264 



Effective Farming 



I k 



tinues at the rate of several a day for a month or so. During 

 the winter all fully grown individuals and those not old enough 

 to have reached the protected resting condition die. About 

 90 per cent die naturally in this way, but there are still large 

 numbers left. It has been estimated by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, that it is possible for an individual 



to become the ancestor of nearly a 

 billion and a half insects in a year. 

 Codlin-moth. The worms in ap- 

 ples, pears, and quinces are the re- 

 sult of the codlin-moth. These 

 moths are found in all parts of the 

 world and are responsible for the 

 annual loss of thousands of dollars' 

 worth of fruit. The mature moth 

 is grayish brown in color and about 

 three-fourths inch across the ex- 

 panded wings. The females lay eggs 

 on the foliage of the trees. The 

 first lot is laid from one to three 

 weeks after the trees blossom. In 

 five to ten days these eggs hatch 

 into larvae about one-sixteenth inch 

 in length. The larvae, or worms, 

 feed for a time on the leaves, but 

 soon crawl to an apple, pear, or quince and enter it through 

 the calyx end, in a short time eating their way to the core. 

 They consume a portion of the flesh and the seeds of the fruit 

 and become full grown in about three or four weeks, when they 

 eat their way out through the side of the apple. Fig. Ill 

 shows the larvae in an apple. The track from the calyx end 

 into the core and out to the side can be seen. Fig. 112 is an 

 exterior view of young apples infested with the first brood 

 of the moth. Notice the frass, or sawdust-like material, at the 

 end of the apples. 



FIG. 111. Codlin-moth larvse 

 in apple. 



