158 FRUIT CULTURE. 



ance in May and June, from eggs that were laid upon the 

 branches of the trees in dense rings by the female moths 

 late in summer or in autumn. The caterpillars construct 

 a web, under the shelter of which they live socially when 

 not feeding, and may be found in communities varying 

 from 30 to 200. They become full fed about midsummer, 

 and, separating, go in quest of a place amongst leaves, 

 rubbish, brushwood, fences, or other objects where they 

 may lay up in the soil like the pupae of the above 

 mentioned moths. 



REMEDIES. The catei'pillars maybe collected wholesale, 

 by removing the webs with their contents early in the 

 morning and after sunset, because they feed during 

 the day, and are then scattered over the tree. Much 

 injury is prevented if the webs are gathered while the 

 caterpillars are yet young. With young or dwarf trees 

 the best method to adopt is for one to hold a pail half- 

 filled with some liquid, such as soap-suds or paraffin, be- 

 neath the web, while a second one removes and drops it 

 in the pail. This pi-ecaution is necessary, because the 

 caterpillars drop from the web on the least alarm, and 

 mount the trees again when the disturbance is over. In 

 the case of orchards, or tall standard trees, a sheet may be 

 spread on the ground, and then the webs should be pulled 

 down by means of a hooked pole. Just as the caterpillars 

 are found in large communities, so the same may be said 

 of the eggs, which are laid in dense rings. They may be 

 scraped off at the winter pruning, or the shoots bearing 

 them cut off, and burnt in either case. This will prevent 

 the birth of hundreds of caterpillars. 



THE SMALL ERMINE MOTH ( Hyponomentapadellus^Fig. 44. 

 The bird cherry is the favourite food of the larva; of this 

 moth, but the apple, plum, and other trees also suffer from 



