25 



A conservative estimate would place the annual damage to peaclies 

 and plums done by the curculio in Georgia at 25 i^er cent of the entire 

 crop. Aside from the work of the larvae in the fruit, the adalt beetles 

 are active agents in disseminating the brown-rot fungus, as evidenced 

 by our observations during the past season. In a number of orchards 

 that were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture it was observed that brown 

 rol. developed almost exclusively on fruit that had been punctured or 

 eaten into b}^ the curculio, and the point of brown-rot attack was 

 usually at wounds made by the beetles. It is evident, then, that this 

 insect is responsible for considerable brown-rot damage either by actu- 

 ally conveying the spores or by merely breaking the skin of the fruit 

 for their admission. 



THE JARRING METHOD IN THE HALE ORCHARD. 



Perhaps the most extensive work against tlie curculio that has ever 

 been undertaken in the histor^^ of ijeach and plum culture was con- 

 ducted by the Hale Georgia Orchard Company, at Fort Valley, Ga., 

 during the jDast season. About 200,000 bearing peach trees and 50,000 

 bearing plum trees were jarred several times between April 18 and 

 June 1. The entire orchard was gone over about six times, while 

 some blocks of trees, particularlj- those adjacent to woods and other 

 curculio-harboring places, received the jarring every daj^ (except 

 Sundays) between the dates named. The oj)erations were carried on 

 by 11 gangs of 5 hands each. Each gang was supplied with an outfit 

 consisting of two sheets stretched on the underside of light wooden 

 frames, 6 by 12 feet in dimensions, a pole 8 feet long xDadded with rub- 

 ber on one end which served as a "bumper," and a sujDply of baking- 

 powder cans in which to confine the insects captured. Each pair of 

 sheets was carried hy 4 women or children, accompanied by a man, 

 who, by forcibly striking the trunk of the tree, effected the jarring. 



The several gangs moved through the blocks of trees together, each 

 taking a row, as shown in the accompanying illustrations. About 

 every half hour the sheets w^ere placed on the ground, and all hands 

 engaged in picking off curculio and other insects tliat looked sus- 

 picious. In most cases the lady-bird beetles were allowed to escape. 



The jarring was done from 3 a. m. to 9 a. m. and from 2 p. m. until 

 dark. The best results, however, were obtained from the early morn- 

 ing work. With the 11 pairs of sheets about 40,000 trees were thus 

 gone over in a day. (See Plates I and II. ) 



COST. 



It required 60 hands (men, women, and children) to operate the 11 

 pairs of sheets, and the cost for labor amounted to $25 per day. These 

 gangs of curculio catchers were emploj^ed for 37 days, making the 

 total cost for labor $925. Mr. Hale estimated the cost for keeping the 

 outfits in repair at $75, making the total cost for the work of the season 

 $1,000. 



