68 
THE APPLE. 
and either suits the insect equally well. There is a hollow to receive 
the eggs, and the skin of the apple is thinner near the stalk or the eye 
than on either of its sides. In a few days the eggs hatch, and bring 
forth white grubs. These instantly bore their way into the fruit, and 
feed upon their substance for three weeks or a month. After a time the 
grub, enlarging in size and growing in strength, eats its way into the 
centre of the apple. Here it finds more space and a change of food. 
From the time it reaches the core of the apple the maggot turns its 
attention to the seeds, and consumes them. No sooner does this happen 
than the apple, recognising that the purpose for which it was swelling 
and ripening its seeds has been frustrated, loses its hold of the tree, 
and falls to the ground. This exactly suits the design of the maggot, 
which, on the destruction of the seeds, at once begins to eat another 
tunnel, or enlarges one previously made, out of the fruit. Finding 
this already fallen, it creeps' along the ground until it reaches the bole 
of the tree, in a crevice of which it securely hides itself until it passes 
from a grub into a chrysalis, and sleeps soundly until next spring, when 
it awakes to find itself a beautiful moth to lay its eggs, and begins the 
course of destruction so well known to apple growers. Perhaps the best 
mode of destroying these maggots is to collect and burn or otherwise 
destroy every apple that falls prematurely, or better still to examine the 
apples on the trees, and wherever the smallest sign of aperture is 
visible, gather and destroy the fruit at once. If allowed to fall the 
grub may make its escape before the fruit can be picked up. But if 
the affected apples are picked off the trees, the maggot will at that 
time be feasting on the seeds and has not yet tunnelled an aperture 
large enough for its escape. 
Various traps have been recommended to decoy the grubs to their 
capture and speedy despatch on their way from the fallen apples to a 
hiding place. The simplest of these is to twist a few hay bands or pieces 
of old cloth, or fix laths of wood against hoops round the trees. The 
maggots, exhausted by the least effort after leaving the fruit, gladly 
rest in the first shelter they find, and thus if the traps are examined 
every second day or so many of them may be found lurking between 
the decoys and the bark, where they may readily be destroyed. A 
thick smear of lime or soft soap and grease on the boles of the trees 
also* hinders the maggot from climbing them or transfixes them on 
the spot. 
Some also recommend catching the moths in the spring, but this is 
slow and difficult work. It is a good plan, however, to collect heaps of 
wood, green spray, and other rubbish, and to light and maintain fires 
for several days, at different seasons, when the different moths show 
