The record-union., 1899-04-01
SCOTCH THE
GOBLIN MOTH.
Now is the Time to Destroy This
Vicious Pest.
Deadly Work Of the Apple Enemy-Latest and
Most Approved Methods for Accom-
plishng It's Destruction

Now is the time when that trouble
some apple pest, the Goblin moth, gets
in it's deadly work on the young apples
that are just forming, hence it Isl all i'm
portant that fruit-growers set to work
at once to destroy these pests. 1t can
de done, and the law requires that or
chardists must spray their trees.
The County Board of Horticultural
Commissioners, composed of E. Booth,
William Johnston and Josiah Cutter
are doing all in their power to have
the law enforced and to educate or
chardists up to a proper realization OF
the Importance of protecting their fruit
trees against the assaults of the deadly
moth
Besides these three Commissioners
who are giving their time and energies
to this matter without pay-there are
five inspectors travelling about the
county, under. their jurisdiction, in
structlng fruit-growers in their duties
to themselves and the public, and dis
tributing copies of the law prescribing
what must be done to rid trees of the
various pests.
Commissioner Booth said to Rec
ord Union reporter the other day thai
the board is performing it's duty rigidl!
and will continue to- do so. Several per-
sons have already been arrested this
season for non compliance of the law
and others will be arrested if they dc
not do their duty in the premises.
One thing. Mr.. Booth said, that is
all-impcrtant TO orchardists who are
about 10 spray their trees, is that in
purchasing Paris green a guarantee be
secured of its genuineness. If not oi
good quality one might as well use sc
much -four, for his work will be for
naugnt.
GOBLIN MOTH, AND HOW TO DE-
STRCY THE PEST.
The ravages of the Goblin moth Gar
pocapsa pomonello) are more widely
spread, and, fortunately, are more clear
ly understood than those of any Other
insect pest The Goblin moth prefers tbs
apple but is attentive also to the peal
and ounce. In California it is three
brooded The moths from the hibernat-
ing worms issue in the latter part o1
March and the first half of April; those
of the second brood appear in June, anc
the third brood of moths show up IL
August ard the early part of Septem-
ber
The female moth makes it's appear
ance about a week after the blossom:
fall and deposits it's nearly round, very
thin, scaIe-like, semi transparent eggs
each moi quite so large as the head of {
common pin, upon the surface Of tbs
Young fruit The egg is glued to tbs
surface with apparently but little choice
as to its. location on the fruit. In ,frorf
seven to ten days the larva is hatchec
and usually, though not always, i
crawls ever the surface to the calyx
entering between the lobes. In day
or two If begins to gnaw its way into
the apple In twenty days its full
growth is attained and it energies from
the fruit at the side, and by means OF
its spinnerct it reaches the ground. ol
some large branch. If it lands 1por
the ground it usually seeks the trunk
which ii ascends, and finding hiding
place under the loose bark it spins
cocoon and in eight or ten days comes
forth a moth ready to lay eggs.
AS il takes about a week for the eggs
TO hatch il is thus from ten days tC
two weeks after the blossoms fall be.
fore the caterpillar begins operations
The first application of Paris greer
solution should be made week before
the eggs are laid, and the second ap'
plicdtion several days before the cater
pillars begin their work. A thorough
spraying just after the blossoms have
fallen is of the utmost Importance ane
will result in the death of more codlir
moth caierpillars than will follow from
several later applications. If it is de
layed ten days or longer, the calyx vii
have closed over the cup, with the little
caterpillar inside, and the Paris greer
will only be deposited on the outside O.
the fruit, where it will i'm no way injur'
the young worm.
The reason for this is plain. Wher
the petals of the blossoms fall, thu
calyx Iobes which remain are broadly
spread out saucer-hke, and many mi
mute particles-of Paris green are caugh
in the oalyx cup. But as about 1--WE
weeks intervene before the little cater
pillar begins eating. much of this poisol
would ordinarily be washed away b.
rains and the first spraying be useless
Nature prevents this by simply causing
the caylx lCbes to be drawn tightly to
gether at their tops as the apple grows
so that usually within a week after tn.
blossoms fall, the calyx cup has it
deadly dose we'll protected by a cove
formed by the converged calyx lobes.
The calyx of the pear does not close
hence it will be better to wait ten day
or two weeks after the blossoms fall be
fore spraying pear trees, as there will
be less danger of the poison bein.
washed away.
The Paris green solution Is compose,
of Paris green (pure, or to contain a
least 30 per cent. arsenious acid),
pound. and water, 200 gallons.
With Paris green the caterpillars ar
destroyed before they have damages
the fruit Paris green is preferable t
London purple, as it is insoluble in col
water and therefore less injurious t
the foliage. No ammonia or soap shoul'
be used, in the solution In the Easter