56 



The females, at this time, lay their eggs on the apples, when they 

 are about half an inch in diameter. 



The larvae hatch out and make their way to the " eyes," and three 

 weeks cover the larval stage. 



After the larva has eaten the seeds, &c., it bores a hole to the rind, 

 through which it escapes ; then, if the apple is hanging, the larva makes 

 its way to the ground, where it hides, or perhaps it will hide in the 

 bark. It will hibernate, in the soil or on the stem, by constructing 

 cocoons with Uttle pieces of bark knit together with silk, or they 

 may even get into a crevice in the bark and surround themselves 

 with a silk case covered over with a sticky fluid. The larva does 

 not usually pupate until the spring, and there is normally only one 

 brood in a year, but sometimes two. 



They bore into the fruit, causing it to drop before ripening, and 

 the fruits are often described as " worm-eaten." Upon examining an 

 infected fruit, there will be seen a dark spot at the blossom end of 

 the apple; a small hole can be seen here, around which there is a 

 collection of excreta and minute portions of apple. On cutting the 

 apples in half, a passage will be seen leading to the core, and it will 

 also be seen that the seeds or part of them have been eaten, generally 

 by the larvae. 



Varieties of apples having deep, open " eyes," and large dried tufts 

 of calyces surrounding them, are more hable to the attacks of this 

 insect. 



Insecticides. — All fallen apples should be picked up and burnt, 

 and all " maggoty " apples should be separated from the sound ones 

 on gathering, and also burnt. All rough bark should be scraped off 

 preliminary to putting haybands round the stem in July, about one 

 foot from the ground, leaving them on until the winter, burning the 

 bands then, as they will contain many cocoons and larvae. 



Spray the trees three weeks after the petals have fallen, in order 

 to get poison into the eye of the apple to poison the larva's food, with 

 Paris green, made by mixing i oz. of Blundell's Paris green paste to 

 12 gallons of water. Keep it well agitated while using.* 



2. Winter Moth, Cheimatobia hrumata. Order Lepidopteea. 



This attacks also the peach, pear, cherry, damson, gooseberry, 

 apricot, and nut. 



About the second week in October the two winter moths come from 

 chrysalids in the ground, under or near the trees that were infected 

 with larvae the preceding summer. 



The male moth measures from one to one-and-a-half inch across 

 the spread fore wings, which are grey-brown in colour, with darker 

 wavy lines, the hind wings being pale grey, but devoid of markings. 



The female moth has such small wings that flight is impossible, 

 so that it crawls up the stem to lay its eggs. It has a large abdomen, 

 with conspicuous long legs. 



* Lead arseniate is a safer material to use. — F. J. C. 



