0BSEBVED IN HEBTEOBDSHIBE IN 1885 . 
51 
appeared in May, I obtained not more than three dozen really sound 
ones. In a small garden, perhaps coating the trunks and branches 
of the trees with a sticky substance might be of some use in de¬ 
stroying the moth, but in a large orchard this would be difficult. 
Possibly you may hear of some other plan.” Miss Ormerod, to 
whom I applied, answers Dr. Livingstone’s closing remarks thus: 
“ I should think that such measures as gently shaking the tree so 
that the worm-eaten apples might fall, and then at once having 
them gathered up, before the caterpillar had time to effect its exit 
(which it does very promptly according to report), would greatly 
diminish the amount of future attacks. Personally, I do not feel 
at all sure that the caterpillar does leave the fallen fruit with the 
expedition stated. I have seen the pest present when to all ap¬ 
pearance there had been plenty of time for it to crawl away. There¬ 
fore, I think, gathering up all fallen apples which have come down 
(presumably from caterpillar-attack) is desirable, and of course they 
should be destroyed. Amongst various ways of keeping the cater¬ 
pillars from going up the stem, might it not be of service to try 
just smearing a band of Davidson’s composition round the base 
of the trunk ? This answers well for stopping foot-travellers of 
other insect tribes, and perhaps I should add that it is sold (at per 
ton if wished) by Messrs. James Dickson and Sons, Newton Nur¬ 
series, Chester. It has been found that the winter larvae of the 
codlin-moth hibernate sometimes on the bark from one to six inches 
below the ground, and that they are especially to be found where 
there are decayed roots, or rather where the stem decays near the 
surface. In' this case great numbers of larvse have been found. 
This observation is from Mr. Cook’s Californian report. He is a 
most trustworthy authority, and it would be well worth while to 
find if the same habit prevails in this country. I should also con¬ 
sider that, as the caterpillars shelter under bark, careful pruning, 
scraping, and scrubbing with soft soap would be exceedingly good 
means of routing them out if applied before the ‘ genial spring 
weather ’ has set the year’s work agoing. The attack is a great 
evil in California and South Australia, and I am constantly on the 
watch to learn whether it is brought over to us in addition to what 
we have of our own, in imported fruit, for it may spread from the 
packing-cases or baskets. I have my own apple trees scrubbed and 
pruned and well looked to, and except from frost have no cause of 
complaint.” It will thus be seen that it is possible to ward off 
this insect-pest, and a little attention to our orchards and fruit- 
gardens, as recommended by Miss Ormerod, will amply repay for 
the trouble. 
Nearly all the farmers in Hertfordshire and elsewhere have 
suffered from the great prevalence of aphides, whose attacks on our 
crops were favoured by the drought. As a consequence an almost 
universal partial failure of turnips and mangolds has been the 
result, and a serious loss has been incurred by those who at the 
present moment are passing through a trying period of agricultural 
depression. Writing from Harpenden, Mr. Willis says that honey- 
