The Cueculio— Successful Experiment with 

 Whitewash.' — I wish to communicate a single 

 fact in relation to the cmculio— that pest of the 

 plum-grower. The ravages of this insect have 

 been the past season more than usually destruc- 

 tive of the smooth stone fruits in this neighbor- 

 hood. We usually escape without suffering much 

 from his depredations. 



Of the plum trees in my garden, all of which 

 are yoimg, three only set fruit the last spring. 

 These three were in June well covered with young 

 fruit. As the fruit attained about half an inch 

 diameter, the presence of tlie curculio was clearly 

 indicated by the falling of tiic fruit, and the pecu- 

 liar crescent puncture upon many plums still on 

 the trees. Two of the three trees stand in an 

 unfrequented part of the garden; the other, near 

 the house by a wall, where it is passed by every 

 half hour, or oftcner, in the day. Having seen 

 the use of whitewash recommended, I procured 

 some for the experiment, and syringed thoroughly 

 one of the trees — fruit, leaves and all — with the 

 whitewash. From this time, it was evident that 

 the enemy had withdrawn from this tree. No 

 further attention was given to any of the trees to 

 prevent the work of the curculio. The result is, 

 that of the two trees standing in the part of the 

 garden least frequented, the one whitewashed 

 matured a heavy crop of beautiful plums; the 

 other lost every plum — not one remaining beyond 

 about the middle of July. The tree near the 

 house matured a fine crop of fruit, though much 

 less than the one syringed. 



This experiment, although by no means war- 

 ranting the conclusion that whitewash will prove 

 an unfailing remedy for the curculio, seems to 

 ofler encouragement sufficient to justify its further 

 use, with the hope that it may enable us to defeat 

 in part, at least, his mischievous efiects. Very 

 truly yours, C. P. Williams. Albany , Septem^ 

 ber'l2th, 1850. 



Barked Teees. — In the Horticulturist for Sep- 

 tember, p. 149, your correspondent, Mr. Law- 

 ton, relates a singular instance of two apple trees 

 being divested of their bark, for at least forty 

 inches up the stems ; the surface thus exposed 

 being hard and dry, yet the trees are loaded with 



fruit of tlie finest size, and the trees of the most 

 healthy appearance. He asks if such cases are 

 frequent, what supports the life of the tree, and 

 bow is nourishment conve3'ed to the branches? 

 The facts stated by Mr. Lawton, are a very 

 striking illustration of the power possessed bj' 

 exogenous trees, of changing their functions, in 

 cases of emergency, and propelling their fluids by 

 dilTerent channels from those in which they natu- 

 rally flow. In ordinary circumstances, the sap of 

 exogens ascends through the alburnum (the new- 

 est laver of wood.) and descends through the li- 

 ber, (or inner coaling of bark,) both of which, in 

 the case alluded to, were entirely destroyed. 

 The sap, therefore, on reaching the denuded por- 

 tion of the stem, must have taken a lateral com- 

 munication through the wood, then assumed it.s 

 longitudinal course until it reached the top of the 

 annulation, when it again diverged from its chan- 

 nel into the alburnum. 



This is nothing more than a case of " ringing " 

 though rather a severe one. When this opera- 

 tion is practiced upon a tree, its eflect is to di- 

 verge the ascending sap into the stratum of wood 

 beneath the annulated part; but when it has 

 passed by, it again returns into its accustomed 

 channel. Whether the quantify of fluid be dimin- 

 ished, bv being thus diverted from its course, I 

 am unable to say, though I have no doubt there is 

 a considerable loss by evaporation from the de- 

 nuded part, which accounts for the check given to 

 branches of trees on which this operation is per- 

 formed. 



A tree can no more bud, blossom, bear fruit 

 and ripen it, during a season without food, than a 

 human being could perform daily labor for the 

 same time without sustenance. Neither plants 

 nor animals have the power of oreaiing that 

 which did not previously exist. They are, there- 

 fore, entirely dependent upon .surrounding supplies, 

 for the matter wherewith to maintain and enlarge 

 their structures. It cannot be supposed that the 

 stored-up sap of the tree could alone produce the 

 summer shoots, the flowers, and the fruit ; for we 

 know that the supply must be e{iual to the quan- 

 tity drawn up the leaves; otherwise the ducts 

 would be emptied, just as a lamp becomes empty 

 by the drawing up of the fluid by the wick^ ex- 



