THE PLUM CURCULIO A FOE TO APPLES. 1 87 



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Prof. Washburn : Do you know whether you would have had 

 plum curculio if you had not sprayed? 



Mr, Merritt: I don't know. 



Prof. Green : I have tried spraying plums and once in a while 

 have been successful, but I have had so much injury done through 

 spraying of our Americana plums that I let somebody else spray 

 their plums, but I am not going to spray mine. I am afraid to 

 spray with Bordeaux mixture unless it is very weak. The way I 

 have kept back the curculio has been done entirely by jarring, and 

 I have been able to hold them in check in good shape by attending to 

 the jarring of the trees when it was time. What I say about spray- 

 ing plum trees has reference to arsenites. My experience is not en- 

 tirely exceptional. Some of the big New York growers have had the 

 same experience. With the apple we have good results, but with the 

 plum I question whether it is a benefit. It may be done success- 

 fully in some seasons, but the conditions vary so much. Some 

 time ago I went with Prof. Taft, of Michigan, all through the 

 peach belt inspecting the orchards. I had a good talk with him 

 on the subject, and his experience was identical with mine in re- 

 gard to the spraying of the plum. 



Mr. Crane : Does it do any good to spray for curculio before 

 the blossom comes out in the bud? 



Prof. Washburn : I should say just before the leaf bud begins 

 to open. I think it may when the tree is in bloom. 



Mr. J. W. Merritt : A man from Michigan recommended that 

 I spray for plum curculio before the bud started at all to bloom- 

 ing. 



Prof. Washburn : I think that must be a mistake. In order to 

 kill the curculio they must eat something, and they will not eat 

 the tough bark or branches, so I cannot see how merely getting the 

 Paris green on the trees would kill them. 



Prof. Green : Was not that more particularly for plum pocket ? 



Mr. Merritt : He said it would kill many insects. 



Mr. Martin Penning: As you know I am kind of a plum man. 

 I had a good crop last year and a tremendous crop this year. I 

 never spray, and I have some varieties that are stung by the cur- 

 culio and some others that are not affected at all. A few years ago 

 I had a preacher come tO' me from Cologne, and he told me his 

 plums had been stung by curculio, and he asked me about mine. 

 I told him I did not see any on mine. He said I did not know 

 what plum curculio was. We had dinner, arid after dinner we 

 went out intO' the orchard and I asked him to show me some cur- 

 culio, but he could not find a single one. I cultivate every week, 

 and after every hard rain I cultivate, and I keep the ground in 

 shape with the weeder. The chickens also have free range of 

 my orchard, and I raise lots of plums. 



The President: I think Mr. Penning is a practical" man in every 

 respect and safe to follow. 



