188 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



INJURIOUS INSECTS. 



The past season has been remarkable for the injurious insects 

 that appeared in imusual numbers. 



Forest Tent Caterpillar. 

 The Forest Tent Caterpillar was especially abundant in the 

 forest along the Canadian Pacific in the vicinity of Sebois, where 

 it occurred in such great numbers on the railroad track as to 

 grease the rails and impede the movement of trains. It fed 

 principally on the poplar, but when its favorite food was wanting, 

 repasted upon the foliage of the Oak, Cherry, Maple, Willows, 

 Elm, Gray Birch and other trees. In the Penobscot YaUey it 

 was unusually plentiful, causing much annoyance and consid- 

 erable damage to orchard and shade trees. They transformed in 

 abundance and many eggs were laid and unless they meet 

 with mishaps the pest will be plentiful in 1890. (History shows 

 that they are not abundant many years in succession, as parasites 

 increase and check them.) Crushing with the hand, burning with 

 a torch, and applications of kerosine or stropg soap suds to the 

 caterpillars when in bunches, were the methods resorted to to 

 destroy them. This winter some have carefully removed fi'om 

 the apple trees, all the clusters of eggs they could find. 



The Codling Moth. 



The Codling Moth did much more damage apparently than usual. 

 Probably the insect was no more abundant, but it being a shy 

 bearing year the effect was more noticeable. 



When the trees set much fruit, some of our orchardists regard 

 the Codling Moth a blessing, as they do the proper thinning. 

 The apples affected by the first brood all drop, and in a good year 

 enough are usually left. The greatest damage is done by the 

 second brood. The caterpillars have insufficient time to mature 

 before cold weather checks their work, but they have so far pro- 

 gressed that the calyx of ihe apple is badly eaten. The worms 

 are not large enough to transform and probably many of the 

 second brood in Maine perish. The work of the second brood in 

 Maine does not affect the core, only a portion around the calyx 

 being damaged. The apples are blemished, which injures them 



