MASSACHUSETTS STATE 



Agricultural Experiment Station, 



BULLETIINT ISTO. T. 



MARCH. 1884. 



Observations in Regard to Insects 

 Injurious to the Apple. 



159. lu the growth of all kinds of farm or garden crops, the 

 farmer and gardner find themselves forced to wage constant warfare 

 with insects or parasitic plant life. In this paper we give the results 

 of a few observations in regard to the plum weevil, or CurcuUo {Cono- 

 trachelus nenuphar), as affecting the apple crop, compared also with 

 the Codling Moth and the Apple Maggot. 



It has often been noticed early in the summer that apples nearly all 

 fall from the trees when quite small. This was especially the case 

 during the past season, and careful investigation were made to ascer- 

 tain the cause. A tree of the variety known as the Westfield Seek- 

 no-further, which blossomed very abundantly and set an unusually 

 large crop of fruit, was selected. When from one half to one-inch 

 in diameter, the fruit began to drop in large numbers so that not 

 enough was left on the tree for one-half a crop. A large quantity of 

 these were collected and examined, and out of eight hundred it was 

 found that all but three were punctured by the plum curculio, leaving 

 its peculiar crescent-shaped mark, and in every puncture was found 

 an egg or small larva. The worm commonly found in the apple at 

 this time have generally been supposed to be the larvae of the Codling 

 Moth, {Carpocapsa pomonella) , yet in the number examined only four 

 or five of the larvae of the latter were found. 



