Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-07-11

elevated points of which there are eight or
each segment. The cocoon is invariabl,
of pure white color on the inside, but is
disguised on the outside by being covered
with minute fragments of whatever sub
stance the worm happens to spin to- The
Ghrysalis is yellowish brown, with rows o.
minute spines upon its back, by the aid Of
which it is enabled to partly push itsell
out of its cocoon, when its time to issue as
Il moth arrives.
The moth is beautiful object, yet from
It's habits not being known it is seldom
seen in this state; and the apple grower,
as Il general thing, knows no more of the
insect that gives him so many wormy ap-
pies than he does of men in the moon. Its
fore wings are marked with alternate, IT.
regular, transverse, wavy streaks of ash,
gray and brown, and have on the inner
hind angle, large tawny brown spot,
with streaks Of bright bronze color or
gold As apples are raised in almost all
sections OF our country, and where apples
are raised this insect is II dreadful pest. il
becomes us to be well acquainted with its
habits, and | shall therefore speak more
at length of it than of most other insects
Riley says that in Missouri as we'll AS
elsewhere, it is mostly two brooded the
second brood of worms ALTERNATING in the
Iarv@I state, enclosed in their snug little
silken home, under some fragment of bark
or other protection. The spring weather
that causes our apple trees to burst into
blossom releases this image from its pupal
tomb, and though lis wings are ut first
damp they soon dry under the rays of tbe
sun that walked them into their full exist
ence, and they seek their companions
They soon pair, when the male dies, and
the female deposits, as before stated. tbou-
sands of tiny yellow eggs. AS the fruit
begins to form, the egg matches, and the
worm develops in the little apple In from
one month to six weeks it has become full
grown. Eating its way out, as may be
seen IN the plate, it leaves the apple and
spinning its cocoon in some crevice,
changes in about three days to chrysalis,
and issues in about two weeks rs Il moth
same as before, only this time they do not
always lay their eggs at the calyx, as thew
are often found now 10 enter at the side of
the apple. This brood, as l have before
stated, causes the wormy apples in the fall
Of the year. This second brood alwovs
passes the winter in the larvnl state. |
either us worm in the apple, or as Il CO.
coon, and it makes no difference with the
-lme OF Its maturity whether it goes into
us cocoon IN September or any time in
The fall, or not until spring. Neither does
i matter whether it is in n warm room, or
Ir frozen, as in proper time, that is, when
he trees are in blossom, it comes forth to
propagate its kind.
Riley says that when in q warm room
hey are active through the winter and
will always fasten up any cuts that may be
made in their cocoons, though the cuts
nay be often repeated. These active
worms perfect themselves at the proper
eason, just rs well as those that have had
dormant stage, so we may conclude that
he dormant stage is not necessity with
his insect.
As this pest destroys millions of dollars
worth of fruit every year, of course it is :
'orth our while to do all in our power to
id ourselves of this insect. This is a
omewhat difficult thing to do, but great
cal can be done to mitigate the evil. {
Various authors recommend catching
he moth with plates of sweetened VINEGAR I
sweetcned water, to be left standino G
bout the trees in spring time. A few NAV |
JUS be caught, but at least twenty of our !
lends may be caught, and usually are, TO i
ne of our enemies, so that method is use v
IS. t
The first crop of worms, as I have be-
ne said, is much the smallest, and ne y
eir development within the little apple v
events the full development of the apple, S
e apple withers and at length drops off, a
ually before the worm leaves it. If ~
is apple could always be destroyed, of O
'urse the worm would reap the same
Hogs in orchards in sufficient
lmbers would do this, by eating all the Of
lie windlalls. but hogs are not always at CO
md. A much better way is to spread n IA
rye cloth, prepared for the purpose, be- ~ ~
alh the tree, just as the first apples be- 10
to fall, and then by Earring the tree in
ost can be Jared of, and then boil them. sa
lis operation, repeated once in three or ~ ~
II days, for, say three times each season, m
Il destroy almost all the first brood, and ("
event further trouble that year. al
No definite date can be given for this ~
as some years the season varies an
my days, and watching the fruit, and mi
Lhering us directed as soon as the first ca
ms of exit of the worm can be found, Ia
as soon as they begin to fall, will be W.
efficient direction. We
mother method, as given in the Coun. of
Gent'eluan, June 25th, 1871. is also an
liable. The writer recommends knock. o cit
them off with Il pole. lie says: 1.-Two me
n with poles usually knock off the ag
my specimens about rs fast as one bow a'r
gather in basket" | suspect that IN, .nl
would usually be done too late, as af inf
the worm had eaten his way out of the ten
lie, thus showing the wormy ones, they and
ut rs we'll remain, for the worm is '''',
It we want to destroy, not his home. car,
exudations referred 10 are not iudica. wa,