CHAPTER XVII 

 ENEMIES OF THE APPLE, PEAR, AND QUINCE 



Many of the insects and diseases which attack the apple orchard 

 are also enemies of the pear and quince. These may well be con- 

 sidered in a group together. 



Codling Moth. — One of the worst apple insects is the codling 

 moth, or apple worm. It is the insect which makes apples, pears 

 and other core fruits wormy. The adult moth lays eggs in early 

 spring in the blossoms of the fruit. As soon as the eggs hatch the 

 larvae eat their way toward the center of the fruit, and when fully 

 fed emerge from the surface and drop to the ground from a sus- 

 pended web fiber. In many cases the apples drop to the ground 

 with the larvae in them. When the young emerge they go to the 

 trunk of the tree and form cocoons or nests in crevices of the bark. 

 Here they rest for a few weeks, or if the season is short they may 

 spend the winter in this pupa stage. Where the season is long 

 enough a second brood of moths lay eggs on the surface of the 

 half grown apples, and the young do much damage by burrowing 

 tunnels through the fruit. Wormy apples are almost worthless on 

 the market. 



Remedies for the Codling Moth. — The best remedy is to spray 

 the trees just after the petals fall. Never spray when the trees are 

 in full bloom because of danger to bees which are pollinating the 

 fruit. The spraying should be done before the calyx cups close 

 and before the young apples begin to hang downward (Fig. 120 

 and 121). See method of determining hatching dates, page 194 



The spray materials used should all contain arsenical poison so 



that the young larvae will be killed as soon as they begin to eat 



their way into the fruits. Arsenate of lead is usually preferred to 



Paris green. As the apple has a number of diseases, lime-sulfur or 



Bordeaux is usually applied at the same time. Arsenate of lead. 



paste mixed with lime-sulfur or Bordeaux at the rate of about 



three pounds of poison to each 50 gallons is applied as fine spray. 



This should be done not only just after the petals fall, but should 



be repeated again about two weeks later. This will counteract 



the attacks of the latest insects of the spring brood. 



195 



