174 maine; agricultural experiment station. 1904. 



reach the codling moth before the larva enters the fruit, but the 

 apple maggot is inside the fruit from the very beginning and 

 is safe from poisons. Again, after the maggot buries itself in the 

 ground it is practically safe, as there is great difficulty in fighting 

 under ground insects. But there is a chance to kill it in the 

 fallen fruit and it must be attacked, if at all, at this its one vul- 

 nerable point. The way once made plain, the situation is in the 

 hands of the fruit growers, so far as home orchards are con- 

 cerned, and in the hands of the State as regards imported fruit. 



Since this method of destroying the apple maggot was recom- 

 mended, some ten or twelve years ago, it has been tried in differ- 

 ent parts of the State. In this connection it is interesting to 

 note what a few of the fruit growers of Maine have to say from 

 their experience. 



One fruit grower in Androscoggin county who keeps hogs or 

 sheep under most of his trees and picks up the rest of the wind- 

 falls, met with a loss from the apple maggot this year of about 

 one per cent of his crop. Another in the same county has picked 

 windfalls carefully and states that the trouble from the apple 

 maggot has decreased the past two years, and he experienced no 

 loss from the pest this year. A third man in Androscoggin 

 county says that he does nothing whatever to prevent the 

 ravages of this pest and reports this present year a considerable 

 loss from the apple maggot. He does not pick up his windfalls, 

 nor does he pasture. sheep or hogs in his orchard. 



From Cumberland county one orchardist reports less injury 

 for the past two years and thinks it is the result, to a great 

 extent if not entirely, of having the windfalls taken care of as 

 soon as they fall from the tree. He pastures with hogs, sheep, 

 geese, and hens. Another orchard owner in the same county 

 does not keep sheep or hogs under his trees and does not pick up 

 his windfalls. He reports the loss of about one-fifth of his crop 

 this year. He states his belief that hogs or sheep enough to take 

 care of the windfalls would prevent the ravages. 



One fruit grower in Franklin county who pastures sheep in 

 his orchard and another who keeps hogs under his trees both 

 state that their loss has been very small this year. 



A Kennebec county orchardist says the last few years the 

 apple maggot has not been so bad. He pastures sheep in part 

 of the orchard and keeps his apples picked up. A second man 



