88 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



each tree at the proper height, this trouble may be easily overcome. This is more 

 necessary with old and large trees, which do not vibrate so easily as do younger ones. 

 Let lis hope that the day is not far distant, when this machine, or some improvement 

 on it, will be in such general demand as to insure its manufacture by some of our 

 Implement dealers. It should be considered by aU who wish to grow stone-fruit, as a 

 horticultural implement, second only in usefulness to the plow. 



Belore leaving this subject of remedies I will say that much can be done in a small 

 way by crushing the egg with the finger-nail, or by cleanly cutting out the newly 

 hatched larva. It will also suggest itself that, in planting an orchard with timber sur- 

 rounding, the less valuable varieties should be planted on the outside, and as the 

 little rascals congregate on them from the neighboring woods in the early part of the 

 season, they should be fought persistently. It will also pay to thin out all fruit that is 

 known to contain grubs, and that is within easy reach; while, wherever it is practica- 

 ble, all rubbish and under-brush should be burnt during the winter. 



AN APPEAL. 



The burden of this essay is to impress upon you the utter futility of all other pre- 

 tended remedies. One of our most eminent Eastern horticulturists has honored you, 

 gentlemen, by calling you the most philosophical set of fruit-growers in the land. I 

 w^ant you to deserve this honor by showing your good sense in this Curculio matter. 

 Tolerate no other methods of fighting this foe than the two above named. I am thor- 

 oughly satisfied that there is no other remedy, and the sooner we are all convinced of 

 it the better. For over half a century the agricultural and horticultural press has been 

 flooded with wondrous remedies, and yet, aside from the two methods already 

 indicated, there are but three out of the whole catalogue which have even the appear- 

 ance of conmion sense , and these are altogether impracticable in an orchard of 

 average extent. 



Lazy men may croak : they may declare that the days of profitable fi'uit -growing 

 are gone bj', that fruit-growers are going to perdition, and that the CurcuUo can not 

 be conquered! But sensible men know better. "Witness the commotion which one of 

 the thousand proposed Curculio remedies recently produced among the members of 

 the lately organized St. Louis Farmer's Club. A gentleman claims to have a remedy, 

 which is, however, a secret, as he wishes to make money with it. Forthwith an ex- 

 citing discussion takes place, and Col. Colman offers a million dollars for a remedy — a 

 million dollars for a remedy for the Curculio! Now, what did these gentlemen mean 

 by a remedy? If they had ever read their State Entomological Report they would 

 have found one there given. But no : they look for some panacea, some placebo, some 

 Aaron's rod wherewith to smite the hosts of the Curculio throughout the land with a 

 single wave of the hand ! They might as well try to produce fralt without first plant- 

 ing and cultivating the tree which is to bear it, as to try to conquer the Curculio by 

 any other but the rational means we have set forth. TVe do not now live in the age of 

 miracles; and if a man undertakes to feed five thousand persons on five loaves and 

 two small fishes, he will fail most ignominiously in the undertaking. Just so long as 

 we look for remedies of a miraculous nature, just so long will the Curculio retain the 

 upper hand; but as soon as we abjure all w^ashes, fumes and patent applications to the 

 tree, of whatever sort, and confine ourselves to killing this little foe, either in the 



