SPRAYING AGAINST INSECTS 



3 



growth, and, leaving the apple, it finds some crevice 

 in the rough bark, where it spins a slight cocoon, in 

 which it changes to the pupa or chrysalis state. 

 A fortnight later it emerges from the cocoon as a 

 full-fledged moth, like the one which laid the origi- 

 nal egg. Thus the curious life-cycle is completed. 

 There are generally tw^o broods of the worms each 

 season. 



By means of the spraying machine the fruit- 

 growler is able to place in the calyx ends of the young 

 apples a few particles of poison, so that when the 

 newly-hatched worm nibbles at the skin, the chances 

 are that it will eat one of these particles, and thus 

 cut short at the outset its own career. To do this the 

 fruit-grower usually mixes a quarter of a pound of 

 Paris green or some similar insecticide with a barrel 

 of water, and then, having the barrel in a wagon, he 

 drives along the rows of apple trees just after the 

 blossoms have fallen oft, and sprays them. The little 

 particles of poison are thus distributed over the tree 

 in a spray, and when the Vv^ater in which they are 

 suspended evaporates, they are left high and dry upon 

 the leaves and fruit, where they remain for several 

 weeks a menace to insect enemies, until the combined 

 action of rain and dew, w^nd and sunshine, dissipates 

 their poisonous properties. The spraying is most 

 effective if done just after the petals fall, when the 

 blossom end of the apple is wide open. As the young 

 fruit enlarges, the parts of the calyx close up, holding 

 the poison inside so it is ready for the little worms 

 when they attempt to eat their way to the core. 

 Probably many of them also get some of the poison 

 when they take their first meal on the green surface 

 of the leaf or fruit. If the first brood of w^orms are 

 thus quite generally destroyed, there is no necessity, 

 usually, to spray for the second brood; because their 



