160 TREE WOUNDS AND DISEASES 



The Winter Moth (Clielmatobia brumata). 

 This may at once be classed as one of the main 

 pests of apple orchards. The caterpillar of 

 this now well-known moth does immense 

 damage to the foliage of not only the apple, 

 but plum, pear, walnut, and other fruit trees. 

 About the beginning of April the eggs, which 

 are laid in crevices of the bark, commence to 

 hatch, and may be seen suspended by threads 

 between the branch tips and the ground. The 

 caterpillar, when fully fed, varies from a half 

 to nearly an inch in length, and is of a greyish- 

 green colour, with narrow stripes on each side. 

 It descends to the ground in June and becomes 

 a pupa, from which the moth emerges about 

 the end of October or the beginning of 

 November. The female, being incapable of 

 flight, must ascend the trees by crawling up 

 the stem, advantage of which is taken to place 

 grease-bands around the trunks in order either 

 to capture her or arrest her ascent. 



The band is made of tough, grease-proof 

 paper, which is sold in long strips 5 inches 

 wide. Usually the paper is placed around the 

 tree stem at a height of 3^ feet, except in the 



