25: 
A conservative estimate would place the annual damage to peaches 
and plums done by the curculio in Georgia at 25 per cent of the entire 
crop. Aside from the work of the larve in the fruit, the adult beetles 
are active agents in disseminating the brown-rot fungus, as evidenced 
by our observations during the past season. In a number of orchards 
that were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture it was observed that brown 
rot developed almost exclusively on fruit that had been punctured or 
eaten into by the curculio, and the point of brown-rot attack was 
usually at wounds made by the beetles. It is evident, then, that this 
insect is responsible for considerable brown-rot damage either by actu- 
ally conveying the spores or by merely breaking the skin of the fruit 
for their admission. 
THE JARRING METHOD IN THE HALE ORCHARD. 
Perhaps the most extensive work against the cureulio that has ever 
been undertaken in the history of peach and plum culture was con- 
ducted by the Hale Georgia Orchard Company, at Fort Valley, Ga., 
during the past season. About 200,000 bearing peach trees and 50,000 
bearing plum trees were jarred several times between April 18 and 
June 1. The entire orchard was gone over about six times, while 
some blocks of trees, particularly those adjacent to woods and other 
eurculio-harboring places, received the jarring every day (except 
Sundays) between the dates named. The operations were carried on 
by 11 gangs of 5 hands each. Each gang was supplied with an outfit 
consisting of two sheets stretched on the underside of light wooden 
frames, 6 by 12 feet in dimensions, a pole 8 feet long padded with rub- 
ber on one end which served as a ‘“‘ bumper,” and a supply of baking- 
powder cans in which to confine the insects captured. Each pair of 
sheets was carried by 4 women or children, accompanied by a man, 
who, by forcibly striking the trunk of the tree, effected the jarring. 
The several gangs moved through the blocks of trees together, each 
taking a row, as shown in the accompanying illustrations. About 
every half hour the sheets were placed on the ground, and all hands 
engaged in picking off cureulio and other insects that looked sus- 
picious. In most cases the lady-bird beetles were allowed to eseape. 
The jarring was done from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m. and from 2 p. m. until 
dark. The best results, however, were obtained from the early morn- 
ing work. With the 11 pairs of sheets about 40,000 trees were thus 
gone over in a day. (See Plates I and II.) 
COST. 
It required 60 hands (men, women, and children) to operate the 11 
pairs of sheets, and the cost for labor amounted to $25 per day. These 
gangs of curculio catchers were employed for 37 days, making the 
total cost for labor $925. Mr. Hale estimated the cost for keeping the 
outfits in repair at $75, making the total cost for the work of the season 
$1,000. 
