84 
ORCHARD MOT FT CATERPILLARS. 
to be the only reliable measure for us to depend on in this country, in 
order to stop the ascent of Winter Moths, or other wingless kinds of 
moths, which creep up the stems of orchard trees to lay their eggs on 
the branches. But, at the same time, it has become more and more 
plain each year that although sticky-banding is so far of service, that 
in many cases the foliage of orchard trees would have been totally des¬ 
troyed if the banding had not been done, yet still that it is only a partial 
protection against wingless moths gaining access to the trees for egg- 
laying, and is no protection at all from the many kinds of attack 
originated by winged infestations : also it is expensive, needs renewing 
at intervals, and, without special arrangements to insure safety to 
bark, is detrimental to the health of the trees. 
Some kind of application was greatly needed which was cheap and 
sure in its action, and which could be brought to bear at once when 
required on any or all sorts of moth caterpillars together (whatever 
their various natures or previous histories may have been), and would 
kill the whole collection of ravaging hordes at once, but without 
damaging the leafage. 
For some years back trials have been made, in many isolated 
cases, of various kinds of treatment which it was hoped might lessen 
the hordes of caterpillars which now yearly cause great injury to 
leafage of our orchards; but as these experiments were seldom care¬ 
fully recorded as to details or results, they have been of little public 
benefit. 
It therefore seemed desirable to form a regular Experimental 
Committee, of members cognisant of all the needs of the case, and also 
known to be qualified, both practically and scientifically, to superintend 
experiments in orchard treatment, and report results. 
Accordingly, about the end of February in this year, 1890, at a 
conference of fruit growers held at Evesham, a Committee of Experi¬ 
ment was formed, of gentlemen personally interested in the subject, as 
land owners or fruit growers on a large scale, or superintendents of large 
fruit grounds, or in other ways much concerned in the preservation of 
orchard crops.* 
* The Committee consisted of Mr. Gibbon, of Seaford Grange, Pershore (who 
has given valuable aid to the Committee as Chairman); Mr. J. Masters, of Evesham, 
Hon. Sec.; Capt. Corbett and Mr. C. D. Wise (respectively Superintendent and 
Deputy-Superintendent at the great Toddington Fruit Grounds); Mr. Swift, a large 
land owner and occupier of land in the neighbourhood ; Mr. Doeg, of Evesham; 
and Mr. Hiam, of Astwood Bank; likewise Mr. F. Hooper and Mr. E. Grove. I 
rendered what assistance lay in my power as the Consulting Entomologist of the 
Committee, and we were greatly favoured by being allowed in all difficulties to 
apply for advice to Mr. J. Fletcher, the Entomologist of the Dominion of Canada; 
and thus knew that so far as we followed instructions we were trying no new thing, 
but what had been known to answer in Canada and America for regular orchard 
service for years back. 
