218 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1917. 



adults of the apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh), how- 

 ever, did not contract the disease. 



METHODS OF CONTROL. ' " 



Destruction of Infested Fruit. 



A measure of control recommended, is to frequently gather 

 fallen infested fruits and burn them. As other writers have 

 already pointed out, this system can not be relied upon to destroy 

 all of the flies, for some of the larvae issue from the fruit before 

 it falls to the ground. 



The tedious task of picking up drops presents a number of 

 difficulties. If currant bushes are grown in grass, it is practically 

 impossible to find all of the infested berries. Gooseberry 

 branches heavily laden with fruit, when not propped up, hang 

 close to the ground, and one experience in picking up infested 

 berries will probably be sufficient with most persons not to repeat 

 the performance again, for the thorns scratch and break off in 

 the hands, arms and body. When currants and gooseberries 

 are grown on a commercial scale, the expense of labor for 

 gathering drops would consume most of the profits. Few, if 

 any farmers would have time to practice this means of control. 



During the past two seasons, the remedial measure of fre- 

 quently gathering fallen infested fruit was put to an experimen- 

 tal test in a commercial currant and gooseberry garden under 

 town conditions. Since lack of cooperation of citizens has been 

 shown to defeat horticultural sanitation methods of controlling 

 other species of fruit flies under residential conditions, it was 

 decided to pick up drops not only in the commercial garden but 

 also in adjacent dooryards. Cheese cloth was' fastened to the 

 ground below currant bushes in the commercial garden, so that 

 infested berries could be found more easily on a white back- 

 ground. One man was stationed in the field to collect drops 

 daily under favorable weather conditions from the middle of 

 June until the crop was harvested. He was able to pick up all 

 of the fallen fruit at least twice per week. A weekly record of 

 the fallen infested gooseberries obtained in the commercial 

 garden during each season is given in table 20. 



