WARSAM- HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 377 



Among the live and enerojetic horticulturists who attend our 

 meetings no effort seems too great in furthering the interests or 

 profits of fruit culture. 



A. C. Hammond reported on the work of the curculio in the 

 apple orchards. Much of the gnarly and rough appearance on the 

 apple is the result of the work of this fruit pest. 



Mr. Hilton, of Lee County. Iowa, had carefully noted the work 

 of two species of curculio among the apples. 



Mr. Spitz said it took an early riser to note the work of the 

 curculio. 



T. F. Leeper said the season of 1883 was peculiar in many res- 

 pects. He had never noted the work of this pest in apple orchards 

 until this year. With one or two exceptions last winter was an 

 ordinary one, and yet, as soon as spring was fairly open, the bad 

 effects of the weather was made manifest both in tree and fruit. 

 Then during the present year we have been overrun by the common 

 field mouse, and many of the trees now supposed to be winter-killed 

 have been girdled below the surface of the ground by these mice. 



J. T. Johnson said small mounds of earth about the trunks of 

 the tree.s often prevents the ravages of these mice. 



Mr. Spitz said it was the unfriendly weather which had done 

 the damage in his orchard. '' T can ward off the mice, but cannot 

 prevent the sudden changes of weather.'' 



C. W. Ames said, " My friend Bickf ord has destroyed mice in 

 his orchard by poisoning wheat with arsenic and putting around his 

 trees. ' 



C. B. Rockwell said proper cultivation keeps off the mice and 

 much of the other vermin which infests the orchard. 



W. W. Chittenden said the great foe to his orchard seemed to 

 be changes of temperature or a bad location, as he had derived hut 

 little benefit from it, and all of the doctors who have prescribed 

 have so far failed. His location or something else was against him. 



G. P. Walker said: Cultiv;ite your orchard the first six or seven 

 years thoroughly ami i)ruiu' but little, if any; keep off the rablnts 

 in winter by putting a little blood on the trunks of your trees. 

 After your orchard is seven years old seed to clover and your orchard 

 will pay. 



