78 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



EXPERIENCES WITH CATERPILLARS. 



Charles S. Pope, ]\Ianchester. 



If we are to raise fruits we must fight the insects, and just at 

 this time, particularly, the caterpillar. We all know, to our 

 sorrow, what we have had to contend with in past years. 



Twenty-five years ago our orchards were infested by the 

 canker worm. It never w^as heard of in our section before, 

 although in Massachusetts the orchards had been stripped for 

 years. We fought it as best we could, and succeeded pretty well, 

 after two years' fighting. The very next year the forest tent 

 caterpillar made a raid the same as they did last year and the 

 year before. In our old orchard we were unable to fight them, 

 and the orchard was completely ruined. At that time we learned 

 how it was possible to keep the caterpillar out of the tree when 

 Ave once cleared it, and in that way we were able, when they 

 made a raid two years ago, to fight them successfully from the 

 beginning. 



We knew nothing, then, of spraying with Paris green. 

 After sweeping the caterpillars from the tree they would fall 

 down and then start for the tree. As soon as they struck the 

 trunk they were up and at it again. In some way we learned 

 that they would not cross a band of grease. The next question 

 was, what to put on for grease that would not run in the sun. 

 It was discovered that a mixture of lard and sulphur was the 

 best. W^e tried tar and printer's ink, but in a few days that mix- 

 ture would dry. By mixing sulphur with the lard it would not 

 run. To keep the mixture from the tree we put on oil-cloth car- 

 peting. That is the best of anything we have found, but it is 

 not available in all sections. We can go to the sand-paper fac- 

 tory and get a paper that is good. The glue makes a sizing 

 which prevents the grease from striking in. Tarred paper will 

 serve a very fair purpose. 



So much for preventing the caterpillars from climbing up. 

 That is the way we were obliged to fight at that time. 

 Now comes the question, How shall we fight them at 

 the present day ? With Paris green. But some of you say. We 



