ENEMIES AND DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 73 



seasons, the loss resulting from the fruit worm frequently 

 amounts to one-half of the berries formed ; and, in some 

 cases, it has been so great as to leave only one-tenth of 

 the fruit to come to perfection. The work of the Fruit- 

 worm is illustrated in figure 80. 



The defense employed against this voracious worm 

 consists in keeping the surface of the meadow moist, from 

 the formation of the fruit until toward the middle of 

 August ; if it is not so naturally, resort to irrigation. The 

 effect of moisture at this time seems to be to keep the 

 bottom cool, and thereby to prevent the hatching of the 

 worm after the same manner that weevils are avoided, 

 by allowing the grain to become fully ripe before it is 

 gathered into barns ; thus preventing its heating in bulk, 

 and hatching the weevils. 



James A. Fenwick says : " I have observed natural 

 patches, a rod or two wide, sloping to a stream, where, 

 next the stream, not a berry would be injured, while on 

 the dryer part three-fourths were destroyed this destruc- 

 tion reaching nearer the stream in proportion as the sea- 

 son was dry or wet. It is natural to infer that the egg 

 is laid in the berry ; and on the moist land the tempera- 

 ture is not sufficiently high to hatch it, while on dry 

 ground it is." 



Mr. Fish observes : " When fully grown, the worms 

 enter the ground and spin their cocoons within a few 

 inches of the surface. The cocoons are covered with 

 grains of sand, and are hardly distinguishable from small 

 lumps of earth. They remain in the ground all winter. 

 I do not positively know the perfect insect, as I have 

 never been able to rear it in-doors. In the spring of 

 1867 I bred two species of Ichneumons from these co- 

 coons that had remained in the house over winter." 



