ENEMIES AND DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 71 



CHAPTER VIII. 



ENEMIES AND DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 



There are numerous obstacles in the path of the cran- 

 berry culturist obstacles which frequently baffled the 

 efforts of early growers, and disappointed their brightest 

 anticipations. But, happily for us, the enemies have all 

 been met, and most of them subdued, but " still they 

 come ;" we may defeat them this year, and they will meet 

 us next. The fight is perpetual, and our only hope of 

 gaining the victory, year by year, lies in keeping well 

 guarded, and diligently using the means of defence that 

 have been put into our hands. 



FRUIT WORM. 



Soon after the hopeful cultivator has established his 

 plantation, and while he . is anxiously watching its first 

 fruits, he observes some of the berries prematurely turn- 

 ing red, shriveling, and, before picking time, entirely dry- 

 ing up. This destruction is caused by the fruit worm. 



This larva bears a striking resemblance to the ordinary 

 apple worm, and, like that, is lazy and sluggish in its 

 habits. We have reason to believe that the perfect 

 insect lays its eggs under the tender skin of the newly- 

 formed berry. This egg is hatched by heat, and the 

 young grub eats its way into the heart of the fruit, caus- 

 ing certain destruction. It has been asserted by some 

 cultivators that one worm will destroy one berry only ; 

 but this is a mistake ; the same worm will frequently de- 

 stroy at least two. This is fully established by the fact 

 that two berries may be found with a hole passing di- 

 rectly from one to the other, at the point where they 

 come in contact one being red, and the other fresh and 



