38 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I was led to the belief that the curculio was arsenic-proof. The fact that 

 others reported success led me to wonder whether my lack of snccess 

 might not be due to the fact that I only sprayed my trees once, aboiit the 

 middle of May, just as the blossoms had fallen off, and that spraying two 

 or three times might rout the enemy. This seemed the more probable, 

 as the smooth leaves and fruit would not hold the poison, and so it would 

 soon be removed. Acting upon this supposition, I sprayed the trees three 

 times, and saw a marked benefit. The plums on the trees not sprayed 

 were badly injured; those sprayed were injured scarcely at all. 



" In spraying apples the case is different. The rough calyx of the apple 

 holds the poison just where it is needed to kill the codling moth larva. 

 But some one may ask, if we must spray why not omit the plums and 

 spray the apples for curculio and moth alike? I answer, one spraying 

 (two at most) will suffice for the apple, while two (and better three) are 

 required for the plum. Thus the economical method is to plant plums in 

 close proximity to the apple, and spray both, but repeat the operation once 

 or twice in case of the plum. Thus we save much time and expense. 



" In spraying fruit for any insects the work should not be done till the 

 blossoms have fallen off. This is early enough, and to spray earlier 

 endangers the bees, wdiich not only gather the honey, but by cross-fertil- 

 izing the flowers make the trees, etc., much more fruitful. 



" In this connection let me say that I believe that one pound of London 

 purple is quite enough to mix with two hundred gallons of water. Then 

 we can do the thorough work required, and yet not harm the foliage. This 

 I believe quite important, in case we spray two or three times. 



" The carbolated plaster is a modification of Mr. J. N. Stearns' idea. 

 He mixes carbolic acid with slaked lime. I found that plaster was 

 better than lime. It mixes easier and is pleasanter to use, as the lime is 

 so fine and light that it flies away at the least whiff of wind. The 

 plaster mixes easily, is convenient to apply, and I should persume might 

 benefit as a fertilizer. I used one pint of crude carbolic acid to one hun- 

 dred pounds of plaster. This was thoroughly mixed so that the acid w^as 

 everywhere incorporated in the plaster. This was sown or thrown upon 

 the trees, just as the blossoms fell, and twice afterward. The plums, 

 cherries, etc., thus treated were almost entirely free of insects, while others 

 were much injured. 



"In case one had only phims, this is a good remedy. It saves the plums, 

 costs very little, and is entirely safe. If it simply drives the insects to 

 other fruit or orchards, this is not so greatly in its favor. In some of the 

 arsenites, the supposition is that the insects, in eating the fruit, and pos- 

 sibly the leaves, are poisoned, while in case of the carbolic acid we suppose 

 they are only driven off by the offensive application. 



" The third remedy, spraying with concentrated lime-water, was tried by 

 Prof. C. M. Weed of the Ohio experiment station. He used four quarts of 

 air-slaked lime to a barrel of water, and used this so plentifully that the 

 foliage was whitened. He made the application May 17, just as the blos- 

 soms had fallen; May 21, after a heavy rain; May 26, also after a heavy 

 rain, and finally on June 2. He reports a large benefit, forty per cent, 

 from this treatment, Imt not as great as that from the use of London 

 purple. If the lime should prove a specific against the curculio ravages, 

 it would, like the carbolated plaster, have the merit of safety. Yet this, 

 too, would only drive the enemy elsewhere. 



