112 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of water. It should be borne in mind that poisonous insecticides 

 cannot be used with safet}' on apple trees after the young fruit has 

 grown so heavy as to turn down, for then the poison, instead of 

 being caught in the calyx end, where the egg is laid, lodges in the 

 cavit}' in the upturned stem end and ma}' remain there to injuri- 

 ously affect consumers. It is probable that Paris green acts as a 

 protection against the codling moth, not only by poisoning the 

 larva when it first begins to feed, but also by causing the parent 

 moths to avoid the trees bearing the poison as an unsuitable place 

 for their offspring. It has been said that where the trees have 

 been showered wiih Paris green the apple maggot has been less 

 abundant, but I think it remains to be proven that this insecticide 

 destroyed the maggot. I regret to say that, as yet, we have no 

 satisfactory remedy for this insect. 



The plum curculio has long been a great annoyance to our fruit 

 growers, and if all who cultivate plums would persistently follow 

 up the old remedy of jarring the trees and destroying the beetles 

 which fall on the white cloth spread beneath, this unanimity of 

 action would reduce their numbers and damage to a minimum ; but 

 where shiftless, thriftless, worthless neighbors allow them to mul- 

 tipl}' without let or hindrance, it is impossible to suggest any very 

 effectual remedy. Undoubtedly it will be of great advantage to 

 allow chickens to run at will under the trees, for they will destroy 

 many of those that fall, but your negligent neighbors will con- 

 tinue to furnish an ample supply of the beetles. Some of our 

 entomologists are very sanguine that Paris green will destroy the 

 curculio if spraj-ed on the plum trees as soon as the petals fall. 

 It is reported that where alternate trees in the same row or orchard 

 have been sprayed, those treated with Paris green were not 

 attacked, while those not so protected were badly infested. If 

 these facts are borne out by further investigations, it will prove to 

 be a discovery of the greatest importance. 



The common squash bug has proved very troublesome in various 

 parts of the State. This insect does not consume the surface of 

 the leaf, but forces its tubular mouth-parts down through the 

 epidermis and draws its food from the inside of the leaf, and is 

 not affected by poisons on the surface. It is necessarv, therefore, 

 to use some substance that will affect it otherwise than through 

 the digestive system, and for this purpose pyrethrum has been 

 found to work admirably. This substance ma\' be used as a 



