Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-14
COS Water XIII the Cooling Moth ?-The
Advantage to be Maintained.

COS Water XIII the Cooling Moth ?-The
Advantage to be Maintained
7. is matter of some interest just now to
orchardists whose orchards were submerged
tie high water of last winter, to know
whether such submerging has killed out the
codling moth Larvae that were housed away in
he soil and rubbish on the ground, and un-
der the bark of the etens Of the trees. For
tae information of those SO situated we will
g ate that in large orchard we have exam
led, situate on the Sacramento river, in
y CT for few years past the moth has been
20 plentiful as to destroy large portion of
the apples and pears, there is now 10 be found
lat very few larve alive. Their nests are
tlere in great numbers on the b.rk Of the
trees in concealed places but the lar,se have
evidently been killed by the water, which
tood some four or FIVE feet deep in the
richard for over month. OF course the
-Yater could not have affected the laryae above
ne line of high water, but below that hae
n the bodies OF the trees. and about
heir roots, and in all rubbish on the
surface and in the soil, we think it
has pretty effactualy cleaned them out.
As against this supposition, it may be stated
that another large orchard in Colusa county,
and on the Sacrament river, where the
moth were very plentiful, was a few years
ago submerged from one to three feet
deep, and the water remaining up for
about week, it was found that the moth
the succeeding spring were more plentiful
than ever before. From these two cases 1t
must be concluded that, while d submerging
Of an orchard for so short a time as a week
viii hot clean out the c1dliug moth, such
submergence for a month or more viii reduce
their numbers very materially. IT, as we
have now good reason to believe, the orchards
on the Sacramento oriver have been pretty
well cleaned Of the moth by the high waters
of the past winter, the orehardists in this
section have a little good out OF their general
misfortunes But this fact should not induce
them to relax for a moment their exertions
against these orchard pests. Ii the food has
given a small advantage over their enemy,
they should see to it that this ad-
vantage is maintained from this on.
The laryse that may have been above the line
of high water and those that were well imbei-
ded in the light bark OF the bodies below that
line viii be sufficient, If not taken care of. to
effect the destruction of a large portion of
this years crop, and to increase the numbers
for next year to millions. 1t viii be much
easier TO take care of the reduced numbers
than il would have been to have made way
with the whole brood The remaining live
pupsej will soon, and probably are already
Matching out, and the moths 80 Matched win
soon be laying their eggs in the blossom end
of the small apples and pears. In from ten
to twelve days the eggs so laid will hatch,
and there will come out Of each one q very
small worm, scarcely large enough to be seen
with the naked eye. This little worm by in
stinct knows exactly what to do, and at once
begins to bore its way into the green fruit.
In ten days it will have made its way per-
haps half way to the center of the apple or
pear, and If at this time the fruit be picked
of and cut open the worm will be found to
have grown to about three-eighths of an inch
in length and to about the size of
pin in thickness. In about thirty-two OF three
days from the time the egg is laid in the seed
end of the small fruit the worm will have at
tanned full size, and viii then be ready to as.
sumo the pupe or chrysalis form. II will
then eat It's way through the core or pericarp.
and come out on the surface of the fruit
Sometimes before it gets out, the fruit itself
being thus injured, falls to the ground, and
sometimes the worm emerges and lets itself
down by a fine web. In either case instinct
teaches the worm that the tree is the natural
place for its future home in Whatever form IL
may assume. It therefore makes its way as
rapidly as possible to the body of the tree,
and crawls up it till good opening Is found