328 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



Very early in the spring, when the bnds of the apple 

 have just begun to swell, the eggs hatch, and the little 

 worms traverse the twig, spinning a slender thread ; when 

 they reach another branch, they halt in the bifurcation, 

 and, moving about, soon create a slight web with the 

 silken threads, and from this they emerge in search of 

 food, spinning a thread along their route, and when they 

 return, they travel about, and thus enlarge their web. 



REMEDIES. These insects may be attacked in the egg 

 or in the larval state. The former are so arranged as to 

 be conspicuous on the naked spray at any time during the 

 winter whenever seen, they should be broken or cut off, 

 and carried to the fire. In" the early spring, we must 

 watch for the little tents in the bifurcations of the limbs, 

 and remove the nests with all the worms ; this may be 

 done when they are small, by using the thumb and finger ; 

 if larger, it is a disagreeable task, but no orchardist 

 should hesitate when he recollects that six hundred leaves 

 is a day's ration for one colony. They can easily be gath- 

 ered in their web, thrown upon the ground, and crushed 

 with the foot. Mr. Needham, of Massachusetts, h.is in- 

 vented, what he calls, a caterpillar scourge ; it is a little 

 cone of wood, clothed with a piece of wool-card. This is 

 attached to a pole : when thrust into the web, the whole 

 nest is gathered by the card-teeth and brought down. 

 An old dry mullein stalk has often been used for the same 

 purpose, and some recommend burning the nest, or shoot- 

 ing it ; but I have more faith in thumb and finger work, 

 believing it to be more thorough. 



Among the natural enemies of these caterpillars are the 

 Tiger-beetles, which a successful orchardist of Illinois 



