290 Forty-fourth Report on the State Museum 



in the tree; repelling by burning gas-tar; spraying with coal-tar 

 water; spraying with whale-oil soap solution; inclosing pigs and 

 poultry in the orchard to feed upon the fallen infested fruit; 

 planting the trees over ponds or water-courses; paving or flagging 

 beneath the trees, and poisoning the beetles with arsenic. 



Of the above, while some of them would undoubtedly serve as pal- 

 liatives of attack, only two are now regarded as reliable for the 

 protection of an exposed crop: these are, jarring the insects from 

 the trees, and spraying with an arsenical mixture. 



Arsenical Spraying. 



The last named method has but recently been brought into notice, 

 but the success that has attended the experiments made, has shown 

 conclusively that when properly done, a good crop of plums may be 

 insured (so far as it may depend upon exemption from curculio 

 injury) at a moderate cost and with comparatively little labor. The 

 value of this method is based largely upon the fact which has been 

 lately discovered, that the beetle feeds to a considerable extent on 

 the foliage of the plum tree as well as on the fruit, and is therefore 

 exposed to the poison of which it partakes with its food. 



A spraying " properly done," implies a knowledge of, and attention 

 to, a suitable apparatus, the strength of the arsenical mixture, its 

 uniform strength while being distributed, and the time or times that 

 will give the best results. The comparative merits of Paris green 

 and London purple are also to be considered. 



All of these points are referred to in a communication made by me 

 to the Country Gentleman of April 24th, in reply to an inquiry of the 

 best time for spraying the different fruit trees (including the apricot) 

 and the strength of the "London purple" mixture required for pro- 

 tection from curculio attack; it is essentially given below: 



When to Spray. 



" The spraying should be done just as soon as the blossoms fall. 

 Although it would be effective (and therefore desirable) earlier than 

 this, or upon the first appearance of the curculio abroad and its 

 feeding on the young leaves, there is a strong opposition to the appli- 

 cation of arsenical poisons to fruit blossoms, for fear of its killing the 

 honey bees that visit them." 



It is by no means certain, however, that bees would be poisoned by 

 this means. I do not know of any positive evidence that they have 

 thus been killed, and I question the general statements made of its 

 having occurred. In consideration of the importance of early spray- 

 ing — in advance, and during the time, of blossoming — for several of 

 our insect pests, it would be well, before we continue to put this limi- 



