THE APPLE MOTH. 



'35 



wonderful these transmutations in the insect world ! First the egg, then the caterpillar, 

 then the pupa then should be that beautiful white moth, but instead out comes this 

 swarm of little flies. No wonder there have been people who believed in the trans- 

 migration of souls. 



My friend Mr. P., who owns this fruit establishment where I pass so much of 

 my time, was with me to-day when I was examining these hay-ropes, and watching 

 the experiments with much interest; and when they were all counted where ninety- 

 seven were found on the one tree, he remarked, " That will do I can now save my 

 apples. Instead of eight or ten to a tree I can have as many bushels." He has now 

 promised to change his mind upon the subject of his insect enemies ; and next year 

 he will follow my directions and save his fruit. 



Aug. 30. Examined some of the hay-ropes again to-day. Under the one where 

 I had found ninety-seven a few days ago, there were now ten more. These I brought 

 home and placed on the ground near the foot of a Pear tree bound with a leather trap 

 one and a half feet up. Most of them started at once to this tree, and were in a few 

 minutes secreted under the leather. Three seemed to have lost the power of loco- 

 motion, remaining on the ground, where they were soon found and devoured by a 

 community of small ants living in that neighborhood. So it goes the destroyers of 

 the apples were destroyed by ants. 



I 



Sept. 7. I have taken to-day eight more Apple Worms from that tree in Mr. 

 P.'s orchard, and have searched the tree faithfully both above and below the hay-rope, 

 but find none except under the rope. These eight I placed near the root of the 

 Bartlett Pear tree. They ran a little wild at first, but were soon all directed towards 

 the tree, and in fifteen minutes were snugly secreted under the sheep-skin eighteen 

 inches up. This kind of trap can be made effectual in subduing this formidable 

 enemy. More experience seems to be only accumulative of what is fully proved. 

 Whether it is better than anything else will require more time to ascertain ; but if 

 other contrivances should be found superior to this, the worms will certainly have but 

 a poor chance to escape when they come to be generally used. 



Sept. 8. Visited orchards in the neighborhood of Clinton, Hunterdon Co., N. J. 

 Find the Apples badly marked by both Curculio and Apple Moth. The bird enemy 

 of the latter has been here too. Plenty of holes where it has pecked through. 

 Fruit cultivation but little attended to in this neighborhood except the Peach, and the 



