Cooperative Spraying Experiments. 165 



plum curculio. I therefore stated the facts to several leading New York 

 growers of these fruits and asked for their opinion of its practicability and 

 its merits for their orchards. 



Mr. C. K. Scoon, Geneva, replied that " it has been our custom to cultivate the 

 plum and peach orchards during the dates mentioned (July 10 to Aug. 10), but the 

 cherries are not cultivated after the last of June." 



Mr. S. D. Willard, Geneva, stated that " it is possible the treatment may be a 

 grand good thing, but it does not seem to me it would be a practical thing for us, 

 for the reason that during the period you name we are very busily engaged in 

 caring for our cherries and early plums, and it often requires all the help we have 

 to handle them. There is one other feature that might be worthy of consideration, 

 and that is whether it is wise to stir the soil and induce growth on the trees at this 

 late date." 



Mr. George T. Powell, Ghent, says that " as the plum is very greatly benefited 

 by late culture, it is entirely practical to keep up the cultivation even up to the 

 middle of July, after which the ground may be given a cover crop. I have been 

 cultivating peaches and plums much later during the past few years, and find that 

 we have had less trouble from the curculio. This late cultivation may be the ex- 

 planation. With cherry trees, after they have gotten into full bearing, we are not 

 continuing cultivation. We find they do not stand continued culture as well as 

 other trees." 



Thus the opinion seems to be that it is unwise to cultivate cherry 

 orchards in New York late enough (July loth to Aug. loth) to reach 

 the curculio in its tender grub and pupse stages near the surface of the 

 soil. But the evidence is not entirely against such late cultivation for 

 plums and peaches. Theoretically, from what is known of the habits 

 and vulnerability of the insect in the soil, this method of late and thorough 

 superficial cultivation should prove very effective in controlling the plum 

 curculio. It is unfortunate that New York cherry growers find it inad- 

 visable to use the method in their orchards, but I hope our plum and peach 

 growers can apply it. It is surely worthy of serious consideration, and I 

 hope some one will give it a thorough trial in New York. 



Spraying for the Quince Curculio 



The quince curculio (Conotrachclits cratcrgi) was discussed in detail 

 in Cornell Bulletin No. 148, issued in May, 1898. As was stated therein, 

 " theoretically the chances for poisoning the quince curcidio are small." 

 And it was then the universal testimony of quince growers who had 

 thoroughly tested the poison sprays then in use (Paris green and London 

 purple) that they could see little or no benefit from spraying for this 

 pest. The insect differs considerably from its near relative, the plum 

 curculio, in habits and life-history. 



