io6 



The black wart is the term applied to the huge, unsightly 

 excrescence, that is so familiar to all and is caused by the 

 growth of a fungus that feeds upon the juices of the bark 

 of the plum and wild cherry. As it spreads very rapidly, 

 nothing is to be allowed near the plum orchard that will 

 harbor it. Cut down all wild cherry trees and bushes^ 

 upon which it may be seen growing ; and remove it as fast 

 as it makes an appearance upon the plum tree. Cut it off 

 of the limbs with a sharp knife, being careful to get it 

 entire and then see to it that it is immediately burned. 

 The wound is to be painted with a mixture of Venetian 

 Red and kerosene oil prepared to about the same stiffness 

 as ordinary paint. It is highly important to secure con- 

 certed action among all farmers and fruit growers to pre- 

 vent the ravages of the black wart, for a single, careless 

 grower may, bj his neglect, seed an entire neighborhood 

 to the pest. 



The curculio, or " Little Turk," as it is popularly 

 termed, is a small, black insect, which, as soon as the- 

 blossoms fall and the fruit begins to swell, makes a business 

 of cutting a crescent shaped incision in each plum, into 

 which an egg is inserted v/hich duly hatches into a small 

 worm, which by its growth sooner or later causes the fruit 

 to fall prematurely to the ground. Spraying the trees with 

 Paris Green (one pound to two hundred and fifty gallons 

 of water), is a partial remedy ; but far from wholly reliable, 

 as it has been found that the curculio dies very slowly and 

 will live to sting many fruits even after it has imbibed a 

 sufficiency of poison to ultimately cause its death. 



The surest remedy is to go around early every mornings 

 and jar each tree, after placing a sheet beneath the tree 

 for the curculios to fall upon. They are then dropped 

 into a pail of kerosene and subsequently burned. In the 

 early morning the curculios are very sluggish and readily 

 drop to the ground from the effects of a jar. The jarring 



