The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1883-05-10
for tllr farmer.
COOLING MOTH.

These insects, known scientifically a Cdrp0-
tapsa p0TfpRelid, appear to have accompanied
apples to every part of the known world where
1t is grown. The apple worm is the caterpillar
of a small grayish moth, the fore wings OF which
arr Of hrownish color crossed by numerous gray
and brown lines, with an oval dark spot near
the hinder angle mingled edged with bright
copper color. The head and thorIN are gray.
the hinder wings and abdomen yellnNish Drawn
The moths APPEAR ia The Northern states al'0ni
the lirst Of June. in lower latitndes somew hai
earlier. The females drop an egg in the ealy OF
blossom end of the fruit; in about week it
reaches the core, where it feeds for about
month, seldom longer
When fully grown, the caterpillar isof pink
ish or flesh color, and, IL the apple he cut open.
NAV he seen in some of his Burrows from which
it quickly escapes. I'm disturbed il will bore
a hole from the centre of the fruit To- the surface
escaping either before or after it has fallen 10
the ground, which usually happens soon after
the caterpillar has reached the core, becoming
what j. usually termed a windfall. The cater
pillar after reaching the ground crawls away in
Ia same sheltered place, usually in the cracks "f
the same tree upon the frnit of which II has
been FEEDING. and there spins thin roc""n, in
" lIirlI lis pupa remains "A few weeks or
months depending upon the season in which
they have appeared for it Is now settled that in
some sections there are two broods of this insect
in a season. The first or spring brood pass
through their four stages, egg, larya, pupa and
deposit eggs on fruit late IN the season, the eat
erpillars produced therefrom being Matched in
the winter varieties, from which many do not
escape until the apples are barrelled and sent to
market or stored away in cellars. The cOcoons
or silken cases. containing the pupR. often
found attached to the emptied barrels, or had
den away in fruit rooIns or cellars These are
from the second brood. For long time it was
supposed that the caterpillar spent its entire
larya period in the fruit wherein the egg was
Ill.
Iv of each other, have detected il passing from
one apple to another. One of the most careful
students of the habits of this insect, Mr. >. Is.
Peck. of Muskesou Michigan, writes "n this
point follows:
s.Experimeuts have been made By myself aud
others with the following results: The larvT
have repeatedly been placed in contact with
sound apples, and soon found inside; they en-
ter more readily when shut from the light. Some
twenty infected apples taken from the tree have
been placed IN box with "a few sound ones,
when after an interval Of 4 day or two the sound
ones have been occupied by the larvT. 4 near
" full grown laryT has been shut up with
sound apple. one and aIuaTtcr inches IN diane
ter, aud in less than twenty-iour hours was
found inside with the whole core demolished,
showing that it does not take a fellow long to
use up a specimen. 4 larvT was also discover
ed in its passage from one apple 70 another, the
two being in contact, and several eases haVin q
occurred where a passage between apples IN
contact has evidently been made by one occu-
pant
.eThe observations and experiments thus IT.
lated have been confined To the early part of
the season and to the first brood of larvP, not
surprising that the emigration continued after
the fruit was nearly ripe; but now it is ascer-
tanned that they do emigrate after the fruit has
been gathered and stored. Now, these Dissolve
ries and investigations are not merely TO crafty
curiosity, hut they open new aud more sue
cessful mode Of warfare: for, il true the daily
picking off the infected fruit and its destruction
is at once suggested as the most efficient rene
DIV, aud may have hopes that with this and
the bandage system we must be able TO save a
portion of our crop if not eventnallyfo run ont
this insidiOus pest
The bandage system referred To above, il the
one most generally used tor destroying the cod
ling moths IL consists in winding about the
stem of the tree, few feet from the ground,
some kind of soft cloth. The caterpillars that
have fallen from or with frnit as they ascend the
tree in search of a safe place in which to spin
their cOccOOns find here one apparently adapted
for their own purpose, preferable Ia the
cracks in the bark of the tree, and immediately
commence their work. These bands can read-
" be examined every few days, and all caterpil-
lar and pupa found under them easily destroy
ed. Old rags and pieces of stocking or ropes
NAV he us ed for hands. some prefer ropes of
hay 10 an yihing else, because by moving them
up and dowa ON the stem the pupa and cater
pillar can lie cru shed without taking the hands
from the tree.
Several traps of complicated form have been
invented, hut the simple band is cheaper and
more effective.
Another method of determination il ny hang
ing under the trees wide-mOuthed lars or bot
ties, in which a mixture Of mOlasSes. vinegar
and water, in proportion of one, two and four
respectively, over which a light Is suspended.
The moth flies mostly at night, is attracted by
the light, halted by the miXturr, and finally
drowned in numbers surprising to those who
have never tried it,
Still another plan, recommended by Mr.. J. :.
Woodward at a meeting of the horticultural
Society of Western New York, is to spray all
the trees in the orchard with a solution made
by dissOlving n tablespoonful of Paris green in u
barrel of water, to be applied when the apples
are about the size of cherries, when the worm
is about to enter the apple through the calyx.
lie says that this is entirely efficient. and that
one sprnklIng in season is all that is required
To do it at first sight may seem much labor, but
by using any one of the many good force pumps
in market. with hose aud sprinkler attached. it
can he done readily and speedily.
No means should he left untricd to keep this
great pest in check, and every owner of an APP
pie tree should feel il a duty To destroy all
windfalls and w"rmy apples Of every kind as
discovered, not waiting even for the in
tested fruit 10 fall from the tree: it should he
shaken of and fed TO hogs cattle, or other
wise disposed of in way To destroy the worm
". J. SaH.