The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-01-15
Edited by r. Walden

importation from Japan and British
Columbia is no worse off in having the
pest than many parts of the United
States, California included. The Hon
J. r. Anderson, Deputy Minister OF
Agriculture for British Columbia, has
published the following statement
about this pest. We who know Minis
ter Anderson recognize him as a man
Of ability and perfectly reliable in what
he says: THE whole matter seems
to be a tissue of misstatementS. The
bud moth (Tmetocera Ocelana) is, anu
has been common all over the United
States and Canada for many years.
Prof. Cordley says it has been present
in the eastern states for more than a
half century and presumably Califol-
MIA has not been free. This province
has, in common with the adjoining
states, been troubled with the pest for
a number of years. No quarantine has
been declared by California against
British Columbia fruit, for the simple
fact that no fruit has been sent there
from this province. The bud moth
(see Prof COrdley) does not lay it's
eggs on the fruit, nor does the larva
pass the winter on the fruit
| have great confidence in Prof Me-
lander of the Washington State Col
lege, Pullman, Wash, as the readers
of the Ranch have reason to know. AS
soon as l heard of this furry about
the bud moth l wrote Prof. Melander
for some information relative to this
insect. The following is his reply:
my Dear Mr.. Walden: | shall try
to answer your questions about the
bud moth. This insect is small
moth known as TmetOcera Ocellana.
1t is serious pest in the Eastern
states and arrived at the Idaho line a
dozen years ago, but has never caused
any injury there. A few years ago it
appeared in Western Washington, and
is now distributed extensively through
the northwestern part of the state
How it got there l do not know, but
presumably it was introduced on nurs-
cry stock, for, like it's relative, the
peach tWig bOrer, it hibernates in a
partly grown condition on the bark.
AS far as | know, the bud moth does
not attack fruit, but feeds on BUDS
and leaves entirely. Apple is it's ia
vorite fruit, but the insect will in
fest also pear, ounce, plum, cherry,
etc. The peach twig borer is often
confused with this insect and many
people have reported to me the former
for the bud moth in places in Eastern
Washington, where l feel sure the
bud moth does not occur. The most
conspicuous work of the bud moth is in
the spring when the insect has emery
ed from it's winter quarters in a little
silken nest constructed on the trunk
the autumn previous, and without fur
Their metamorphosis has infested ter
minal bud Fruit buds as well as leaf
buds are chosen and destroyed. Two
years ago | visited SnohOmiSh county
where more than half of the blossom
buds were destroyed. The more ad-
vanced leaves are spun together at the
tip of the branch forming home for
the larva within. When fully grown
the larva cocoons and ultimately trans
forms to a miller to lay eggs on neigh
boring leaves. The small larvae
Matching from the eggs feed on the I'M
der side of the leaf and form retreat
of silk and eXcrement near the mid
rib.
''The pest has already developed to
be a serious one in Western Washing
ton, and steps should be taken to
check it Immediately it's presence is
detected in the orchard. The usual
treatment is a spraying of arsenate
of lead as the buds are bursting to
check the larvae at their first meal
This should be followed by a second
spraying a week or ten days later.
But the seclusive habits of the species
as well as the rapid growth of the buds
render the spraying at this time not
entirely satisfactory. In the East
ern states the growers depend on
crravinp with Paris green when the