[117] Report of the State Entomologist. 259 



Early in June their presence in the vicinity of Albany was reported, 

 where I had not previously heard of their occurrence. Examples of 

 the caterpillar were brought to me by Mr. David M. Knickerbocker, 

 of Albany, that I might see if they were, as he believed, the veritable 

 canker-worm. They were found upon his apple trees at Loudonville, 

 in " millions," and were rapidly consuming the foliage. He had also 

 heard of their presence in other orchards in his neighborhood. The 

 examples of the larvae brought were nearly full-grown (on June 

 ninth), having almost attained their maximum length of one inch. 

 As usual, they differed greatly in their markings and colors, some 

 being almost without stripes and of a uniform black. 



The folly and the criminality of permitting this destructive pest to 

 obtain a permanent footing within our State can not be too strongly 

 censured. It is an extremely local pest and, at the outset, can be 

 easily controlled. Often one tree only in an orchard is infested, or a 

 portion of an orchard, or a single orchard in a township, while others 

 are wholly free from it. The female moth has no wings with which 

 to distribute herself, and can only, upon coming out from her pupa- 

 tion in the ground underneath the tree in the early spring, climb 

 up the trunk, meet her winged mate, and deposit her eggs upon the 

 branches. 



Preventives and Remedies. 



The preventives and remedies that should be used against this 

 insect are simple. First, the females should be prevented from 

 ascending the tree, by cloth bands, coated with tar or printer's 

 ink, around the trunk, or by some of the mechanical appliances 

 which have been so frequently described in our agricultural 

 journals and entomological reports. Second, when the larvae are 

 upon the tree and rapidly consuming the young leaves, they 

 should be killed by spraying the tree with Paris green water, 

 as in directions so often published. Third, if the caterpillars have 

 been permitted to feed to maturity upon the trees, and thereafter to 

 enter the ground immediately beneath for their transformation, the 

 soil under the trees to the depth of from four to six inches should 

 be thoroughly worked so as to crush the tender pupae. 



Either one of the above measures, if properly used, will be effectual 

 in arresting the attack. If all are employed, immediate success would 

 be insured. 



Abundance of Geometrid Larv^e. 

 Mr. Verplanck Colvin, Superintendent of the New York State Land 

 Survey, writes from his camp, on Salmon lake, head-waters of Beaver 



