268 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I907. 



lata), the fall web worm, the tussock caterpillar, the tent cater- 

 pillar, the bud moth, the codling moth, the apple maggot, and 

 others, unless some such unusual condition arises as a peculiar 

 parasite invasion or an unwonted increase which should, of 

 course, be noted. 



While the available circulars include only a small number 

 of the multitude of apple insects, yet if the orchards are so 

 treated as to combat the serious pests, the multitude of lesser 

 evils need not be feared, for they will for the most part suc- 

 cumb incidentally to the treatment given to the really dangerous 

 insects and thus many species may be killed with one treatment. 

 Moreover the remedial measures against the standard pests 

 overlap. For instance, the destruction of windfalls by pastur- 

 ing an orchard with hogs is a measure directed at once against 

 3 of the worst apple insects in the State — the apple maggot, 

 the curculio and the codling moth. Or removing colonies while 

 young and still gregarious includes the red humped caterpillar, 

 the yellow-necked caterpillar, the tiger caterpillar and others, 

 all of which occur upon the trees during the same time. In a 

 similar way, because arsenical sprays are recommended for a 

 multitude of orchard pests, it does not mean that the sprays 

 need be applied a multitude of times each season. 



Much study has been put upon these orchard pests by econ- 

 omic entomologists all over the country, but that avails the 

 orchards nothing unless the orchardists make practical use of 

 the resulting suggestions. Experiment Stations have repeat- 

 edly demonstrated the value of spraying for the codling moth, 

 yet it is optional with the owner of the trees whether he shall 

 profit by those demonstrations or not. It has been known for 

 18 years that a consistent and persistent destruction of infested 

 fruit would practically exterminate the apple maggot, and the 

 apple maggot is working in many parts of Maine as much 

 havoc now as it did 20 years ago. 



It is* due orchardists of the State that the insect pests upon 

 so important a crop should be studied for the purpose of find- 

 ing what can be done by way of combating them. It is no 

 less due orchardists of the State that careless owners of neg- 

 lected trees should somehow be induced to contribute to the 

 health of orchards in general by either caring for their own- 

 trees or cutting them down. 



