PLUMS : THEIR CULTIVATION AND VARIETIES. 105 



intelligence. He put some in vials with water and they were very 

 lively the next morning. This beetle is well shielded and well cal- 

 culated to make its way in the world. Fighting it every morning 

 for six weeks is very laborious. Nectarines are attacked by it 

 and all plums except little wild ones. He had noticed that some 

 varieties of pears are attacked by the curculio more than others. 

 Spraying the trees has been successful, and the ravages of this 

 pest have been much diminished by the use of arsenical prepara- 

 tions. 



Mr. Wood said that arsenic had been more extensively used in 

 the West, especially in Michigan, than here, and some claim that it 

 is effectual. Professor Fernald, who lectured before the Society 

 last year on injurious insects, believed in it for the codling moth, 

 but not for the curculio, as after the egg of the latter is inserted in 

 the fruit the aperture is closed by the growth of the fruit, so that 

 the egg is be^'ond the reach of the poison. 



Mr. Hyde said that plums of the Wild Goose class (varieties of 

 Prunus Chicasa) seem to resist the curculio. Those who can be 

 content with moderately good plums may plant these and be almost 

 sure of a crop. He has a tree of the Newman, one of these 

 varieties, which gives him two bushels or more of fruit. More- 

 over the}' scarcely wart at all. 



William H, Hunt said that he has plum trees in his hen yard 

 and the hens keep down the curculio. It is a sufficient remedy if 

 there are hens enough. The only enemy is the black knot, which 

 it will be impossible to exterminate so long as there are hundreds 

 of acres of pastures filled with choke-cherries. He allowed his 

 plums to get too ripe at first to send to market. 



Mr. Bates said that he had seen a variety of the plum called 

 Illinois, in which the fruit swelled into a fungus. They have 

 almost invariabl}^ done so. 



Robert Manning said that he had seen this abnormal growth ; 

 what should be the fruit becomes a membraneous sac. It was 

 described in Hovey's Magazine for 1838, page 247, by Dr. T. W. 

 Harris, who attributed it to a little thrips — a minute insect. 



Mr. Manning went on to speak of his experience in raising 

 plums, of which he had many years ago a large collection. The 

 black wart was the only trouble, and until this came in like a 

 flood he kept it under pretty well. But cutting this off as soon as 

 it appears means pruning in the growing season, and half the top 



