PLUMS. 91 



QUESTION. 



• 'What is the best method of cultivating plums, and how can 

 the enemies of plums be successfully fought'?'" 



Mr. Harris: The experience of Mr. Ludlow is that plowing 

 between the rows and running the cultivator quite freely is al- 

 most necessary if you expect to get a crop. If you let blue- 

 grass or any other grass grow around the tree, good bye to 

 your tree as a fruit producer. The worst enemy is the ' -little 

 Turk." The best practice is to knock the little fellow down on 

 a sheet and destroy him. The next best way is to spray the 

 trees, just as soon as the blossoms have fallen, with paris green 

 every week. I have been unfortunate in spraying; I got it too 

 strong and nearly killed the trees; but they do claim that about 

 one pound of paris green to 300 gallons of water, keeping it 

 stirred and adding a little lime, is a sure remedy. The jarring 

 I know is all right, and if we would follow it up we could soon 

 get the little fellow where we could handle him. 



Mr. Dartt: How many insects would you expect to find on a 

 tree? 



Mr. Harris: You might find a dozen to fifteen, but if you 

 found but two or three you would find they could leave a good 

 many marks on the fruit. 



President Underwood: Is there any further question in re- 

 gard to the enemies of plums? 



Mr, Dartt: I would like to ask Mr. Harris if this -'Turk" is 

 the same insect that infests the apple'? 



Mr. Harris: Sometimes I thought he was, and sometimes I 

 thought he wasn't. Sometimes you find him on plum trees 

 -and his bill hangs down that way (illustrating), and on an apple 

 tree he sticks out so. If you magnify them you will find that 

 the one on the apple is not as big as the one on the plum. I 

 think entomologists recognize them as two distinct insects. 



