176 THE PRACTICAL GARDEN -BOOK 



The fruit rot may be prevented by the same means that 

 is, by spraying with Bordeaux mixture. It is usually best 

 to begin just after the fruits are well set. A very important 

 consideration in the checking of this disease is to thin the 

 fruit so that it does not hang in clusters. If one fruit touches 

 another, the rot spreads from fruit to fruit in spite of the 

 spraying. Some varieties, like Lombard and Abundance, 

 are susceptible to this injury. 



The black knot is best kept in check by cutting out the 

 knots whenever they can be seen, and burning them. As 

 soon as the leaves drop, the orchard should be gone over 

 and all knots taken out. Orchards which are thoroughly 

 sprayed with Bordeaux mixture for the leaf blight and fruit- 

 rot fungus are less liable to attacks of black knot. 



The curculio, or the insect which is the parent of the 

 worms in the fruit, is the inveterate enemy of the Plum and 

 other stone fruits. The mature beetle lays the eggs in the 

 fruits when they are very small, usually beginning its work 

 about as soon as the flowers fall. These eggs soon hatch, and 

 the little maggot bores into the fruit. Those fruits which 

 are attacked whilst very young ordinarily fall from the tree, 

 but those which are attacked when they are half or more 

 grown may adhere to the tree, but are wormy and gummy at 

 the picking time. The mature beetles are sluggish in the 

 mornings, and are easily jarred from the trees. Taking advan- 

 tage of this fact, the fruit-grower may jar them into sheets; 

 or, in large orchards, into a large canvas hopper, which is 

 wheeled from tree to tree upon a wheelbarrow-like frame, and 

 under the apex of which is a tin can into which the insects 

 roll. There is a slit or opening in one side of the hopper, 

 which allows the tree to stand nearly in the middle of the 

 canvas. The operator then gives the tree two or three sharp 

 jars with a padded pole or mallet. The edges of the hopper 

 are then quickly shaken with the hands and the insects roll 

 down into the tin receptacle. In this receptacle there is 

 kerosene oil, or it may be emptied from time to time. Just 



