MASSACHUSETTS APPLE INDUSTRY. 33 



other iiancl, we liave no means of knowing how many mistakes may be 

 made in digging and sliipping the trees. Such errors are absolutely el- 

 iminated with certified trees. Many more trees have been examined than 

 certified and the misnamed trees among these are included in the above 

 table. 



Certification is carried on by the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation. The Experiment Station has no official connection with it though 

 it has given moral support and cooperation. Any nurseryman desiring 

 certification may apply to the Association and an agent qualified to dis- 

 tinguish varieties \ isits the nursery during the late summer or early fall 

 and personally examines the trees. To such as are found to be true 

 to name a lead seal is attached by drilling a one-sixteenth inch hole through 

 fi branch, or in case of one-year trees through the trunk. The name of 

 the variety (usually in abbreviated form), the word "certified" and on 

 the reverse side the letters "M. F. G. A." and the year in which the work 

 was done are stamped on the seal with a hand seal press. All trees certi- 

 iied by the Masscichusett.f Fruit Growers' Association bear tins lead seal. 

 The work of attaching seals is done by employees of the nursery, working 

 in gangs of four. One gang will seal from 2,000 to 4,000 trees per day. 

 The cost of the work is met by the nurserymen. It has varied greatly 

 with conditions, but with the larger jobs has probably been from $18 to 

 $25 per thousand trees certified, including the cost of attaching seals. 



For the first two years only two-year apple trees were certified but 

 later one-year trees were included. The number of varieties has gradually 

 increaoed until now nearly forty are included. Pear and plum varieties 

 were taken on in 1925 though only a few trees were certified. 



All nurseries examined thus far have contained trees not true to name, 

 but the proportion has varied from less than 1 per cent to more than 10 

 ]ier cent. As the work in any one nursery continues the number of mis- 

 named trees naturally decreases, but new mixtures may' appear from year 

 to year. 



This plan of certifying trees to be true to name is not infallible. It 

 depends upon the human eye and brain and they are not perfect. Th*" 

 chances of error are, however, slight and it is confidently believed that the 

 number of errors made is insignificant. No such cases have yet been 

 brought to the attention of the Association. Variety^ certification is in 

 operation in Canada and in California and is under consideration in other 

 states. It is believed that it is the best plan of eliminating the misnamed 

 tree yet brought forward. Every nursery^ firm starting the work has con- 

 tinued it in succeeding years. 



THE CODLING MOTH IN MASSACHUSETTS 



BY A. I. BOURNE 



The codling moth is one of the worst insect pests with which orchardists 

 of Massachusetts have to contend. In spite of thorough and careful spray- 

 ing, the annual loss from its ravages continues very high. 



The life history of the codling moth in Massachusetts has been approx- 

 imately known for years, and general methods for its control practiced; 

 yet fruit growers have been annually confronted with very consider.ible 

 losses which have come mainlv from so-cilled "side worm" injury. Such 



