thus be killed. This scheme of trap lanterns was 

 exploded many years ago, but it seems that at intervals somebody 

 revives it, and its fallacy must be exposed afresh. B}' carefully 

 experimenting with trap lanterns and determining the catch as accu- 

 rately as possible it is found that the majorit}' of the insects caught 

 are either decidedl}^ beneficial varieties, or are males, or females which 

 have already deposited their eggs, and that but few injurious insects 

 are caught, and none in an}' great number. Probably the most exten- 

 sive experiments with trap lanterns were those conducted by Professor 

 Slingerland. Among 18,000 insects he was not able to recognize a 

 single codling moth. This is the usual result of all these experiments, 



