28 Nebraska State Horticultural Society. 



on the fruit growers of the state; encourage them to push this thing 

 The hog men and cattle men, etc., have judging courses, and I don t 

 think the horticulturists ought to take a back seat for any one. 



MR. HADKINSON: I say amen to all this. 



THE president: I would like to add a word. Last year at St. 

 Louis, Nebraska exhibitors took more premiums, according to the num 

 ber of exhibitors, than any other state. This fact was due, not only to 

 the perfection of the fruit sent there, but also to the placing of it on 

 the tables. This work was done by Mrs. Hadkinson. It usually takes 

 two or three years of experience before one knows perfect fruit. This 

 fruit judging course would certainly be a good thing. 



The Secretary will now read a paper from Mr. Stephens, on The 

 Plum Curculio. 



THE CURCULIO. 



By E. P. Stephens, Crete. 



Our attention has recently been called to the work of the plum 

 curculio in the apple orchards. While the writer has been familiar with 

 the work of the plum curculio in the plum orchards and the occas- 

 ional harm which they did the cherries and peaches, we have not until 

 this season noticed any narm from this particular insect in the apple 

 orchards. My attention has also this day been called to the work of 

 the apple curculio in the apple orchards. Doubtless we have all of us 

 suffered more or less from the work of this insect for many years, but 

 the insects were not in sufficient numbers to make their presence notice- 

 able. 



Apparently the greater amount of harm done this season in the apple 

 orchards is from the plum curculio. In the neighborhoods under dis- 

 cussion, there was a failure of the plum crop in 1904 and again in 1905, 

 This compelled the plum curculio to seek food in the apple orchards. 

 Since the beetle of the plum curculio commences to deposit eggs in the 

 apple while it is yet less than half an inch in diameter and the punc- 

 ture is slight and might not be noticed, the dropping of a good many 

 apples at this time might easily be attributed to other causes and not 

 charged to the work of this particular insect. To lose 10 per cent of 

 a full crop involves so slight a loss that it would not be noticed. To 

 lose the same number of bushels out of a very light crop might mean 

 the loss of one-third or even one-half of all the fruit in the orchard. 

 In many orchards in Nebraska the latter condition confronts us today, 

 anJ should be promptly met with such instant and persistant work as 

 shall control the ravages of this insect and guard against or lessen 

 future loss. 



