164 



NEW REMEDY FOR THE CURCULIO. 



I think I advanced in a communication to 

 the Prairie Farmer some two years since, 

 and therefore I of course coincide with 

 Prof. Turner in that point ; but beyond 

 that, I would, to produce permanent healthy 

 cherry trees, have them worked (if low 

 down,) upon small seedling stocks, planted 

 in ground that will not cause a growth the 

 first year from bud of over four feet ; or, 

 rather, I should prefer the bud or graft in- 

 serted just below the point at which the 

 head is intended to be formed, as in that 

 case a less amount of the tree is removed 

 when cutting back to the bud, a less in- 

 jury is caused to the stock, and less growth 

 of that season the result. Trees so grown 

 during the first two years from the bud, I 

 think, may then be transplanted to any soil, 

 and be no more liable to " bark bursting" 

 than the pear or peach. 



With those trees already planted that 

 are subject to being affected with " burst- 

 ing bark," I find no difficulty in healing 

 diseased points, by simply cutting away all 

 dead matter, washing the wound with 



strong soap-suds, and wrapping it up in 

 fresh cow droppings. Very respectfully, 



F. R. E. 



Cleveland, Ohio, August, 1849. 



[As nothing is easier than the culture of 

 all the finest cherries on the Hudson, and 

 throughout most of the middle states, we 

 know but little from our own observation of 

 the difficulties which are largely experi- 

 enced in the western states, and therefore 

 welcome these intelligent discussions to 

 our pages. The excessive luxuriance of 

 growth, caused by the fertility of many 

 western soils, is undoubtedly the cause of 

 many obstacles in the way of the fruit- 

 grower, which must be met by a resort to 

 various counteracting expedients on his 

 part. But even here, bark-bound trees are 

 occasionally seen. Our own remedy here, 

 is scraping the trunks, and washing them 

 repeatedly with soap-suds ; but we have 

 also seen bark-bound trees restored to a 

 sound normal state by the old and long 

 practiced expedient of slitting the bark. Ed.] 



NSW REMEDY FOR THE CURCULIO. 



BY GEO. GABRIEL, NEW-HAVEN. 



Dear Sir — The curculio or plum weevil is 

 a troublesome insect to those who attempt 

 to raise plums on a light soil, like ours at 

 New-Haven. Various methods have been 

 recommended and tried for its destruction ; 

 many of which, to my certain knowledge, 

 have proved ineffectual. I have also tried 

 experiments not " recommended in the 

 books ;" and, I flatter myself, not without 

 success. In short, I think I have discovered 

 an effectual preventive against the attacks 

 of this mischievous insect. 



Our light soil and locality appear to be 

 well adapted to the plum, and every season 

 opens with a fine prospect of an abundant 

 crop, which is as often cut off by the rava- 

 ges of this pernicious insect. 



The remedy which has proved effectual 

 with me, and which I wish to communicate, 

 is this : I remove the surface of the earth 

 around the tree about four feet diameter, 

 and from two to three inches deep, and 

 spread from three to four quarts of guano. 

 Replace the earth, and upon the top of this 



