154 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



falfa regions of the West and that it is likely to prove enormously de- 

 structive to this important crop. 



President Forbes : If there is nothing further on this subject, the 

 next on our program will be by Mr. E. P. Taylor. 



AN EXPERIMENT IN THE CONTROL OF CURCULIO ON 



PEACH 



By ESTES P. Taylor, 2Iountaia Grove. Mo. 



The greatest insect problem confronting the peach growers of the 

 Ozarks is the prevention of injuries from the curculio {Conotrachelus 

 nenuphar Hbst.). From reports this is also the paramount question 

 with peach growers throughout the whole of the Mississippi River 

 Basin, from the northern limits of the peach on into the great peach- 

 growing district of the south. Nor is the middle-west and south alone 

 the territory involved, for many eastern states find losses from this 

 source quite as lleavJ^ Making no exception for bro\Mi-rot, peach- 

 scab or other fungus disease, it may, in Missouri, excepting perhaps 

 in those sections into which the San Jose scale has been introduced, be 

 easily accorded first rank among all spraying problems of the peach 

 grower. 



This condition makes the problem today one of the greatest economic 

 interest to peach growers and its solution in a practical way for the 

 benefit of those interested in peach culture is one of the most pro- 

 ductive fields now open to the economic entomologist. 



The possibility of controlling curculio in apple orchards by means 

 of arsenical sprays cannot now" be doubted. This was shown to be pos- 

 sible in experiments conducted nearly twenty-five years ago in Il- 

 linois by Doctor Forbes, the present chairman of this Association, 

 and at the meeting held at Philadelphia in 1905 further definite ex- 

 periments were reported, showing remarkably successful results in this 

 direction. Although apple growers have also employed with vary- 

 ing success other methods of control, the practical results to be de- 

 rived from arsenical sprays has gained much favor among them within 

 the past few years and there can be no question that spraying is the 

 most important single operation which can be employed to reduce its 

 injuries upon apples. 



Our peach growers have, upon the other hand, entertained serious 

 doubts as to the possibility of destroying the beetles in the peach 

 orchard by means of arsenicals. Although here and there tried, 

 summer spraying of peach cannot be said to be anytliing like a com- 

 mon practice. We must grant at the outset that much of the hesi- 



