1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



307 



For the New England FarmeT. 



THE CURCULIO. 



Mr. Brown ; — As the seasoa is fast approach- 

 ing in which this insect commences its depreda- 

 tions npon the plum, I wish to call the attention 

 of those who have had more experience in plum- 

 raising than myself, that if possible some remedy 

 may be devised to destroy this noxious insect, or 

 prevent its attacks upon this wholesome fruit. I 

 would like to inquire at what time, and how, they 

 propagate their species? The egg or larva; that 

 is deposited in the fruit, falls to the ground in 

 the premature decay of the plum ; and the chang- 

 es W'hich tiike place from this time until it comes 

 forth a perfect insect, ready again to destroy the 

 choice fruits of our labor, are unknown to me. 

 If it lies during this time in the ground beneath 

 the tree, why can it not be destroyed by placing 

 stone lime under the trees, and slaking it there, 

 or by the application of ashes, salt, or some oth- 

 er substance that is destructive to animal life ? 

 I am not satisfied as to the amount of territory 

 which they traverse, whether they roam about 

 like other winged insects from tree to tree which 

 are at a distance from each other, or whether 

 they remain abovxt the tree on which they are 

 first found. I have several trees which have been 

 growing for years, on which I have never found a 

 ripe plum ; they blossom and set well, but not 

 one tree escapes the bite of the deadly enemy, 

 while many of my neighbors, near by, have an 

 abundance of fruit. If all w^ho have trees on 

 which they hope to raise this fruit, will try ex- 

 periments, and devise some means of preventing 

 its destruction, and those who have tried and 

 been successful, will make their remedies known 

 through your valuable paper, they will confer a 

 favor on many lovers of good fruit. Carlos. 



Middkbury, Vt., Mayl, 1855. 



Remarks. — The plum-weevil, or curculio, as it 

 is ofcen called, is fully described by Dr. Harris, in 

 his excellent work on "Insects Injurious to Vege- 

 tation." He says "they begin to sting the plums 

 as soon as the fruit is set, and continue 

 their operations to the middle of July, or as 

 some say, till the first of August. In doing this, 

 the beetle makes a small crescent-shaped incision 

 with its snout, in the skin of the plum, and 

 then, turning round, inserts an egg in the 

 wound. From one plum it goes to another, until 

 its store of eggs is exhausted ; so that, where 

 these beetles abound, not a plum will escape be 

 ing stung. Very rarely is there more than one 

 incision made in the same fruit ; and the weevil 

 lays only a single egg therein. The insect hatched 

 from tliis egg is a little, whitisli grub, destitute 

 of feet, aad very much like a maggot in appear 

 ance, except that it has a distinct, rounded 

 light brown head. It immediately burrows ob- 

 liquely into the fruit, and finally penetrates to 

 the stone. The irritation, arising from the 

 wounds, and from tlic gnawing of the grubs, 

 causes the young fruit to become gummy, dis- 

 eased, and finally to drop before it is ripe. Mean- 



while, the grub comes to its growth, and imme- 

 diately after the falling of the fruit, quits the 

 latter and burrows in the ground. This may 

 occur at various times between the middle of 

 June and of August ; and in about three weeks 

 afterwards, the insect completes its transforma- 

 tion and comes out of the ground in the beetle 

 form." 



The fruit may be preserved by dusting it with 

 lime, ashes or plaster, twice a week, when the 

 fruit is wet, beginning as soon as it is as large as 

 a pea. We cannot account for the fact that your 

 neighbor's fruit is not attacked. 



For the Tfew Eni^land Farmer. 



MIXING DIFFEIiENT VARIETIES OF 

 CORN, AND CUTTING THE STALKS. 



Observations of an octogenarian on the mix- 

 ing of different varieties of corn, and on the prac- 

 tice of cutting the stalks of corn. 



The fact has never been doubted that the pro- 

 duce of different sorts of corn which are planted 

 side by side, will be mixed. But how this re- 

 sult is caused seems not to be generally under- 

 stood. 



The common opinion has been and still is, 

 that it is caused by the falling of the pollen from 

 the top stalk on to the end of the ear. My o)> 

 servation teaches me otherwise. There is to 

 every kernel a silk which is tuberous, and when 

 fully grown the end of it, beyond the top of the 

 ear, falls down, so that the pollen could- have no 

 effect ujwn it. 



If you go into a field of corn, on a calm day, 

 you will see, by means of a good glass, vapors, 

 like the thread of a spider's web, pointing from 

 the top stalk to the end of the ear. I have seen 

 this without a glass when the vapors were so abun- 

 dant as to effect the light over the field, making 

 it less clear than it is at a distance. It is in this 

 way, I believe, by a law of attraction, that the 

 effect is produced. I have seen one man who 

 had made the same observation, but had not 

 thought of its application. 



Now a little, if you please, about cutting the 

 top stalks of corn. 



By some this is never practiced, because they 

 believe the corn is benefited by having the stalks 

 remain till it is ripe. Let us see. Every car of 

 corn comes out of a joint, and for the corn to be 

 benefited by the stalk, the sap in the stalk must 

 descend to the joint and ascend to the ear, which 

 I think no observer of the circulation of sap in 

 vegetables will admit to be the case. After years 

 of careful observation, I am convinced that the 

 stalk docs no good to the corn after the top of it 

 is dry. But if the top stalks are then removed, 

 the sun will ))e let in upon the ears and the corn 

 will ripen much fixstcr. Booh Farmers, I sup- 

 pose, think otherwise, and recommend cutting up 

 the corn entirely, or suffering the whole to re- 

 main till perfectly ripe. 



Wcsiljoro\ Dec. 11, 1855. 



Pickled Peaches. — Take a gallon of good vin- 

 egar, add a few pounds of sugar, lioil it for a few 

 moments, and remove any scum that may rise ; 



