NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



FoT the New England Farmer. 



THE CURCULIO. 



Mr. Editor : — Having read some very able com- 

 munications that have appeared in your paper of 

 late, from ditfnrent writers, concerning the habits 

 and ravages of the curculio, and feeling no small 

 interest in the subject myself, I thought I would 

 contribute my mite, by writing a few lines, and of- 

 fering suggestions, which may perhaps tend to ex- 

 tirpate what I consider the greatest pest the or- 

 chardist has to contend with. Now in the first place, 

 I mut^l confess that I do not know a curculio from 

 any other insect, by any personal knowledge of my 

 own, but from what I have read, and seen repre- 

 sented in your paper, there is evidence enough to 

 convince me that it is the principal of the mischief- 

 makers that so often blast the fondest anticipa- 

 tions of the fruit-grower. 



In a number of the Farmer a few months since, 

 I noticed an article headed "No apples this year," 

 in which the writer expressed the opinion, that on 

 account of the depredations of the curculio, we were 

 to be deprived of the luxury of apples as in 1856. 

 1 had some fears from the same cause, myself, of the 

 loss of the apple crop ; but from present appear- 

 ances there will be nearly an average crop in some 

 places, but not to any great amount. I have an 

 orchard of nearly one hundred young trees, set in 

 1845, some of which will measure ten inches in di- 

 ameter; in 1855,1 gathered from them twenty- 

 five barrels of first quality. Last year they blos- 

 somed well, but after the fruit formed, they were 

 bitten by insects, and consequently the most of 

 them fell off. I thought I should have a crop this 

 year, as they came out in full bloom, but when the 

 applet were small, I saw the unmistakable "cres- 

 ent sign" on them, from one to a dozen ; showing 

 conclusively, that this notorious individual of the 

 insect species means to make his mark in the 

 world ; on account of which I do not think I shall 

 have five bushels on the whole of my trees. 



Well, Mr. Editor, perhaps by this time, those of 

 your readers who feel interested, would like to know 

 when I am going to tell them how to get rid of this 

 enemy to fruit culture. Well, I will presently ; and 

 I think it will be a good remedy if managed right. 

 A short time since, I happened at one of my neigh- 

 bors, and one subject of conversation was, the pros- 

 pects of the fruit crop. He invited me into his 

 orchard to see his apples, and I thought it worth 

 any one's time to go some distance to see ; I used 

 in my boyhood days, in my perambulations after 

 berries, to come across some spots, when I would 

 use the appellation "thick as hops;" but anything 

 that I ever saw in that line was nothing compared 

 to those apples. I remarked to the owner, that 

 they were unusually fair and smooth, and why he 

 was so fortunate. He wished to know what I 

 thought it was, and I told him it was on account of 

 his hens and chickens eating the grubs and insects. 

 Said he, "I don't know but it is, for they are in here 

 all the time." Now I think it reasonable to sup- 

 pose that this man's fruit was preserved, by his 

 fowls running around among his trees, devouring 

 the worms and insects, that usually prey upon them. 

 I have noticed the same thing before, when tur- 

 keys were kept there ; their living and roosting 

 among the trees, doubtless being the means of sav- 

 ing the apples ; the owner realizing $4,50 per bar- 

 rel. I would advise every one who can convenient- 



ly, to keep fowls in their orchards. It may V>e that 

 I am over sanguine in this matter ; l)ut I think it 

 will be eventually found to be the safest course to 

 be pursued, by all lovers of good fruit. 



Your correspondent "Inquirer," in the Farmer of 

 August 22, says that he has tried every known rem- 

 edy to save his plums, but has thus far failed of 

 success. Any one who wishes for the luxury of eat- 

 ing plums, might as well pay ten cents apiece for 

 them, as to try to save them by the ways common- 

 ly practised. If "Inquirer" will try my plan, I 

 think I could warrant him his plums safe and sound. 

 Will he or any one else write what they think of 

 it ? J. Underwood. 



Lexington, Sept., 1857. 



For the New England Farmer. 



RETREAT OF SWALLOWS. 



Mr. Editor: — Mr. Fowler, in his article upon 

 swallows, does not state what sort of a retreat they 

 use for their hibernacle, and so I infer that he 

 adopts the notion once generally believed, that 

 they retreat into the mud at the bottom of stagnant 

 pools, ponds, (S:c. Now, it appears to the writer 

 that the following considerations show it to be im- 

 possible for swallows, or any other warm blooded 

 animals, to bury themselves "in a morass" or in the 

 bottom of a pond. In the first place, how can they 

 get into the mud ? They certainly cannot go un- 

 der water or mud while their hot b'ood is circulat- 

 ing freely and their lungs rapidly inhaling and ex- 

 haling the air ; neither could they be thus sub- 

 merged while in a state of partial torpidity ; and 

 after they have become wholly torpid, they, of 

 course, have not the power to go into the mud or 

 anywhere else. Again, admitting it to be possible 

 for them to go into the mud and remain torpid 

 through the winter, how could they ever revive and 

 come out of their subaqueous abode ? Hibernating 

 quadrupeds remain during their state of torpidity 

 where they can breathe the air as they require it, 

 and when they feel the reviving influences of the 

 spring, they very gradually begin to breathe more 

 freely, then stretch out one limb, and then another, 

 and finally they become able to crawl out into the 

 open air and sunshine, the genial influence of which 

 soon re-establishes a vigorous circulation, and the 

 creatures enter upon a new lease of active life. — 

 But how would it be with the poor swallows in their 

 unpleasant retreat ? Until they had revived and 

 begun to breathe somewhat freely, they would not 

 be able to come up out of the mud ; but how can 

 they begin to breathe in such a place ? If they 

 could there feel any reviving influences from the 

 sun and warm air, and begin to breathe, their first 

 inspiration would be their last. 



I attach no importance to names, as such, but 

 desire to give due weight to the reasons which any 

 man may present, whether he be learned or un- 

 learned. Great Naturalists having become familiar 

 with so many facts which at first staggered belief, 

 cease to wonder at anything, and sometimes become 

 more credulous than the ignorant, and believe some 

 things really absurd. A. E. B. 



Lynn, Aug. 29, 1857. 



{J^ People seldom improve when they have no 

 other model but themselves to copy. 



