87 



the muslin. This is better than the old plan of striking on the trunk. It has to be done 

 every day, and it would be as well twice a day. Mr. Cobleigh finds it takes two hours 

 and-a-half to shake 1,600 trees. Abundant evidence is forthcoming to establish the effi- 

 ciency of this remedy. 



Another method suggested is to plant the trees in swine or chicken yards, a plan 

 which has also been highly recommended. At the meeting of the Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion already referred to, Mr. James Dougall, of Windsor, said, " I find that a hen and 

 her chickens cooped under the trees, devour a great many curculios, and secure me a crop 

 of plums." We would, however, rather allow the fowls free roving over the fruit yard at 

 will. The Hon. Mr. Yidal, of Sarnia, said that " Mr. Baubee made a hen-yard around 

 his plum trees, and had no more trouble with the curculio." Mr. Barry says "planting 

 the plum orchard adjoining the hog-pen is probably the easiest and best way of securing 

 a crop of plums." Mr. J. J. Thomas in his admirable work, The American Fruit Cul- 

 turist, page 155, says, " experience has thoroughly established the efficiency of this method" 

 (the confinement of swine among the trees of the plum orchard), and adds, " geese and hens 

 are to a limited extent useful in repelling or destroying the curculio." Again the late 

 Dr. Kirtland, of Cleveland, Ohio, says, " This insect in one season destroyed every plum 

 on my farm, excepting the crop of one tree in my swine lot ; that tree is bending under its 

 load of fruit." Here we have excellent evidence of the efficiency of this remedy ; we 

 would say, plant your plum trees together in a lot by themselves, and securely fence them, 

 then as they begin to bear fruit, keep a sufficient number of hogs or fowls in the yard 

 during the curculio season. Some cultivators are in favour of keeping hogs thus confined 

 in the orchard during the whole of the summer season, as it is thought they greatly bene- 

 fit the soil by their constant rooting and stirring of it. These two are doubtless the most 

 valuable and efficient remedies known. 



Careful picking up of the fallen fruit should, in every case, be attended to 

 where hogs or fowls have no access, and this before the larvae of the curculio have 

 had time to escape into the ground. After being gathered they should be burnt or other- 

 wise boiled or steamed and given as food to swine. 



The second class of remedies are those which merely deter the insect from attacking 

 the fruit. Planting the plum trees on hard, clay soil has been recommended as a preventa- 

 tive measure. Mr. Downing says, " we have never known an instance of the curculio 

 being troublesome in a heavy soil." This statement has been confirmed by observation in 

 my own neighbourhood, where I have noticed that on heavy clay soils a crop of plums 

 can usually be secured, and there are hundreds of acres of just such soil where I 

 believe that thousands of bushels of fine fruit might be annually produced. 



It has also been recommended to plant plum trees close beside water-courses to pre- 

 vent the attacks of curculio, and there are many who have faith in it ; we have seen trees 

 so planted perfectly loaded with fine fruit, although there was no water flowing at the 

 time. There are some, however, who deny the efficacy of this measure. J. J. Thomas 

 says "it was formerly supposed that the instinct of this insect would prevent it from de- 

 positing eggs on branches hanging over water, but recent experiments prove that it pos- 

 sesses no such sagacity." 



Covering the ground under the tree with lime, plaster, ashes or salt have been used 

 to prevent the attacks of curculio, and in niany cases with apparent success. Very 

 recently Mr. M. Watson, of Thedford, told me of a friend of his who had tried plaster ; 

 he covered the ground under the tree with it and saved his crop of plums. There is also 

 evidence that salt is useful when properly used. Mr. Downing refers to instances where 

 it has been used with complete success ; he says, " the best method of applying salt for the 

 plum weevil is to strew it pretty thickly over the surface when the punctured plums com- 

 mence to drop." The use of lime is advocated in a similar manner ; some also are in 

 favour of ashes. 



Employing offensive odours in the form of smoke from oil or tar has also been well 

 spoken of, but these measures are of very doubtful efficacy, and if the insects were thus 

 driven from one part of the fruit crop they would usually take to another. 



Making the ground hard and difficult to penetrate under the trees by plastering with 

 mortar or paving with stones or shells are measures which have been advocated. Mr, 



