1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



381 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



REMARKS ON THE CURCULIO OR 

 PLUM WEEVIL. 



BY S. P. FOWLER. 



I had thought it unnecessary to add anything 

 more to what has been already published in the 

 Fanner, in regard to the habits of the curculio, 

 but as you have requested some one to reply to 

 the inquiry of one of your correspondents in your 

 paper of June 30th, I Avill endeavor to comply 

 "with your request, and offer some general re- 

 marks upon the plum weevil or curculio. 



The question put by your correspondent is 

 this — "Does the curculio puncture the apple?" 

 In replj"^, I would say, they not only puncture 

 the plum, but the apple, pear, peach cherry, 

 nectarine and apricot. I have also seen some of 

 our native fruits under cultivation marked by 

 the curculio, particularly the June-berry (Amel- 

 anchier Canadensis.) But it seems to prefer the 

 plum to any other fruit in which to lay its eggs. 

 I have also known, in a few instances, the insect 

 to deposit its egg in the tender terminal shoots of 

 the plum tree, the same having been before no- 

 ticed by Kollar, in unfruitful seasons, in his 

 treatise, when speaking of the copper-colored 

 plum weevils of Europe. Doct. Harris, the dis- 

 tinguished entomologist, in view of this fact, has 

 truly and beautifully observed, that "we see the 

 care of the Creator for some of the least of His 

 creatures, which he has wisely provided with va- 

 riable instincts, enabling them to accommodate 

 themselves to the difficulties of the situation in 

 which they may happen to be placed, and thus, 

 even in unfruitful seasons, to provide for a suc- 

 cession of their kind." 



The curculio is sometimes in the habit of de- 

 positing its eggs in those warty excrescences, in- 

 cident to plum trees, which are probably caused 

 by disease in the sap or its vessels. Tliis has led 

 some persons to suppose that the black knots are 

 caused by this insect, which I think is a mistake. 

 This habit of the curculio or plum weevil in not 

 confining its operations to the plum, seems to 

 have been overlooked or not understood by many 

 cultivators when they recommend the use of 

 lime, ashes, snuff or other substances in dusting 

 the plum tree and its fruit. All the effect such 

 a practice would have, would be to drive them 

 from his plum trees to other kinds of fruit trees 

 in the neighborhood. Such a mode of procedure 

 would probably give the timid curculio a fright, 



Ecrhaps a dusty jacket, and cause him to change 

 is quarters, but would by no means lessen his 

 depredations. 



Now 1 would say to the cultivator, your war- 

 fare upon noxious insects should be more san- 

 guinary ; don't spend your time in seeking to 

 drive them away when committing their depreda- 

 tions, but seek some method to destroy them. 

 Jii/l than, kill (hem, should be your constant aim 

 and motto, at every period of their transforma- 

 tions. My method in destroying the curculio 

 has been, to pick up under the trees all the 

 wormy plums as tliey fall, and throw them into 

 a mill-pond. Other means can be used to destroy 

 the larva in tlie fruit, such as steaming them, or 

 putting tliom into a barrel partly filled with water. 

 If this method of gathering up the wormy fruit 

 and destroying the grub be frequently practised, 



during the months of June and July, it will 

 greatly lessen the ravages of the curculio. The 

 nimble fingers of children will aid us here, in ac- 

 complishing this work ; I would say in this con- 

 nection, I use the same means to rid my grounds 

 of that other pest to fruit-growers, the apple- 

 worm. 



The number of cherries punctured by the cur- 

 culio is greater than 1 had supposed. Upon ex- 

 amination to-day, of a May Duke clierry tree, I 

 discovered one maggot in every fifteen of the ripe 

 fruit to be found. Cherries ripening early never 

 fall like other kinds of fruit when punctured, 

 and there is no visible appearance of the worm. 

 And as few persons make two bites to a cherry, 

 and are unconscious of the grub within the fruit, 

 they, the grubs, must have a hard and perilous 

 time of it, and probably but few, if any, escape 

 their fate, and are literally devoured alive, meet- 

 ing an early death, and thus fail to pass through 

 their transformation. 



In regard to the black knots on plum trees, my 

 method for their removal is simply to cut them 

 from tlie branches, when they first appear, and 

 burn or otherwise destroy them ; and should the 

 tree be much affected by these excrescences, I cut 

 it down. I also find some kinds of plum trees 

 are less liable to be affected by this disease than 

 others, and such should be sought for and culti- 

 vated. The Canada plum, (Prunus Americana) 

 is a hardy native, and less liable to the attacks of 

 insects or the black knots, which renders it desi- 

 rable for stocks for budding or engrafting upon. 

 The tree thus becomes a dwarf in its habits, and 

 is the more easily protected from the curculio, 

 and reached when applying the knife to the 

 warts or knots. S. P. Fowler. 



Dancer s-port, July 4, 1855. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MOWING MACHINES. 



Mr. Editor : — As I was passing the fine culti- 

 vated grounds of Gen. S. on Monday afternoon, I 

 heard the clatter of a moxoer, and on examintion 

 found that his men had just commenced cutting 

 his grass, with one of Ketchum's machines, the 

 same that he used last season. It was drawn by 

 a large pair of active, well -trained oxen. The 

 work was completely done ; as perfectly as it 

 could have been with scythes in the best experi- 

 enced hands. The field contained four acres, and 

 the crop averaged alwut one ton to the acre; there 

 were some patches of the field cultivated with other 

 crops, and a few trees on parts of it, consequent- 

 ly the services of two men, with scythes, were 

 needed to clear away at tiie ends, and to pick up 

 the fragments. The work went successfully on, 

 and was completed before night. Tlie men sweat 

 profusely, and so did the cattle. The best way 

 you can fix it, mowing is Iiard work. 



On a field near by, one of Russell's one-horse 

 machines was put in operation the same day. It 

 was new, and operated so little to the satisfaction 

 of the proprietor, that ho made up his mind to 

 return it. Another gentleman, who successfully 

 operated one of Ketchum's machines the last sea- 

 son, put it in motion the same day, — but had not 

 proceeded far before it gave out by breaking two 

 of the cogs in the small wheel, rendering city re- 

 pairs necessary. Thus endeth the first lesson of 



