REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I912 21 



inference is that most of the reduction in infestation was due to 

 the thorough spraying of the upturned blossom ends and the con- 

 sequent destruction of nearly all worms attempting to enter the fruit 

 at this point. 



A DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 



The work in the Hudson valley has now extended over four sea- 

 sons in orchards belonging to four different parties in as many 

 distinct localities, and in each instance the spraying equipment and 

 force on the place was used, the experimenter simply selecting rep- 

 resentative trees and insisting upon thorough, though not exces- 

 sively thorough work. Baldwins, greenings, northern spy and Ben 

 Davis were well represented in the experimental trees selected. The 

 diversity of season, location, equipment and men, and the different 

 varieties prevent these experiments being classed as local or excep- 

 tional. They show what the practical fruit grower can and should 

 obtain as a result of systematic spraying in regions where codling 

 moth conditions are practically identical with those obtaining in the 

 Hudson valley. 



A study of the habits of the codling moth shows three well-de- 

 fined periods w^hen applications of poison may be more or less 

 effectual. 



The first comprises a week or ten days after the dropping of the 

 white petals or bloom and during which the green calyx lobes 

 remain open and the young apples upright in such a condition that 

 the calyx cavity can be more or less filled with poison. 



The second period is about three weeks after blossoming and is 

 the time when the young codling moth larvae or apple worms hatch, 

 begin feeding and enter the fruit. 



The third period is the latter part of July or early August and is 

 of special importance because the larvae of the second brood, or 

 young apple worms, are then hatching and feeding on the leaves or 

 entering the fruit. 



Yields of unsprayed or check trees. The product of the un- 

 sprayed or check trees may be the basis for comparison in all ex- 

 perimental work, and special pains were therefore taken through- 

 out the series to secure for this purpose trees which were repre- 

 sentative of average conditions and so located that there would be 

 very little or no interference with the experimental plots. Owing 

 to various limitations it was impractical to have our check plots of 

 the same size as those sprayed, though otherwise conditions were 

 practically identical. 



