PROCEEDINGS. 123 



grower of smooth-skinned fruits in your vicinage, and that the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society was anxious to elicit any iuforuiation lending to inspire a hope that it is in the 

 power of art or science to apply a remedy capable of averting so great a public calamity 

 as that which a fruit-relishing community sustains by the repeated yearly losses of its 

 apricots, plums and other smooth-skinned fruits. On that occasion, I hinted to you the 

 result of an experiment with lime, tried upon the plum crop of 1848, and signified a 

 determination at the same time to repeat the experiment before expressing an opinion as to 

 the elHcacy of lime, used as a protection to glabrous fruits, which are usually preyed 

 upon by the Curculio. Having then promised to communicate the result, I now proceed 

 to redeem my pledge. 



The severe frost of the 16th of April last destroyed almost entirely the fruit crop of the 

 West, in all locations where the fruit trees had bloomed as early as the first of April or 

 sooner. This occurrence narrowed the limits of the field of experiment for the current 

 year, until its whole area is of very inconsiderable extent — a few individual fruits, only, 

 outliving the storm of the 15th and 16lh of April. 



I have thought, however, on the other hand, that a shield, capable of protecting and 

 saving harmless throughout the whole season of danger, a few individual fruits, enfeebled 

 by the severity of the April freeze, and surrounded by a host of enemies more than equal 

 to the destruction of the whole crop had it survived the April disaster, could scarcely have 

 won for itself higher claims to our confidence, by protecting a full crop under ordinary 

 circumstances. The experiment of the current year, therefore, has tended to confirm my 

 belief in the proposition that common carbonate of lime, (which is a very cheap and 

 accessible article, and of easy application,) applied before smooth-skinned, or short-napped, 

 fruits have received the sting of the curculio, and continued until the tender stages of their 

 growth have passed away — say four weeks — is a more efficacious remedy against the 

 attack of the Curculio than any nostrum now in general use, and, considering its cheapness 

 and easy applicability, is deserving of further trial. 



That others might be enabled to judge of the soundness of those conclusions at which I 

 have arrived in this communication, a detail of my experiments is appended ; and as that 

 of 1849 was conducted carefully with a view to throw light upon two not unimportant 

 questions connected with this subject, viz. : — 1st. When should the treatment commence '\ 

 2d. How long should it be continued ? — I have thought it most instructive to copy what is 

 relevant from my Diary. 



With feelings of the sincerest good will towards yourself and that distinguished body of 

 cultivators and amateurs over whom you have the honor to preside, I remain your obedient 

 servant, L. YOUNG. 



Details of Experiments with Lime^ in the Culture of smooth-coated Fruits, during the years 



1848 and 1849. 

 I have cultivated the plum since 1828, and in twenty years had two perfect crops ; one, 

 a first crop after making a stone pavement around some trees ; for success in the other 

 instance I could never account, unless no crop of the kind had ever preceded it in that spot 

 to invite the Curculio thither. Certain it is the same tree failed ever after. In the spring 

 of 1848, a very abundant crop of handsome young fruits had passed the season of danger 

 from frosts, and I determined to make several different efforts to realize a prospect so 

 promising. Having the authority of that excellent periodical, the Horticulturist, for fresh 

 stable manure, I treated the best of the trees and nearly my whole collection in that way — 

 the manure being re-applied as often as it ceased to emit the offensive odor. One tree of 

 Cooper's large was fixed upon for the experiment with lime, and fearing a free use of it 

 might hazard the life of the tree as well as the fruit, I made choice of one partially blown 



