Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1901-12-27
THE COOLING MOTH.
THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE
APPLE GROWER.
Causing Yearly Loss OF Fully sa5,-
Ooo.ooo-A Destructive Insect Very
Seldom Seen because NJ Works Only
at Night. .

According to Prof. Forbes. the en-
inent entomologist, who has made
careful experiments and observations
regarding the subject, one-half of the
apple crop OF Illinois is annually de-
stroyed by the apple worm, the cater
pillar OF the codling moth, involving a
loss each year to the farmers and frcit-
growers of the state Of more than 81
375,000. The annual destruction to the
apple crop by this pest and consequent
loss to the farmers in the country at
large is estimated tn be 5000 900
and yet, according to Prof. Singer
land. the entomologist of Cornell Uni
veristy at Ithaca, ". Y, not one fruit
grower in ten ever saw codling moth
although II Is busy at work every sea-
son in their orchards by the tens of
thousands. and moths of almost every
other kind are a familiar sight to tho
farmer and fruit grower. The reason
for this is that the codling moth does
not have the universal habit of other
moths, that of being attracted by
light or flame at night. and 1t so COM
pletely secretes itself during the day
that the most violent disturbance OF
It's retreats rarely causes It to take
wing or to emerge from its hiding
places about the orchard trees, the
rough scaly bark of which II so close
ly resembles that even IL one were
resting on the exterior OF the bark of
the tree IL would defy the sharpest
eyes to detect it. A flaming torch
placed at night under every tree In
an orchard would fail to draw a single
eodling moth from its work of egg
laying in the trees, although its nu
merous varieties of cousins would be
fastening from all directions to meet
destruction in the fascinating blaze.
The codling moth emerges from its
cocoon about ten days after the apple
blossoms have fallen from the trees in
the spring, by which time the young
fruit is grown sufficiently Tor the
moths purpose. The cocoons are be-
meath the scaly bark on the apple
tree trunks. The moth which is
about half an inch long, comes out at
night. and at once begins deposlting
its eggs. A codling moths egg is
nearly nat, and no larger than small
pin head. So small is II, and almost
imperceptible on the apple, that al
though the codling moth has been
known to naturalists nearly three CEN
turtles, II was only four years ago that
its eggs were positively identified and
described. The moth places but one
egg on an apple. II one codling moth
finds that another one has already de-
posted an egg on an apple 1t does not
leave one of its own there, but seeks
unpreempted fruit. Each moth lays
from eighty to 100 eggs The egg
matches a tiny worm at the end of
ten days, always at night. The worm
at once crawls to the blossom end OF
the apple. enters the cavity there, and
tunnels its way to the core. where il
feasts and fattens on the heart of the
apple, and tunnels its way to the sur
face at the end of a month, emerging
a plump. pink worm. three-quarters
OF an inch long. always coming out at
night. 1t makes its way without de-
lay to the trunk OF the tree. where II
beneath a sheltering scale OF bark,
and remains there in hiding until 1t in
turn develops into a moth. to continue
the perpetuation OF its pestiferous
kind.
Tiny as the codling moths egg is
there is a fly SO small that 1t can de-
posit as many as four OF its own eggs
| In single egg OF the moth. The
ny's eggs hatch worms that devour the
moths embryo in the egg. and thus
hosts OF the ravenous insects are de-
stroyed before they have begun active
life other parasitic enemies OF the
caterpillar make way with untold
numbers OF the insects at that stage OF
their existence, and night birds de-
stroy myriads OF the moths. Vast
numbers of the cocoons are uncovered
and their contents devoured by wood
peckers and other insectivorous birds
but enough come TO maturity to levy
on the farmers OF the country bonn
ty of SIS 900 900 a year to keep them In
board and lodging. Nothing but spray
ing the trees with a solution OF Paris
green has any effect decreasing the
annual loss in crop, and In checking
the ravages of the pest and this spray.
ing the farmer, as a rule, resoluteiy
persists in not doing.
rf..t. G..,s. nx..0..xtn~ Tra.s,r.