1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



291 



mainly confined, on account of the ravages of this 

 insect. The cultivation of this fruit may be indefi- 

 nitely extended, and we may make our own dried 

 plums, instead of importing them from France. 



Those who have Mr. Matthews's remedy in kee\y- 

 ing should hurry up their secret, or they will be too 

 late for the fair. — American Jlgriculturist. 



THE CURCULIO. 



The curculio was the corn wee\'il of the Romans, 

 and caused them considerable trouble before it em- 

 igrated to this country. It still does a good deal 

 of mischief, thinking, we suppose, that it has as 

 good a patent, to hve, multiply, and replenish, as 

 any other folks, and it does not hesitate to avail 

 itself of such means as are best adapted to pro- 

 mote the ends it has in view. So it lights on 

 the fair plum, the beautiful cherry, apricot or ap- 

 ple, makes a little crescent shaped incision, and de- 

 posits a delicate, tiny, white egg in it, where it is 

 surrounded by the juices of the tender fruit. Then 

 with some of its peculiar varnish — an exact recipe 

 for which we believe is not to be found in the 

 books — it seals over the wound it has made, so 

 that it is proof against sun, wind and rain. But not 

 knowing what accident may befal this jjarticular 

 egg, like a prudent skipper, who always has "an an- 

 chor to windward," it goes to another, and anoth- 

 er, and so on, ad infinitum, to other plums, and 

 peaches, and apples, in its eagerness to keep the 

 race good, until one-half, sometimes more, of the 

 young fruit has in it the element of its own de- 

 struction. The egg produces a httle white grub, 

 •which feeds its way gradually to the centre of the 

 fruit, destroys its vitality, and it falls to the earth, 

 where the grub is transformed into a winged insect, 

 the perfect curculio, who will be just as eager to 

 lay eggs, and propagate 

 its kind, as its mother 

 was before it. 



Here they are now, in JraQfii|Jk ^ 

 their diiferent stages of wMilifiln« 3 



growth, and one of them 

 in the very act of obeying "^^.ilMMM 2. 

 the all-prevailing instinct 

 of its nature. 



1. Curculio in the perfect or beetle state, as large as life. 



2. Its assumed form, when disturbed, or shaken from the 

 tree. 



3. Larva, or worm, as found in the fallen fruit. 



4. Pupa, or chrysalis form, in which it lies in the ground, 

 and the last stage before the perfect state. 



On the figure of a plum are the crescent-shaped marks as 

 made by the insect. 



Well, they are not made in vain, did not choose 

 their own instincts, and if they destroy what we de- 

 sire to preserve, we must devise some way to pre- 

 vent it, or sufier the loss. To say how to avert it, 

 is the object of this MTiting. 



Various methods are resorted to, which partially 

 prevent the mischief, but are mostly either too ex- 

 pensive or inconvenient. Some have covered very 



fine plum trees entirely with gauze, others smoke 

 the limbs with tobacco smoke, or that of some oth- 

 er drug. We have known the fruit of large trees 

 saved by boring the tree, inserting a plug, and by 

 striking it with a large mallet, jar the insects down 

 upon cloths spread under the tree. But this mode 

 is tedious, as it must be done several times in each 

 day. We have practiced a remedy for several 

 years, and never have failed in it, when it has been 

 faithfully attended to. It is this: as soon as 

 the fruit becomes of the size of a common pea, 

 shake fine ashes, plaster, or lime over it, from some 

 convenient thing. We use a "corn popper," fast- 

 ened on a pole of any desired length, and prefer 

 air-slaked lime to put in it. Sift it upon the fruit 

 twice a week, after a shower, or when it is covered 

 with dew. 



Now, gentlemen, and ladies too, if you will send 

 to the Farmer office one-tenth of the fruit that may 

 be saved by this cheap and simple remedy, we shall 

 be content with our share of the blessings of Po- 

 mona the coming season. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MIXING OF POTATOES. 



Mr. Editor : — Will potatoes mix, or will they 

 not, when different varieties are planted in close 

 proximity, is a question which will find many able 

 supporters on either side. 



What we have seen and proved by actual exper- 

 iment, regardless or not of what we have read or 

 heard, we are very apt to believe, for "seeing is be- 

 Heving," — a belief founded upon the strongest pos- 

 sible terms in our own minds. Actuated by such a 

 belief founded upon practical experiment, do I of- 

 fer a few remarks upon this important subject, hop- 

 ing thereby to erase from the minds of many the 

 erroneous idea they have long entertained, that po- 

 toes never will mix in color or quality, however 

 near difierent varieties may be planted to each 

 other. 



I am not prepared at present to believe that po- 

 tatoes will mix in quality; that a Peach-blow 

 planted in the spring, beside, or even in the hill 

 with a Carter, will in the fall, when dug, prove to 

 have lost its individuality and brought forth good 

 nice Carters, both in quality, size and color. This to 

 me, would be believing what I think never was 

 known or heard of, and would at once set aside 

 that established law of nature, "like produces like." 

 Now I have all due respect to this long estabhshed 

 law, but I am ofttimes led to think it almost con- 

 tains an inconsistency ; perhaps it does not mean 

 that "like will produce like" in color and form, but 

 only in quality ; yet upon this point I am led to 

 doubt, for why should I not, when in the spring I 

 take my different varieties of corn, and plant eight 

 or ten rows of one kind, and the same of another, 

 and so on, until I have my field all planted, and in 

 the harvest, I find two, three, four, or perhaps 

 more different varieties in color, size, and quality, 

 all u]jon one single ear. That this is the case 

 where different varieties are planted in close prox- 

 imity, every practical farmer and intelligent reader 

 of your paper knows. 



