218 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDWARD VII., A. 1908 



Annable, who sent me during the first three weeks of July, some consignments of 

 apples which had fallen from his trees. These apples each contained from one to five of 

 the grubs of the Plum Curculio. The whole crop of this orchard was ruined. The loss 

 from this insect was also considerable in the apple orchards of the Eastern Townships 

 of the province of Quebec. When plums and apples are attacked by the Plum Cur- 

 culio, the fruit drops freely, when about half-grown or less. Cherries hang on the 

 trees much longer. From the fact that many young apples fall naturally during June, 

 the injuries by the Curculio are frequently overlooked. Mr. Annable states that when 

 he was sending off the injured fruit at my request for examination, his neighbours 

 made great fun of him, telling him that there was nothing the matter with them and 

 that it was natural for the young apples to fall off at that time of year. 



Remedy. — In our Canadian experience we have always found that spraying with 

 arsenical poisons was by far the best remedy for the Plum Curculio, and it has been 

 a surprise to me that this method is not more advised and practised in the United 

 States. The jarring method is by far too expensive in labour for adoption here, when 

 the results of the two practices are compared. The effects of spraying for Curculio 

 on plums are all that a paying remedy calls for. On apples, the effects seem to be less 

 marked; but, even on that crop, there is a decided advantage far in excess of the cost. 



Plums are grov/n in large quantities in the Niagara district and all of the most 

 successful growers have adopted spraying with arsenites as the standard remedy for 

 the Curculio. 



Wolfville, N.S. — ' I have known the " Little Turk " from boyhood and used to 

 follow him up with mallet and sheet. Then I trained a hen and a flock of chicks to 

 follow and pick up the beetles as they fell. This was far easier and quite as effectual. 

 The chicks used to think it grand fun. Since spraying has become general, the dam- 

 age to the plum crop by Curculio has not been so great.' — R. W. Starr. 



Homer, Ont. — ' With regard to spraying for Plum Curculio, I spray about four 

 days after the blossoms drop. If I leave the plums till they are about the size of 

 beans, and the beetles have begun to cut or sting them, then no amount of poison will 

 save the crop. I find arsenate of lead away ahead of Paris green, because it does not 

 burn the leaves and does not wash off so easily with the rain. Last year I sprayed all 

 my plum orchards with arsenate of lead and really found none of the fruit cut by the 

 first hatching of the curculio.' — F. G. Stewart, 



St. Catharines, Ont. — ' I use 3 ozs. of Paris green and 5 lbs. of lime to a barrel of 

 water for the first spraying. For the second application, 2 ozs. of Paris green and 5 

 lbs. of lime. If the spraying is done carefully the first time, I find it is not necessary 

 to spray twice in some seasons. The spraying should be done as soon as the blossoms 

 drop.' — Alex. Glass. 



St. Catharines, Ont. — ' A thorough spraj-ing with Bordeaux mixture, I have found 

 to be the best remedy for Curculio. Generally speaking, plum trees load very heavily 

 and the loss from Curculio after spraying is a help in thinning out the crop. — E. 

 McArdle. 



St. Catharines, Ont, — 'I have never used any mixture for Curculio but the 

 ordinary 4-4-40 Bordeaux mixture with 4 ozs. of Paris green. During the last 

 five seasons I have not missed one crop of plums, and I attribute this entirely to 

 spraying. I think it absolutely useless to attempt to grow plums in this section with- 

 out spraying, since, even if the fruit escapes the Curculio, the "'Shot-hole" fungus 

 will destroy the foliage so early that the next season's crop is discounted. In fact, 

 I consider spraying more important, if anything, than cultivation to ensure a crop 

 of plums.' — R. F. RoBTXSox. 



The above are a very few quotations from many decided letters on this subject; 

 and, although a few of my correspondents still adhere to the old-fashioned remedy of 

 jarring, spraying is so effective that these are becoming fewer every year. The reme- 

 dies recommended by this Division are: (1.) Spraying the trees with the 4-4-40 

 poisoned Bordeaux mixture very early in the season, directly the fruit is set. This 



