2^2 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
no means the least perilous of my adventures. I mounted 
on the top of an omnibus (my only chance) and squeezed 
in between two rough looking workmen. Scarcely was 
I seated and all retreat cut off, than I perceived under the dirt 
that covered the hands of my covipanions de voyage the un- 
mistakable diagnostics of the itch ; by no means a pleasant 
discovery when one is on a pleasure excursion. Just 
then, happily, I was thinking of the Romans, of that great 
people who had not only left in these then remote regions 
memorials of their dominion, suchsas walls and ditches, 
but had given names to most of the cities that exist at the 
present. Then I thought of C.esar and how it says: 
“C.ESAR in Gallia sitnima diligentia venit,'’ which the 
French boy translates “CjEsar having the itch (la gale) 
rode on the top of the diiligence.” By this antiquarian 
reflection, I discovered that my friends had a classical 
right to their seats. Nor had we gone far before I felt an 
admiration for these poor follows. They exhibited all the 
boyish glee of urchins who had escaped floggings and 
books for the day. No jealousy, no selfishness, no envy 
— they clapped their hands with delight when the rich 
man’s Victoria and postillion dashed by our miserable 
equipage; they pointed out to each other the trees in 
bloom and the pretty little luxurious villas that skirted 
the road, crying ‘■'•Vuila, quelle jolie rnaison! quel arbre, 
quel arbre ! qu'il est magnifique 1 oh ! que c’cst charmante !” 
and when the rich man's dog fell into a ditch by mishap, 
instead of exhibiting exultation at the accident, they said, 
sympathizingly, '‘pauvrc chieii!'’ 
^ ^ 
To-morrow I will deliver ray letters of introduction. 
One of them is to the largest wine merchants in Bordeaux 
— M. GuEhTiF.R. He pays, yearly, .£300,000 duties on the 
\vine he sends to England alone. In a few days I hope to 
be au couramt with the culture in Medoc, the most perfect 
in the world of vines. H. H. 
PLUM CULTURE AND THE CUSCULIO. 
The Prairie Farmer says: — “Many of our most ear- 
nest and enterprizing fruit growers have ceased to pay 
■particular attention to the culture of the Plum, though in 
its perfection it ranks high among the health -giving, 
luscious and beautiful fruits of the temperate zone. 
. “A few centuries ago, the lurbaned Turk, scimeter in 
hand, rode victorious over many of the fairest fields of the 
Old World. His power has passed away; but not so 
with the ‘Little Turk' of the New World, whose ‘lines 
have fallen in pleasant places,’ and who, every returning 
season, ascends upon our promising Plum Orchard, des- 
troying in a day the labor and hope of years; leaving on 
iDur I'airest Gages and Golden Drops the hated crescent 
mark that gives tiie death blow to our fond anticipations, 
and renders worse than useless our vigilance and our 
patient care. It is net our intention to write a history of 
th.e Curcuho, or recommend any new means of staying 
his ravages ; but we would bid those who admire fine fruit 
to be of good courage and to wait patiently and hopefully 
till the Great Gardener shall, in His wisdom, destroy the 
destroyers; and free our fruit gardens of these ugly, 
hump-backed, pestiferous, rascally, little, long snouted, 
invisible, cunning and releniiess enemies of ours. And 
who shall say, that the last unprecedetitedly severe winter 
v/hich we fruit-growlers so mourn over, may not have 
oeen ordered for the express purpose of destroying these 
two great enemies to the successful culture of fine fruits — 
tne Curculio and Coccus. Alas, science teaches us that 
we are not to look to a cold winter for deliverance, and 
that these insect pests can only be checked by thein- 
crease of their natural enemies, agreeable to that great 
law, which, if it provides for their protection, also provides 
for their destruction, when they become too numerous.” 
The same paper also says : — The following was recent- 
ly sent us by the venerable David Thomas, copied from 
the original article written by him near thirty years ago- 
It is somewhat singular that no considerable improvement 
has ever been made on the principles of defence against 
the Curculio contained in the article alluded to: 
“The First Notice of Destroying the Ce.rculio on 
Sheets. — [From the Nev:) York Farmer^ vol. 3, (1830,) 
page 60,] — ‘Many trees stand in gardens, however, where 
neither swine nor geese can be admitted; and in suck 
cases I would suggest the trial of a plan by which 1 des- 
I troyed hundreds of these insects. Two large sheets, made 
I of cheap factory cotton, were laid (slightly to overlap) 
j with the tree at the centre. A stoke of the hand for a 
I small tree, or of a mallet for a large one, causes the Cur- 
i culio instantly to crop on the sheet. The dark browa 
j color of the insect contrasts with the white cloth, and may 
I at once be discovered and easily crushed between the fin- 
j gerand thumb. Though it pretends to be inanimate, it 
I will almost imperceptibly slide under the dead blossoms 
i that fall with it, and it then requires care to detect it.’” 
I I may as well copy another paragraph from the same 
j article : 
j “It was also stated that the Curculio is a timid animal; 
i that the passing of live stock round the tree alarmed him 
1 and we know that the rubbing of swine and cattle, or any 
sudden jar, causes it instantly to drop to the ground, ex- 
cept when the female is engaged in her operations.” 
The Editor of the Nev: England Farmer, discoursing 
on this pestiferous little robber, .says : 
“We have practiced a remedy for several years, and 
never have failed in it, when it has been faithfully at- 
tended to. It is this : as soon as the fruit becomes of the 
size of a common pea, shake fine ashes, plaster, or lime 
over it, from some convenient thing. We use a “corn 
popper,” fastened on a pole of any desired length, and 
i prefer air-slacked lime to put in it. Sift it upon the fruit 
I twice a week, after a shower, or when it is covered with 
! dew. 
j “Now, gentlemen, and ladies, too, if you will send to 
i the Farmer office one-tenth of the fruit that may be saved 
by this cheap and simple remedy, we shall be content 
with our share of the blessings of Pomona the coming ser- 
son.” 
j The American Agriculturist also gives (he following 
j remedy : 
j One peck of unslaked lime, 
'• Six pounds of salt, 
I One barrel af water. 
i The mixture is to be applied with a common garde* 
I syringe. The liquid is said to enter the open puncture or 
I wound in the fruit made by the insect, and to destroy the 
egg. Ifone application is not sufficient, repeat it. One 
application saved the crop of a horticultural friend of the 
editor of the Agriculturist, last season. Let all these reme- 
dies have a fair trial, and thus spread the culture of delici- 
ous Plums, Apricots, Nectarines, and others of our beet 
fruits. 
SOUTHERN APPLES-POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — I am under many 
obligations to your correspondent, “Windsor,” for correct- 
recting me in the description and local origin of the apple 
generally known as the Mangum; and will always esteem 
it a favor to be thus corrected, as it is one step toward an 
extrication from the confusion that exists in the nomencla- 
ture and origin of many of our native Southern fruits. I 
