35O MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1908. 



possess the merit of not injuring the trunks of trees, and is very 

 effective in checking the ascent of caterpillars thereon." * 

 Where the number of caterpillars jarred from the trees is exces- 

 sive it is expedient to kill them. A hand spray charged with 

 kerosene or gasoline is a useful means to this end. 



Fowls and Pigs. Hens will devour these caterpillars greedily 

 (see page 348) and if given the range of an orchard will eat 

 great numbers of the caterpillars which drop to the ground or 

 descend to pupate. Of course, where such an excessive infes- 

 tation occurs as during the present season, it would not do to 

 depend upon hens entirely but they would prevent great num- 

 bers from entering the ground to develop into next season's 

 moths. A flock of turkeys would display even more commend- 

 able ability in this respect. 



Pigs pastured in an orchard will, by rooting up and eating 

 the pupae, prevent great numbers of saddled prominents and 

 other moths from emerging and depositing eggs for the follow- 

 ing season. 



FOREST TREES. 



For such phenomenal outbreaks as the present no artificial 

 measures are practical in forest growths. If the saddled prom- 

 inents were likely to appear in excessive numbers year after 

 year, wholesale spraying or other combatative measures might 

 be advisably applied as with the gypsy caterpillars. But the 

 saddled prominent, like other native species, is ordinarily held 

 in check by birds, insect enemies, field mice and other animals 

 which feed upon it in its various stages, by fungus diseases or 

 by weather conditions. A moth ordinarily so guarded has never 

 been known to remain uncontrolled by natural agents for more 

 than a few years in succession, and in extensive woodland 

 growths there is in this case apparently nothing to be done except 

 to wait for natural conditions to readjust themselves. 



* A. H. Kirkland. Second Annual Report of the Superintendent for 

 Suppressing the Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths, page 150. 



