224 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



continual query — "How do you make all your 

 seeds come up and grow ?" This is my secret, and 

 in Prof. I.indley's book you will find it more in de- 

 tail. Let me say in conclusion: Mulch new plan- 

 tations, if you wish your trees to live and grow. 

 Mulch your young trees if you want them thrifty 

 and luxuriant. Mulch your old trees if you desire 

 fine foliage and fair large fruit. Imitate nature in 

 the fields and forests, wlio gathers a bed of leaves 

 and moss about the roots of her trees, and follow 

 the advice of an old mulcher. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CUR- 

 CULIO. 



St. Louis, Feb., 1851. 



Mr. Editor: — By inserting the following you 

 may save some one the time, expense and disap- 

 pointment I have experienced in the last four 

 or five years, in following out the hundred and one 

 remedies in guarding agaifist the attacks of the cur- 

 culio. 



Last year I varied my mode of warfare by spread- 

 ing a thick coat of cement on the ground under 

 thirty-five plum trees, extending it to the full size 

 of the top of the tree. As soon as the plum made 

 its appearance from the blossom, say about the lOtli 

 of May, I commenced jarring the trees every morn- 

 ing and evening, and continued to do so until the 

 1st of August, and as the insects fell upon the ce- 

 ment, killed them. The first three weeks, the aver- 

 age number was not far from fifty per day. From 

 the Isl of June to the 20th, nearly one hundred per 

 day; after which time they gradually diminished. 



Now for the result: From the thirty-five plum 

 trees, comprising fifteen choice varieties, I saved 

 only about two bushels. 



It has l)een argued by many, that this insect 

 has great instinctive powers, and will not deposit 

 its eggs where the fallen fruit is likely to encoun- 

 ter a pavement. 



I know nothing about your eastern or northern 

 curculio, but I can assure you, Mr. Editor, no such 

 repugnance is felt or known by this insect in Mis- 

 souri, and further, that no pavement ever invented, 

 where curculios are numerous, will guard against 

 their attacks, unless extended to every fruit tree in 

 the garden or orchard. It is wholly inconsistent 

 with the nature and habits of this insect, to suppose 

 that paving under a few trees will protect the fruit, 

 while others near by are unpaved, for the simple 

 reason, that the curculio attacks nearly every de- 

 scription of fruit. The nectarine and tlie plum are 

 their favorites, but the apple, pear, peach, apricot, 

 cherry and grape, are all subject to their atticks, 

 and all serve absolutely as a means of reproduc- 

 tion. 



I have taken the above mentioned fruits separate- 

 ly, placed each in different boxes of earth, ami from 

 four to six weeks the change from the larva to the 

 peifect curculio would be complete. 



There are three distinct species of this insect, 

 one smaller, and the other larger, than the plum 

 curculio. The small one is nearly round, about 

 half the size of tlie plum curculio, and is most found 

 upon grapes. The other is full half a size larger, 

 with a smooth shell and not near so numerous as eith- 

 er of the other kinds. Both of these insects, instead 

 of making the well known crescent mark of the 

 plum curculio, perforate the fruit by boring a small 

 round hole, in which they deposite their eggs with 



the same certainty of destroying it, as the plum cur- 

 culio. 



During the time of jarring the trees, not a day 

 passed without finding more or lessof the two new 

 species above described, in about the following pro- 

 portion. Plum curculio, 25; small do., 8; large 

 do., 3. 



At the proper season of the year, by watching 

 their movements patiently, large numbers will he 

 seen emerging from the ground, and after survey- 

 ing their position, will follow the instinct with 

 which nature has endowed them, by crawling up 

 the tree instead of flying. I have often checked 

 their progress in this way, by putting a thick piece 

 of pasteboard around the tree in the shape of an in- 

 verted funnel, but their winffs were soon brought 

 into requisition to overcome the difficulty. They 

 can apparently fly a great distance, and in high 

 winds, are blown in every direction; for after such 

 winds I have often found them in different rooms, 

 in the first and second story of the iiouse. 



Your readers will naturally say, all this is very 

 well, but give us a remedy that will effectually 

 guard against the enemy. 



I can safely say, there is a remedy, and a philo- 

 sophical one, which, if faithfully carried out, will 

 insure good crops of fruit so far as curculio are con- 

 cerned. First, then, cut off all means of reproduc- 

 tion by picking up every description of fallen fruit 

 two or three times a week, and subjecting it to some 

 process that will effectually destroy the grub or 

 larva. 



No advantage will be derived from this process 

 the first year, for the curculio is already in the 

 ground; but the s;itisfaction of having a good crop 

 of plums the second year will well repay for all 

 the trouble of picking up the fallen fruit. 



I have studied the character and habits of this in 

 sect for the last ten years — have watched its move- 

 ments for days and weeks — have tried every reme- 

 dy published in the different agricultural and hor- 

 ticultural works, all of which have totally failed, 

 excepting jarring the trees, and paving, and these 

 have only jiroved partially successful. 



By picking up every description of fallen fruit, 

 no possible means are left for them to perpetuate 

 their species. I am not aware that any means has 

 ever yet been discovered, that the curculio can in 

 any other way propagate its species, than by de- 

 positing its eggs in some description of fruit, and 

 whatever fruit that may be, it must come in contact 

 with the earth in such a manner that the grub can 

 escape, and bury itself beneath the surface. 



No one can resonably expect to be entirely ex- 

 empt from this insect, as long as their neighbors 

 are troubled with them, for some few will fly, or 

 be blown into the trees under any and every cir- 

 cumstance, unless completely shielded by some cov- 

 ering, or net woik. 



The most complete and accurate description of 

 this insect, according to my own observations, has 

 been given by Mr. M. II. Simpson, of Massachu- 

 setts, in the June number of Downing's Horticul- 

 turist for 1850. 



In this comnumication a remedy was given to 

 guard against the curculio, which proved eminent- 

 ly successful with Mr. Simpson and a Mr. Yoking, 

 of Kentucky, viz: syringing the trees with lime 

 water. This remedy I have never tried. 



Very respectfully, A Subscriber. 



— Western Horticultural Review. 



