NOTES ON THE CURCULIO. 



pletely harmonised it with the wild scenery of the high hills of Derbj'shire, which rise 

 behind it, and of which it seems a spur, that we will venture to say nine strangers out of 

 ten would walk through it in the full belief that it was a natural rocky pass in the 

 grounds, if they were not asked to wonder at it as a work of art and labor. It was pro- 

 bably more new and raw when Mr. L. obtained his impressions. It is hardly worth while 

 to inquire as to the cui bono of such gardcnmg fancies — for Chatsworth is not a model of 

 rural economy, but of prodigal magnificence of landscape embellishment. Ed. 



NOTES ON THE CURCULIO. 



By J. F, C. H., NEWTON CENTRE, MASS. 



Dear Sir — I notice you invite horticulturists and others to contribute to j^our valuable 

 Journal, even rough notes of experience; accepting your invitation, I will speak of the 

 curculio, that most uncompromising enemy of the plum. 



Last year my plum trees blossomed well, as they have done for some j^ears past, though 

 I have not been able to raise scarcely a single perfect plum during the time; and I deter- 

 mined, if possible, to prevent the ravages of the curculio, at least in part. When the fruit 

 got to be about the size of a pea, I made it a practice to shake two of the trees every 

 morning, having a cloth under the tree, in which to catch the little " Turk;" this I con- 

 tinued to do until the fruit began to turn color, though I caught but few towards the last. 

 The result was gratifying; I had a good crop of fine fruit. With another tree I proceed- 

 ed as follows, though I did not commence until some of the fruit was punctured. I dust- 

 ed the entire tree with air slaked lime, applying it when the dew was on, that it might 

 adhere to the fruit; this I renewed every time it was washed off by rains, until the plums 

 were nearly ripe; those previously punctured dropped off, but I think there were few if any 

 injured after the first application of the lime. There was another circumstance, however, 

 connected with this experiment, which may in part account for the preservation of the 

 plums; hens and chickens run at large under the tree. It stood on high, dry land, the 

 variety was " Prince's Imperial Gage." 



A few words respecting warts on plum and cherry trees, and I am done. 



In your last number, your correspondent, 0. of Owego, says he has made some efforts 

 to discover the insect which causes these unseemly excrescences, but thus far has failed. 

 He further says he has tried to hatch the larvae which is found in them, but they have soon 

 died. Last summer, being in the garden of a neighbor, I noticed that his cherry trees 

 were badly warted; with bus permission I cut off some of these warts, and taking them 

 home, picked out the larva; carefully, and placed them under an inverted tumbler partly 

 filled with earth, where in the course of ten or twelve days, more or less, (I did not note 

 the exact time,) they became — curcalios; soon after having passed through this transfor- 

 mation, they died. Whether the curculio was the cause of the excrescence in which I found 

 it, is more than I can say; I will leave it for others to decide. I would add, in conclu- 

 sion, that though ni)'' plums have nearly all been destroyed in years past, by the curculio, 

 still I have never seen two dozen warts on any or all of my trees. Yours truly, 



J. F. C. H. 



Newton Centre, Mass., May 5, 1851 



