REMEDIAL MEASURES: HISTORICAL. 159 
All the terebinthinate substances, with camphor and some others, are said to be 
very offensive to insects generally. Upon this principle, General T. Robinson, of 
Naaman’s Creek, suspends annually little bits of board, about the size of a case knife, 
dipped in tar, on each of his plum trees * * *. From three to five of these strips 
are deemed enough, according to the size of the tree. The General commences his 
operations about the time or sooner after the trees are in full bloom, and renews the 
application of the tar frequently, while the fruit hangs on the tree. To this expedient, 
he attributes his never failing success. Other gentlemen allege, that common turpen- 
tine would be still better; being equally pungent and more permanent in its effects. 
Some have sown offensive articles, such as buckwheat, celery, etc., at the root of the 
tree, and have thought that great advantage followed. 
Ablaqueation, or digging round the trees, and making bare their roots in winter is 
an old expedient of gardeners for killing insects, and may answer well enough for a 
solitary tree, a year or two; but the curculio will soon recover from a disturbance of 
this sort, and stock the tree again. 
There is no surer protection against the curculio than a pavement. This, however, 
is only applicable to a few trees. It may serve in town; but will not answer in the 
country * * *. (Flat stones, however, may be placed around the tree, and where 
lime is at hand, they may be cemented.) 
Many other expedients, such as smoking, brushing, watering, etc., may be suc- 
cessfully employed, for the protection of a favourite tree or two; but it is manifest 
from the preceding history, that a right disposition of stock, especially hogs, among 
the fruit trees, can only be relied on by a farmer, with orchards of considerable exter~. 
And that the stock, poultry, etc., may perform the task assigned them, it is evident, 
that a proper disposition of fruit trees is essentially necessary. 
As the smooth stone fruits are the grand nurseries of the curculio, special care 
should be taken to have these effectually protected. Unless this can be done, a 
farmer should not suffer them to grow on his plantation. He will derive no benefit 
from them; and they will furnish a destructive vermin that will ruin his other fruits. 
Cherry trees, nectarines, plums, apricots, etc., should therefore be planted in lanes 
and hard beaten yards (or paved yards), the common highways of all the stock of 
the farm, and not beyond the range of the ordinary domestic fowls. Orchards of apple 
trees, pear trees, peach trees, etc., should be in one enclosure. The pear trees and 
peach trees may occupy corners of the whole design, so as occasionally to be fenced 
off. In large orchards, care should be taken that the stock of hogs is sufficient to eat 
up all the early fruit which fall from May until August. This precaution will be more 
especially necessary in large peach orchards: for, otherwise, when the hogs become 
cloyed with the pulp of the peach, they will let it fall out of their mouths and content 
themselves with the kernel, which they like better; and thus the curculio escaping 
from their jaws may hide under ground, until next spring. Solitary trees of one 
fruit or another, remote from the orchard, should be regarded as nurseries of the 
curculio, and ought to be cut down or removed to the common enclosure. A young 
orchard should not be planted in the place of, or adjacent to an old one; that it may 
not be immediately infested with the curculio. 
It is also apparent, from what has been said, that great advantages might result from 
an association or combination of whole neighbourhoods against this common enemy. 
Although an intelligent farmer may accomplish much, by due attention, within his 
own territory, the total extermination of the curculio can hardly be expected, but by 
the concurrent efforts of whole districts. 
(On this subject it may be added, that a gardener near Baltimore, who has been 
successful in raising plums, finds that the insect does most mischief in the night; 
and hence he shakes the tree every evening, and catches the insect in a sheet around 
it. He always burns them instantly. Wrapping each plum in a muslin bag, or in 
thin paper perforated with a pin, is a certain, though troublesome, mode of guarding 
against the attacks of these insects.) 
