114 N. H. AGE. EXPERIMENT STATION. [BuUetin 171 



14. Of the non-infested fruit 27 apples were fair to sound, 11 

 were decaying; of the infested fruit 8 apples were fair to poor, 

 12 were rotten. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



A ground beetle, Agonoderus pallipes Fab., was found in con- 

 siderable numbers in the course of one field experiment. They 

 were in the soil beneath a field cage. A number of pupae of the 

 maggot had been buried in this soil. 



The beetles were suspected of interfering with the experiment. 

 A few of them were placed in a lamp chimney with soil contain- 

 ing pupae. Later some of these pupae were found partly eaten. 

 Additional beetles and pupae were placed in the chimney, with 

 similar results. 



On other occasions scattering specimens of the same species 

 were found in soil beneath infested trees, as would be expected, 

 since the beetles are common. They were never observed 

 actually at work destroying pupae. 



On several occasions where pupae were kept in soil in pots or 

 other containers some of them were found with a small, round 

 hole in one side, somewhat toward one end. The source of this 

 was not determined. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



In control of the Apple Maggot attention should be directed 

 especially toward infested early varieties of apples. 



The life economy of the maggot is essentially adapted to early 

 types of fruit. The larva requires a mellowing pulp to reach 

 maturity. This is readily available in the drops of soft, summer 

 varieties. Winter fruit, especially of the hard, late-maturing 

 type, is not adapted to the needs of the maggot. Midsummer 

 drops of such fruit are likely to mellow sufficiently for the pur- 

 poses of the larva, but in general few of the maggots that may 

 be in winter fruit are likely to reach maturity. Infestation of 

 such fruit is often due to flies derived from neglected earlier 

 varieties near by. 



In any fruit the very early drops, falling in June, offer no 

 danger. Drops that fall after the end of September are not apt 

 to mellow sufficiently for the maturity of the larvae. The criti- 



