June  4,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
497 
Societies. 
R.H.S.  Scientific  Committee,  May  19tti. 
Prei^ent :  Dr.  M.  T.  Masters,  F.R.S.  (in  the  chair) ;  Messrs. 
Shea,  Gordon,  Saunders,  Douglas,  Ma&see,  and  Veitch;  Drs. 
Smith,  Cooke,  and  Muller;  Revs.  W.  Wilks  and  G.  Henslow, 
Hon.  Sec. 
Codlin  Moth  in  Calif ornia.-— Mr,  Fairhurst,  Mitcham,  de¬ 
scribed  how  the  orchards  in  Cahfornia,  amongst  the  foothills 
near  to  Monterey,  about  seven  miles  from  the  seacoast,  have 
merely  crawls  out.  In  either  case  it  at  once  endeavours  to 
make  its  way  to  the  nearest  tree,  fence,  or  post,  and,  crawling 
up  a  short  distance,  finds  some  crack  or  other  sheltered  position, 
in  which  it  hides  and  spins  a  silken  web  round  itself,  covered 
with  a  sticky  substance.  Within  this  shelter  it  remains  during 
the  w'inter,  and  early  in  the  spring  becomes  a  chrysalis,  from 
which  the  moth  emerges  in  May.  It  is  obvious  that  when  once 
the  caterpillar  is  within  the  fruit,  nothing  can  be  done  to  kill  it 
wdthout  destroying  the  fruit;  but  if  the  tree  is  duly  sprayed 
before  this  event  takes  place,  and  after  the  eggs  are  laid,  the 
crop  will  to  a  great  extent  be  saved.  The  proper  time  to  .spray 
is  immediately  the  blosisoms  have  fallen,  and  the  best  insecticides 
to  use  are  either  lib  of  Paris  green,  kept  well  mixed  in  200gals 
of  late  yeai’s  suffered  much  from  the  caterpillars  of  the  oodlin 
moth;  and  each  year  the  plague  is  becoming  worse,  in  spite  of 
repeated  sprayings  from  the  blossoming  time  up  to  near  the 
period  of  ripening  He  adds  that  the  bulk  of  last  year’s  crop  of 
Apples  Tvas  so  bad  as  to  be  almost  unsaleable.  The  following  is 
Mr.  Saunders’  report  upon  this  communication :  “  The  codlin 
moth  (Carpocapsa  pomonella)  makes  its  appearance  about  the 
end  of  May.  The  females  lay  their  eg^i  on  or  close  to  the 
“eye”  of  the  Apples.  Only  one  egg  is  laid  on  each  fruit.  The 
young  caterpillar  is  hatched  out  in  about  a  week  or  ten  days, 
and  at  once  eats  its  way  into  the  Apple,  working  its  way  down 
the  core  to  the  pips,  which  it  feeds  on.  In  about  three  weeks 
or  a  month  it  is  full  grown,  and  then  gnaws  its  way  to  the 
surface  of  the  fruit,  and  unless  (which  is  frequently  the  case) 
the  Apple  has  already  fallen,  lets  itself  down  by  a  silken  thread 
to  the  ground;  or,  if  the  Apple  is  ah-eady  on  the  ground,  it 
1  of  water,  to  which  should  be  added  an  equal  amount  of  lime  to 
that  of  Paris  green  (bulk  for  bulk),  to  pi-event  any  injury  to  the 
foliage;  or  a  solution  of  paraffin  emulsion  may  be  used  with 
almost  ecjual  succe.ss.  When  any  Apples  fall,  they  should  be 
pickecl  up  at  once;  and  any  that  are  found  to  contain  these 
caterpillar.s  destroyed.  All  rubbish,  stones,  and  other  things 
under  which  the  caterpillars  could  shelter  should  be  removed, 
as  they  .sometimes  have  to  make  shift  with  such.  A  number  of 
the  caterpillars  may  be  caught  by  tying  hay  bands  round  the 
stems  of  the  trees  'about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  and  another 
about  3ft,  or  folded  strips  of  old  sacking,  canvas,  or  some  other 
!  similar  material  should  be  wired  or  tied  round  the  trees,  the 
j  object  of  the.se  being  to  afford  the  caterpillars  a  convenient 
resting  place,  in  which  to  undergo  their  transformations.  These 
I  traps  should  be  examined  every  now  and  then,  and  any  insects 
found  in  them  destroyed.  The  bands  should  be  put  into  posi- 
