THE CODLIN MOTH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1703, 25 February 1888, Page 3

THE CODLIN MOTH.

On the subject of this pest Mr Murphy, who has just returned from a visit to Tasmania, says “ The Codlin moth is worse than the thistle.- I must tell you that the growing of apples and pears has been almost abandoned in North Tasmania on account of the Codlin moth. One man whose orchard I visited who used to get 2000 bushels every year only gets 200 now. But the moth can be dealt with 100, and like the thistle, perseverance and energy will get rid of it. But the effort most be general. Everybody must make it. A man I know, by acute observation of the ‘ habits of the beast,’ manages to deal with it. He carelully ■crapes his apple trees smooth with a little triangular scraper, such as they use for cleaning the bottoms of ships and boats, and fastens a band of linen and rags in the first fork. The grub, derived of his paturalcover in the roughness of the bark, shelters under these. The rags are simply taken off once a fortnight and destroyed. A little piece of board laid on the ground at the fool of the tree will effect the same end, and tins full of vinegar and sugar hung about the orchard attract the moths as well. In short, if others do what you do, you need not fear the moth. And the Government are taking extreme measures to ensure that everyone dees act, 41 On my way home, at a place 30 miles north of Auckland, I visited an orchard whose owner had just discovered that it was infested with the Codlin moth. He was in great trouble, as his living depended on his apples. And what I told him of the ravages the moth had made in Tasmania only frightened him still more. “ But I am beginning to gather an impression that possibly it may never be a serious trouble to us here in Canterbury. In North Tasmania it is inactive except on sultry evenings. Cold and heavy winds destroy it in large numbers: But, of course, in the North Island it will find a particularly genial home.”