THE PLUM CURCULIO. 



and under the apex of which is a tin can 

 into which the insects roll. One of 

 these hopper machines is seen in Fig. 

 1 146. There is a slit or opening in one 

 side of the hopper which allows the 

 tree to stand nearly in the middle of 

 the canvas. I'he operator then gives the 

 tree two or three sharp jars with a pad- 

 ded pole or mallet. The edges of the 

 hopper are quickly shaken with the 

 hands and the insects roll down into the 

 tin receptacle. In this receptacle there 

 is kerosene oil, or it may be emptied from 

 time to time Just how long this machine 

 is to be run in the orchard will depend 

 entirely upon circumstances. It is ad- 

 visable to use the catcher soon after the 

 blossoms fall for the purpose of finding 

 out how abundant the insects are. If 

 a few insects are caught upon each 

 tree, there is indication that there are 

 enough of the pests to make serious 

 trouble. If after a few days the insects 

 seem to have disappeared, it will not 

 be necessary to continue the hunt. In 

 some years, especially in those succeed- 



ing a very heavy crop, it may be neces- 

 sary to run the curculiocatcher every 

 morning for four or five weeks ; but, as 

 a rule, it will not be necessary to use it 

 oftener than two or three times a week 

 during that season ; and sometimes the 

 season may be shortened one-half The 

 insects fall most readily when the weath- 

 er is. cool and it is therefore, best to get 

 through the whole orchard, if possible, 

 before noon. Upon cloudy days, how- 

 ever, the insects may be caught all 

 day. Although this may seem to be a 

 laborious and expensive operation, it 

 really is not so. A smart man can at- 

 tend to 300 or 4.00 full bearing trees in 

 six hours, if the ground has been well 

 rolled or firmed as it should be before 

 the bugging operation begins. But 

 whether the operation is troublesome or 

 not, it is the price of plums and the 

 grower must not expect to long succeed 

 without it. The same treatment is es- 

 sential to the saving of peaches and 

 rarely, of sour cherries. — Cornell Bul- 

 letin 1^1. 



BRITISH LOCAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



N \Volverhampton apples appear to 

 be sold by the pot, and a pot weighs 

 ._[ 75 pounds, but in Warwickshire, 

 which is not very far away, a pot 

 only weighs 40 pounds, though in the 

 latter case it would appear that only 

 peas and beans are measured by this 

 standard. The curious may wonder if 

 a pot of apples weighs 75 pounds in 

 Wolverhampton, what might be the 

 measure of a pot of pears in Gloucester- 

 shire. In Cornwall, a bushel of corn 

 equals 240 pounds, whereas in .Sunder- 

 land, a bushel only weighs 46 pounds, 

 and in Hereford, 63 pounds. Why, 

 again is a stone of live meat equal to 

 14 pounds and a stone of dead meat to 

 8 pounds ? Strawberries are sold by the 

 "punnet" in Greenock, while fruit in 

 l'"orfar is sold by the Scotch pint. The 



Scotch pint, by the way, generally eijuals 

 three of the Imperial pints, but in Dum- 

 freisshire a Scotch pint equals four Im- 

 perial pints. Vegetables in Northamp- 

 tonshire are sold by the " mollies,'' 

 which vary from 12 to 40 pounds. In 

 Cambridgeborrough it is by the yard 

 that butter is sold. One would think 

 that the same measure should be used 

 in measuring wheat, barley and oats, but 

 in Buteshire a boll of wheat equals 240 

 pounds, and a boll of barley equals 320 

 pounds, while a boll of oats in Argyle- 

 shire equals six bushels. In Flintshire 

 a " hobbet " of old potatoes weighs 200 

 pounds, and a " hobl)et " of new pota- 

 toes 210 A peck of potatoes in Glouce- 

 ster equals 14 pounds, a peck of pota- 

 toes heaped in Gloucester equals 16 

 pounds. — Manufaitunr. 



^5S 



