AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. W 
CURCULIO REMEDIES, 
BY WILLIAM ADAIK. 
If we look around at the various remedies 
that have from time to time been proposed 
for the curculio, we will find that they are 
almost as numerous as those found in the 
pharmacopoeia of the quack medicine vend¬ 
ers for the cure of consumption, or any 
other incurable disease. Such being the 
case, and a new one in the hands of a com¬ 
mittee for investigation, which it is confi¬ 
dently expected will prove successful, it may 
perhaps be considered superfluous to add 
any more to the list; but as we are not to 
have the benefit of the new discovery the 
present season, and as it may prove, like 
most of the horticultural novelties that we 
have lately received, rather expensive for 
these “ hard times,” it may be well to ex¬ 
amine the subject a little, and see if any¬ 
thing can be done toward saving our crop 
for the time. However, I believe that all 
will concede that an effectual, expensive, 
and easily applied remedy for the attacks of 
this troublesome insect, is worth a hand¬ 
some reward. 
Premising thus far, I will mention a few 
instances, which may not be generally known, 
where the curculio has been more or less 
successfully combatted. An acquaintance, 
an amateur horticulturist, who had planted 
his plum trees in a yard by themselves, for 
the purpose of allowing the hogs and chickens 
to run at large among the trees, and not 
finding the plan quite satisfactory, covered 
the .ground with fresh horse manure when 
the fruit was beginning to form ; and the ex¬ 
periment was attended with success. The 
covering is now continued every season, 
and he informs me that he is rewarded with 
good crops for his trouble. I do not remem¬ 
ber w'hether he told me to what depth he 
covered the ground. Perhaps six inches 
would be sufficient; a larger quantity might 
induce fermentation, and be injurious to the 
trees. 
Visiting a friend in the interior of the 
State, I observed a plum tree that stood 
alongside of a privy, which was bearing a 
very large crop of fruit, while the other 
trees in the garden had little or nothing on 
them, all being claimed by the curculio, with 
the exception named. 
I have been told of others who have suc¬ 
ceeded in saving their plums, by hanging 
bottles of pyrdlignous acid, creosote, chloride 
of lime, &c., in the trees. From this we are 
led to infer that strong, pungent odors are 
not agreeable to the apparently sensitive ol¬ 
factories of the insect. The only difficulty 
that appears here, is that preparations of this 
character are very volatile in their nature, 
and soon become exhausted, and it is troub¬ 
lesome and expensive to renew them often. 
This objection, however, I think is obviated 
in the followieg plan, which has proved em¬ 
inently successful the past season, and 
which I would recommend a pretty exten¬ 
sive trial of the present season. It is this : 
As soon as the fruit is as large as peas, take a 
common paint-brush, or any other brush, or 
a woolen rbg, and some fish oil, and cover 
all the principal branches and trunk of the 
tree with the oil. It is the same that is in 
common use among curriers, harness-mak¬ 
ers, &c. The application is cheap, and it 
only requires to be done once in the season. 
I had the pleasure of examining several 
trees of the best leading varieties which had 
been served in this manner, the past season, 
and the result far exceeded my expectations; 
the trees had to be propped up to prevent 
their breaking down with the weight of fruit. 
If the “ little turk ” had appropriated one- 
half the crop to his own use, it would have 
been a positive benefit to what remained. 
But he is not satisfied with a share—he takes 
the whole, if he is not well watched. 
Should this remedy prove as successful 
with all who may try it as it was in the case 
above noted, we need not despair of plums— 
we shall have plenty of them. The discov¬ 
ery (if it is new) is not mine—others may 
have tried it; but as I have not seen it pub¬ 
lished, it is herewith presented to you. 
[Covering with fresh manure (or old ma¬ 
nure) strikes us most favorably as being 
likely to prevent the curculio from escaping 
from his winter quarters in the ground.— Ed. 
— Horticulturist. ] 
ffittrWs. 
Remarks. —Another advance in Flour the 
past week of 25c. to 50c. perbbl.; and in 
Corn from 5c. to 8c. per bushel. The best 
quality is now quoted at 1 08c., which we 
believe is several cents higher than it has 
reached in this market for many years. 
Farmers need not be afraid of cultivating too 
much ground this year, and in the best possi¬ 
ble manner—they will be amply repaid for 
it in the prices of their produce. 
Cotton has advanced £ to i a cent per lb. 
Sugar i, and Tobacco i a cent. 
The Weather has become more favorable 
for vegetation, and copious showers have 
fallen the past week. The season is still 
very backward. 
PRODUCE MARKET. 
Tuesday, April 10, 1855. 
The prices given in our reports from week to week, are the 
average wholesale prices obtained by producers, and not those 
at which produce is sold from the market. The variations in 
prices refer chiefly to the quality of the articles. 
There has been little change in the market since our 
last. Potatoes continue high and scarce, with, however, 
rather slow sales. A few extra potatoes go as high as $5 
ip bbl., but this is rare, and no true index of the market. 
Buyers complain much of the high prices and small bar 
rels, and are ever ready to put on half a dozen more to 
complete the measure. 
We saw a Jersey farmer to-day trying to buying pota¬ 
toes for seed, who was astonished to find the prices so 
high. It was remarked by the salesman, that these Jer- 
seymen always think potatoes cheap until they come to 
buy; but that is all natural enough. 
Apples are not very abundant, but sell well for the prices. 
They average about $4 ip bbl., wholesale. 
Butter has advanced a little. Cheese the same. Eggs 
are a little lower. 
VEGETABLES. 
Potatoes—New-Jersey Mercers.. .. 
. i* bbl. 
. $4 5054 
75 
Western Mercers. 
4 25(5)4 
50 
White Mercers. 
4 25(5)4 
50 
Nova Scotia Mercers. 
—(5)4 
25 
New-Jersey Carters. 
..p bbl. 
4 75(55 
— 
Washington County Carters. 
... do 
4 —5 
25 
Junes. 
3 50(53 
75 
Western Reds. 
2 87(53 
25 
Yellow Pink Eyes . 
2 87(53 
25 
Long Reds. 
2 87(53 
37 
Virginia Sweet Potatoes . 
5 —(5 
— 
Philadelphia sweet. 
5 50 (a. 6 
— 
Turnips—Ruta Baga . 
1 6251 
75 
White. 
1 —51 
25 
Onions—White. 
7 -5 
— 
Red. 
3 9854 
25 
Yellow .. 
...do 
4 7555 
— 
Cabbages. 
100 
7—512 
— 
Beets. 
. .^ bbl. 
1 8752 
— 
Carrots. 
—51 
87 
Parsnips. 
1 505 
— 
FRUITS, ETC. 
Apples—Spitzenbergs. 
.ft bbl. 
$4 0054 
50 
Greenings. 
3 5054 
00 
Gilliflowers . 
3 5054 
00 
Baldwins. 
3 7554 
24 
Butter—Orange County . 
.¥>■ lb. 
28530c. 
Western. 
do 
20522c. 
Cheese.. 
do 
12(o)l3c. 
Eggs. 
p doz. 
18519c. 
NEW-YORK CATTLE MARKET, 
Wednesday April 11 , 1855. 
There are 2,313 cattle in market to-day, being an in¬ 
crease of 529 over last week. This increased supply is 
perhaps owing to former high quotations; and doubtless 
some dealers w ill be disposed to complain still further 
when they find a decline in prices and slower sales. But 
they should remember that when prices are high, there is 
always a rush,and that this fact should be made a matter 
of calculation as well as anything else. All this, however, 
is very agreeable to the butchers, and so far from com¬ 
plaining about high quotations, they would have us quote 
still higher; 14c. they think about right! 
The butchers have a wide range of beef to-day, though 
there is no difficulty in finding good animals. The quali¬ 
ty has greatly improved within a few weeks, and it is most 
fervently hoped that it will continue so. 12 c. is about the 
highest price to-day, though a few r choice animals may 
have reached 121 . 
Below' we give a few lots offered: 
John Murray, sold a good lot of 107, from near Layfay- 
ette, la., fed by 0. Evans. They were about a week in 
coming and had fallen off since they started nearly 200 lbs. 
live weight. They were selling from $95 to $100 per 
head, or 114c. per lb. 
Mr. T. Ford, had a fail-lot of 105 Ohio cattle, from Fair- 
field Co., sold by Wm. Belden. They would average 
about 700 lbs., and sold for about lie. 
Barney Bartam, was selling an excellent lot of 90 head 
belonging to James Perrill, of Chillicothe, Ohio. These 
were equal to any in the yards, and Mr. Bartam thinks 
would average 12c. per lb. Mr. Perrill, also had another 
lot, sold by John Merritt, for about 1 1 Jc. or $78 a head. 
This was a fair lot and w-ould weigh about $700 lbs. 
Beach & Smith were trying to sell two very large cattle 
fed by John Stewart, of Greenwich, N. V. One said they 
asked $550, while the other thought they would bring 
about $1,000. Messrs. Beach & Smith would do well to 
set one price hereafter, if they wish to gull reporters. 
Mr. S. M. Baker had 74 nice beeves, from Chillicothe, 
Ohio, sold by Thomas Wheeler. Three sold for $395, and 
six for $122 50 ahead. 
Wm. II. Gurney & Brother had some fine cattle, which 
were selling from 11 to 12c. They sold yesterday, at Ber¬ 
gen Hill, 62 Ohio cattle for about 211c. 
Sam’l McGraw sold one parr for $287 50, fed by James 
Cowan, of Cortlandt Co., N. Y. Also 2 pairs of extra 
working cattle to the Navy Department, for $500. 
Geo. Toffey had 114 from Ross Co., Ohio, and 30 from 
this State, which would average about $85 per head. 
The following are about the highest and lowest prices : 
Extra quality at. 111512c. 
Good retailing quality beef is selling at_101511}c. 
^Inferior do. do. . 95105c. 
Cows and Calves.$ 355 $ 75 . 
Veals. 3c.(©7ic. 
Sheep, poor.$4 50. 
do good.$555$G. 
do extra.$7 50. 
Swine, alive,.55c.56Jc. 
The report of sales for the week, at Browning’s, are as 
follows: 
Sheep and Lambs.2352 
Beeves. 290 
Veals. 65 
Cows and Calves. 59 
The following sales were made at Chamberlain’s : 
295 Beef Cattle. 8512c. 
98 Cows and Calves.$305$60 
2,940 Sheep.:. $35$8. 
120 Calves.456Jc. 
The sheep market is not as lively as last week, but the 
prices remain firm. The supplies are not large, but near¬ 
ly equal to the demand. The increased supply of veal 
and fish partially takes the place of mutton. 
The following are the sales of Jas. McCarty : 
136 Sheep. 
. $816 
00 
100 
do. 
00 
100 
do . 
. 556 
25 
1 
do . 
5 
00 
80 
do. 
44 
133 
do. 
50 
74 
do . 
50 
624 
$3,542 
69 
The following are the sales of Sam’l McGraw • 
50 Sheep.$331 25 
50 Sheep. 309 25 
54 Sheep. 290 25 
61 Sheep. 327 87 
54 Sheep. 283 50 
33 Sheep. 237 75 
55 Sheep. 310 75 
72 Sheep. 416 88 
429 $2,507 50 
Sold 18 sheep at 13}c. lb lb., and 98 at 13c. 
