In the address which it became my duty to deliver before this asso- 

 ciation one 3^ear ago I took occasion to emphasize the importance of 

 more life-history study and a greater degree of cooperation in our 

 work. As I exhausted my store of good advice at that meeting, and 

 wish to seem to practice what I preach, I have concluded to offer at 

 this time the results of some life-history studies on one of our longest, 

 if not best, known insects — the codling moth. In this work I have 

 received much kindly assistance from members of this Association and 

 others who have answered my questions, and in some cases have put 

 themselves to considerable trouble to collect data and make observa- 

 tions for me in their several localities. 



Probably every member of this Association has been disappointed 

 and surprised many times at finding the lack of positive knowledge 

 in regard to certain portions of the life habits of our longest known 

 insect pests. It is not necessary to discover a new insect, friend or 

 enemy, in order to do good original work of the highest value. 



The codling moth undoubtedly causes greater annual loss in Colo- 

 rado than any other insect, unless it be the two-lined locust (J/e/a??o- 

 plus Mvittatus). Our topographical and climatic conditions, with the 

 plains in the east and the mountains in the west, are extremely varied, 

 and there is a popular opinion among manj' of our orchardists that 

 the habits of the codling moth in Colorado are not to be compared 

 with the habits of the same insect in the Eastern portion of the country. 

 For these reasons, chiefly, my studies of this insect began, one of the 

 main objects being to determine whether or not there are more broods 

 in the warmer portions of the State, where the tenderer fruits are 

 grown, than in the northern parts and in the East. In some ways 

 this report will be one of progress only, as the work is not completed. 



A few years ago we were telling orchardists that the codling moth 

 lays its eggs in the calyces of the apples, and we might haA'e been 

 doing so yet had not Washburn corrected us. We were in error, and 

 the fruit growers know it, and have lost confidence to some extent in 

 the correctness of our statements. They do not know but what Ave 

 are equallj' liable to be in error in regard to any other matter regarding 

 the life habits of an insect where our statements seem to them doubt- 

 ful or mysterious. I can not help wondering if some, yes, many of 

 us, have not been equall}' careless in our statements as to the number 

 of broods of the codling moth in our several States. It is often easier 

 to accept the opinion of another than to verify its correctness. To be 

 a thorough scientist one must be a good doubter, or at least questioner 

 and thinker. Not always gainsaying the statements of others, but 

 always readj^ to inquire into the basis of belief even of the most 

 stereotyped ideas. 



Rile}",^ knowing there existed a difference of opinion as to the num- 

 ber of broods of the codling moth in different portions of the coun- 

 try, made a special study of the insect in Missouri, and announced, 



' Third Missouri Rep., p. 103. 



