Fruit-growing 



265 



When full-grown the insects are about three-fourths inch in 

 length and are white or sometimes pinkish in color. As soon as 

 the worms emerge, they find a convenient place, spin a cocoon, 

 and go into the pupa state. In about four weeks they emerge 

 from the cocoon and go into the mature moth stage. The 

 females then lay eggs and the larvae from these eggs enter the 

 fruit from the sides ; they are known as the second brood and 

 are the ones that hibernate and emerge in the spring to damage 

 the young fruit. 



The insects are combated by spraying poison (usually ar- 

 senic) on the trees and by destroying the hibernating larvae. 

 All loose bark should be scraped from the trees and burned, as 

 this will destroy 

 any larvae on the 

 under side of the 

 bark. As most of 

 the larvae of the 

 first brood enter 

 the fruit by eating 

 through the blos- 

 som end, an effec- 

 tive way to kill them 

 is to have a poison 

 ready for them to 

 eat. As the calyx 

 closes about ten 



days after the blossoms fall, it is necessary to spray while this 

 calyx is open in order to get the poison into the blossom end of 

 the fruit. The usual time to spray is after about two- thirds 

 of the blossoms have fallen. Later sprayings are made to kill, 

 if possible, the insects of the second brood and any of the first 

 brood that may have escaped the first spray. 



Apple-tree tent-caterpillar. Another insect that is often 

 troublesome on fruit-trees, especially apple trees, is the apple- 

 tree tent-caterpillar. The silken tent containing the worms 



FIG. 112. Young apples that have been infested 

 with the first brood of codlin-moth. 



