South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-07-14
The COdling Moth.


The following, relating to the codling
moth and how TO destroy it, are extracts
from an essay read before the Berrin
ID. n. Brown, of St. Joseph:
The eodling moth is a gray, dirty look
ing miller, about three-fcgITtns of an inch
in length very quick in her movements
and VIXEN st.l her wings lie close to her
body. Early-in the month of June she
makes her appearance, and may be seen
by Earring the limbs of trees. She makes
many angular motions while descending
to the ground, and conceals herself in
stantly.
Whensthe apple reaches the size of a
hazel nut, she deposits her egg il the
down of the blossoms. where Il matches
in a few days if the weather is warm. I'm
mediately the young larva begins to cut
its waytoward to the center of the fruit
to feed apon its flesh and seeds. If, how
ever, the end of the fruit is too hard, the
larva VIII leave and enter s1mv more ten
der part. 1t is common for them to leave
one apple and enter another; and thus a
single worm may destroy g large Quantity.
There are continuous and consecutive
crops of these insects from early summer
until late in the fall, or until the apple
crop Is gathered. They increase rapidly
as the warm weather advances.
In the spring their commencement is
but small, owing to the wOodpecker, and
many other birds which prey Upon the
iarva whist slightly protected IN It's silken
case, and deposited about stumps, hollow
weeds, and especially under the scales of
dead bark OF the apple tree. On examin-
alton you will see many of these
scales perforated by birds, who subsist
during winter upon insects. | have often
wondered to see with what precision they
strike their game. When you see a small
hole through one of these old scales, pull
it off and notice the accuracy with which
this natural mechanic hits the cocoon
which contained his morning meal.
Many apples containing the larvp OF this
moth are barreled, and you will often find
a large number of these coeOOns about
the hoops and joints, which should be
carefully destroyed. Shodldyou make any
OF your lighted rooms a storehOuse for ap-
Piles in the spring, you may find your win
dews dotted with this miller. Owing to
the many methods by which this larvle in
winter is destroyed, the early brood IS
small. These, however, deposit their eggs,
which hatch into q perfect moth in about
thirty days, which in their turn ere ready
to make in the apple a second deposite OF
eggs, which, as we are not able to ascer'
tain the number of eggs each female can
Law, we may safely conclude that this crol
can out-number from fifty to one hundred
times the spring crop. we nave now
reached about the middle of July, or the
first of August, when the fruit Ditten Dy
the first crop of the Larvae are falling on
the ground, and some of the early Varle,
ties beginning to ripen. A far crop OF
early fruit may be expected, for they es
cape the later broods OF this sweeping
pest. az
In August and September we s.1all M.
issuing from the blossom end of IN, my y
our fine smooth apples, a dark liquid I'd.
ter, indicating that another brood of Ia. V
insect has commemorate work o. destruc-
ton. You will also see small red spots on
the fair, perfect fruit, showing that another
brood of these Larvae are cutting their way
through to the completion of their work.
Thus one brood succeeds another, until, in
many cases, nearly our entire crop of win
ter fruit is pierced with holes end lies
withered on the ground.
The worm, when small, is dark, and has
a black head; when about half an inch
long it mouths, after which it grows rapid
ly and soon completes its work of de-
struction; when of full size, the worm