80 
ORCHARD INSECTS. 
The “Looper” Caterpillars which hatch from these eggs are of a 
light or whitish or clouded green, with a white or lighter line along the 
side, and another above the feet, the lowest (according to descriptions) 
being the most noticeable. These caterpillars feed on many kinds of 
trees, but are noted by German observers as being particularly injurious 
to Plum-trees. When full-fed, they turn to chrysalids “in or on the 
ground,” and, according to Dr. Taschenberg, in a loose web. The 
moths appear in March or April. The male moth is winged, and of 
the size and pattern figured at p. 79; the upper wings marked with 
various transverse bands or lines of brown or paler tints; the hinder 
wings paler, with a zigzag line. 
For prevention of attack of this moth, it might be hoped that, as 
the chrysalids lie “ in or on" the ground, thorough disturbance of the 
surface during winter w T ould do good. In this way they would be 
turned out of their self-arranged shelters to alternate cold and wet, 
which is an excellent method of lessening amount of insect vermin. 
Another means of prevention, in the case of trees where the end 
twigs are in sight and in reach, is looking, towards the end of March or 
in April, to see whether the ends of these twigs are infested by the bands 
of wool-embedded eggs, and, if so, having these cut off and destroyed. 
On large orchard-trees many of the twigs would be too high to see, 
or to reach conveniently, but in very many cases the use of a light, 
long-handled pair of very small-bladed shears or nippers would get over 
all difficulties; a small hawk’s-bill pair of nippers with light handles 
about six feet long (such as I have myself been in the habit of using) 
would reach to a fair height, and do the work well and neatly. Two 
or three feet more at least might be gained, without going to the 
expense of any special apparatus, by having a bit of board laid across 
the top of a little hand-cart, which the operator could himself move 
without difficulty round the trees. This would furnish him with a 
stage or platform from which he could easily reach to about thirteen 
feet or more from the ground. The prunings of course should be all burnt. 
The dressings of various kinds mentioned at p. 65 as being used in 
March or April to kill Winter Moth eggs on the stems of the trees, or 
regular greasing (in case it was known from the preceding year’s 
experience that attack of this special kind might be expected), would 
be likely to be useful in preventing ascent of the wingless moth. 
For remedial treatment, when the caterpillars are present, the 
measures of jarring, fumigating, spraying, &c., previously mentioned, 
would be likely to be as serviceable with these as with other Loopers; 
and it is worth notice that in the case of the very nearly allied orchard- 
pest of N. America, the Spring “ Canker-worm,” or, as we should call 
it here, the Spring Looper Caterpillar of the Anisopteryx vernata, that 
spraying with Paris-green proved a valuable remedy. 
