134 HOW TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY 



place and goes through a transformation, by way of 

 chrysalis, into a moth. Rather a trivial rival for the 

 child of anthropoids, but he will take the whole apple 

 crop from us, unless we put up a persistent and very 

 intelligent fight. If Sir Joshua Reynolds painted 

 with brains, the horticulturist of our day has to grow 

 apples with brains. A few men of science showed 

 the way, and our agricultural colleges are yet none 

 too numerous or alert in their investigations to solve 

 just these bug and moth and worm problems. 



The use of arsenites began, I think, with this very 

 moth, but now it is a remedy in a dozen field fights. 

 The solution must be applied just before the blossoms 

 open and once more just after the petals drop, possi- 

 bly a third time ten days later, in order to make sure 

 of the crop. The minute spray enters the blossom 

 end and poisons the first meal of the larva. Think 

 of the research and the study needed to find this out, 

 and the resolution on the part of an old-fashioned 

 farmer to turn out of his tracks and do it. 



In fact, a large number of apple growers refuse to 

 do it, and now our apple crop instead of being larger 

 is relatively smaller to the people, and the price of 

 apples has gone up from one dollar per barrel to five 

 dollars. This dear old fruit is no longer found in 

 the school boy's dinner pail and the poor man's cel- 

 lar. A good apple costs more than a good orange. 

 There is no higher reach of science than that which 

 enters our orchards and gardens and brings us out 

 victors in the struggle with insects. 



