Insects Injurious to the Ap^^le. 55 



is not unusual to find the cocoon (devoid, of course, of iiuy eaitli) 

 amongst grass and otlier herbage. The deptli at whicli i.upatiou 

 takes place in the soil is very \-arialde. IF the soil is rdugh and 

 cloddy they frequently pupate under a clod; if fin,, and compac't 

 they enter the soil to a depth of two inches. All tliose kept in 

 confinement pu])ated from one to tlireo inches, never deeper, and 

 very few more tlian two inches lielow the surface. 



I'RKVENTION ,\Xi) K KiMKI ilES. 



The prevention of this and the allied pests, the Mottled TTmber 

 ]\Ioth and the March :\Ioth, is an easy matter. The process, namely, 

 grease-banding, is \w]l kuo^vn to all fruit-growers and is firmly 

 believed in and carried out by \'ery many. 



It must be borne in mind, however, that it is only tliese wingless 

 females which are caught; grease-banding lias no effect on such pests 

 as the Lackey Moth, Figure-of-S Moth, (!old and r]rown Tail Moths, 

 Tortrix Moths or the Little Ermine, whicli have winged females. 

 r.ut where the AVmter j\Ioth and its allies are tlie culjirits then 

 grease-banding is far better than relying on spraying. 



The bands should be made as lollows : — First tic on the tree a 

 baud of good stout grease-proof paper, so that nothing can crawl 

 Ijeneath it, then smear this over with sticky grease. There are 

 several kinds on the market, and the grower will find out whicli have 

 the most permanent sticky qualities. 



The position of the liands adoj)ted by growers varies. Some apply 

 them high up the trunks, others low down. In the former case the 

 reason given is that stock rubs off the grc'ase. It may be pointed 

 out that when the bands are placed liigh up, many eggs have i.ieen 

 detected laid on the trunks. In due course these will hatch out and 

 the larvae may ascend to the boughs. It is Ijcst, therel'ore, to apply 

 the bands low down, about 1 foot from tlii_' surface, in grass orchards, 

 where mud spattering does not interfere with the grease. In bush 

 plantations this can be done, and it has lieen found that when placed 

 so low down in grass orchards that sheep do little harm to tlic grease. 

 Where the ground is cultivated, however, it is sometimes found that 

 if the bands are placed lower than _! feet that they get co\'ered in 

 mud. 



In young trees it is necessary to band the stakes as well, for 

 the females will crawl up these as readily as the stem. 



For the Winter j\Ioth the banding should be in working order by 

 the 1st of October and should be kept going until the second week 

 ill .lanuary. It is of no use to grease the bands once and then leave 



