102 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



August 



mmm 



The Currant-'Worm. 



We hear of the sudden appearance and 

 deprodations of this iiispct from various 

 parts of the W' St. Unlike tlie < :olorado 

 potatoe bug, wliicli moves iu regular wave- 

 like order East- 

 ward, the cur- 

 ra.it-worm pops 

 up, here and 

 there, just as it 

 liappeus. Its ap- 

 pearance in the ■W<st, so far as we know, is 

 of recent date — two or tliree years. Tlie 

 Farmers' Union, Mi..neapolis, Mianesota, fir 

 July, ill alluding to its iir.st appearance in 



that region says : " They are as numerous as 

 the leaves upon the bushes, and in many in- 

 stances the bushes are stripped as clean of 

 their foliage as a well picked bone." We 

 have similar reports from Michigan, Illinois, 

 a id from some parts of euro Wi. State — Iowa. 

 Its first appearance in such numbers and 

 simultaneously, and at points so remote 

 from each other, is not easily accounted for. 

 Our only solution of the question is that 

 the insect has been brought here iu eastern 

 nursery stock from infected districts, as it is 

 supposed to have been imported into New 

 England from Europe many years since in 

 that way. But how it got here is a matter 

 of little importance now. It is sufficient to 

 kjow that it is here, and, to understand that 

 we must "get shut of it," or else forego the 

 enjoj'ment of one of our most desirable 

 fruits; and to combat it with success we 

 should know soraetliing of its habits. 



■The perfect insect of the currant worm is 

 a moth, or miller, from which two or three 

 broods of worms are propagated in a single 

 season. It undergoes tra:isforniutii)n from 

 the grub to the moth state in the ground. 

 Instinctively, the first moths of the season 

 emerge from the ground when the leaves 

 of the bush are properly developed for their 

 opperations— usually about the middle of 

 May. The female deposits her eggs on the 

 under side of the leaves; in a few days 

 they hatch and the larvjE commences feeding. 

 Wheu about three-fourths of an inch in 



length, the worm descends and burrows in 

 the ground, where, after having undergone 

 its transformation, which takes about three 

 weeks, the perfect insect wings its way 

 upward and deposits her eggs for a second 

 brood of worms. Thus it is, that two or 

 three successive colonies often appear the 

 same season. The last brood of worms 

 winter in the ground. The miller is of a 

 pale ochre color, and the wings when fully 

 expanded, about an inch from tip to tip. 

 Vhe full grown worm is of a yellowish green 

 with rows of black spots along the back and 

 sides. 



Various rem. dies are in use for d stroyi..g 

 this insect, among which White Hellebore 

 seems to have proven the most elficacions. 

 It is dusted on through a fine dri;dgiug box 

 or cloth. It is said to be quite as efFi.ctual, if 

 diluted with air-slacked lime. It may also 

 be applied with a syringe in solution— a half 

 pound of Helebore to twelve quarts of water. 

 No doubt Paris green would do the work, 

 used in the same way as recommended in 

 the July JNo. for the potatoe bug. Air- 

 slacked quick lime, finely powdered, has 

 been used with perfect success, and in some 

 cases wood ashes have answered the purpose. 

 We should liy all means recommend a trial 

 of lime or ashes first, in preferejice to cither 

 Helebore or Paris green . Kither should be 

 dusted on all parts of the bushes and foliage 

 early in the morning when wet with dew, 

 and the application repeated alternately for 

 six or eight days, should not a less number 

 of dressings clean the worms out. Helebore 

 and Paris green are rank poisons, and might 

 poison the fruit as well as the worms. Tor 

 this reason, we would recommend their use 

 only as a last resort. We should not like to 

 use the fruit from bushes in bearing to which 

 either had been applied. 



The Leaf Roller. 



Several correspondents have mentioned 

 the appearance of the Leaf-roller iu such 

 numbers as to excite apprehension concern- 

 ing its future. We hear of its appearance 

 in many localities where hitherto unknown. 

 Three years ago it was first observed in our 

 orchard. Our attention was first attracted 

 to it early in the spring when looking after 

 the egg clusters of the common Tent t'atcr- 

 pillar. Discovering an unusual number of 

 wisps of dried leaves upon the small limbs 

 and twigs, curiosity prompted us to pull off 

 and dissect some of them. The result was 

 the development of a small, brown worm 

 about a half inch in length, snugly domi- 

 ciled in a little sack, where-in the egg from 

 which it grew had evidently been deposited 

 the previous season. 



Supposing this little fellow would naturally 

 want something to eat by and by, after a 

 long winter's nap, and to be in waiting for the 

 green leaves to put out before emerging from 

 his winter quarters, we at once concluded to 



head him off. This we did most effectually, 

 by clearing the trees of every nest and burn- 

 ing them. Comparatively, that was the end 

 of the leaf-roller upon our premises from 

 that time up, for since, we have seen nothing 

 of it of any account. But upon neighboring 

 orchards, where it has been permitted to 

 multiply unchecked, it has become a serious 

 nuisance. An insect that may be nearly anni- 

 hilated with so little trouble, should not be 

 permitted to infest fruit trees for any length 

 of time. It appears to prefer young orchards 

 for its field of operation, for we find it 

 mo^tly co.ifined to j'oung trees, though 

 standing contiguous to larger and older ones. 

 Concerniiig the habits of the Leaf-roller> 

 the Joiinial of Agriculture says : — " This little 

 worm,'as soon as the leaves begin to appear, 

 commences feeding. In about six weeks it 

 attains its full size, nearly an inch long, and 

 changes to the pupa stale. In about ten 

 days more it comes out a little moth. The 

 female lays her eggs, which hatch in about 

 two weeks more, and the worm attains about 

 one- third its growth, and winters in the case 



where we find them." 



*-•-* 



Eor the Western Pomologist. 



For what -were Insects Made. 



Insects were made for wise purposes, no 

 doubt but these purposes— at least iu many 

 cases — seem " past finding out." Of what 

 possible u.se is the musquito ? says the sufferer 

 from his tiny bite. No one can give a satis- 

 factory answer to the question, and yet we 

 have faith to believe that, as they were 

 created by an All-wise being, they must 

 answer some important ends in his great 

 plans. At some future day som. Franklin, 

 Cuvier, or Liui sens will discover the import- 

 ance of the musciuito ; and then the wonder 

 will be that the people had not seeu it before. 

 A little weevil can do more harm to the 

 farmer than the most unruly beast ; the cut- 

 worm can destroy more corn in one season, 

 than vnll be pulled up by black birds iu a 

 number of j'ears ; and insects of various 

 species do more in.jury in our gardens and 

 orchards, than all the other animal creation 

 not excepting thcivish boys! It is clear, 

 then, that their study becomes one of im- 

 portance, and should tlierefbre be encour- 

 ageii by eveiy agriculturist, gardener, Agri- 

 cultural society, and even by the State. 



1. A. L. 



*-—•■ 



Transformation op Insects. — It is com- 

 monly and correctly stated that there are 

 four stages in the life of every insect: 1st, 

 the egg; 3nd, the larva; 3d, the pupa, and 

 4th, the perfect or imago state. In most 

 insects the dividing line between these 

 stages is well marketl, the larva and imago 

 bei..g active locomotive creaturi s, capable 

 both of eating and discharging fiBces ; and 

 the pupa Ij'ing still all the time, and neither 

 eating nor discharging ffeces. But in certain 

 great groups, for instance, the true bugs and 

 the grasshoppers, the pupa is as active and 

 locomotive and ravenous as either the larva 

 or th(^ imago, and sometimes cannot be read- 

 ily distinguished by the inexperienced 

 either from the former or the latter. 



Am. Entomologist. 



