Smyrna times., 1927-06-01
KENT COUNTY AGR|CU[TURISTS
STUDY COOLING MOTH CONTROL
PARTICULARLY AT THIS SEASON
TO GET AFTER PESTS EARLY
Many Apple Orchards Now in Blossom
May Have Blighted Crop of Fruit
If Vigilance Is Not Exerted


At this particular season of the
year, the apple growers throughout
the county and state are giving seri-
Gus consideration to the most practi-
cal and effective measures for con-
trolling the codling moth, and in view
Of this situation extensive studies in
regard to the life history and control
measures for this destructive insect
are being conducted in Kent County
again this spring and summer by Dr.
H. L. Dozier, Entomologist of the Del
aware Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion, in cooperation with County
Agent Russell E. Wilson, who has
been working on this project for the
past five years Previous to the en-
ployment Of an Entomologist at the
Experiment Station, these codling
moth control studies We're conducted
each spring by County Agent Wilson
who placed the larvae in small wire
observation cages in few Of the rep
resentative commercial orchards in
Kent County for the purpose of
studying the time Of the maximum
.emergence Of the first brood Of adult
moths. When this emergence was OBJ
served in these wire cages, notices
We're mailed to all the fruit growers
advising them Of the proper time to
apply the arsenical sprays for the
control of this insect.
More Extensive Campaign is Needed
The work last year, however, was
conducted on a more extensive basis
in the apple producing areas in the
county in an effort to learn more con
cerning the life habits of this partic-
ular insect. In addition to these small
observation cages, Dr.. Dozier and
County Agent Wilson secured the CO.
operation Of four commercial fruit
growers to construct large screened
cages twelve feet square around a
bearing apple tree in each Of these
four orchards last spring. These
large cages this year are being used
in the orchards Of F. @. Bancroft near
Camden; S. H. Baker, near Magnolia,
and S.H. Derby, near Woodside. Small
wire cages have been placed in the
apple orchards Of J. Leonard Soper,
near Magnolia; r. Burton Raughley,
southeast of Dover; F. W. Richardson
near Rising Sun; Ed Todd, near Viola;
H. E. Coverdale, southwest Of Dover;
N. NJ. Taylor, near Lebanon, and o.
d. Loose, near Cheswold. With the
exception of Mr. Taylor's farm, the
same orchards were used last year in
conducting these emergence studies
with the small observation cages, and
the large screened cages are being re-
tanned in the same orchards again this
year except the one in the Soper orch
ard which has been discontinued for
the present time. All of these large
screened cages are being infested by
placing in them several baskets which
are heavily infested with the codling
moth larvae, and from which the adult
moths will emerge and attack the APP
pies on these enclosed trees. The OBJ
ject in enclosing these trees, there
fore, is to study the complete life his
tory of the second and third broods
with a view to advising the growers
concerning the emergence Of the
moths Of these two generations, and
the dates for the later sprayings,
while the smaller cages will furnish
information in regard to the emer-
gence of the first brood Of adult
moths.
Kent Orchardists Will Receive Notice
The orchardists in Kent County are
receiving notices from the office of the
County Agent Wilson again this year,
as they have in the past five years,
advising them of the results obtained
from these observation cages Fruit
growers in general throughout the
county are Of the opinion that the
codling moth is the most destructive
and troublesome pest with which they
have to contend during the entire
growing period, and it is Of the great
est importance, therefore, that every
possible means be employed toward
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