The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-04-26
From the New England Farmer.
Warts on Plum Trees.


Warts on Plum Trees.
Mn. BRowN Il had notice that my
plum trees, Of which l have several va
rleties, during some years, were becoming
disiigurcd by the unseemly cxcrescenccs.
of which there have been so many com.
plants of late [ thought | would at
tempt, at least to ascertain the cause,
since this knowledge is indispensable to
a cure. Last April, I resolved to cut
up at the roots all the trees which had
become very badly diseased, and to prune
from the others all the branches which
had become affected for | had noticed
in attempting to cut out the warts, that
the wood was in almost every instance
diseased to the heart While engaged
in this process, my son severed number
of the warts carefully from their stock,
and placed them in a tumblcr covered
with a glass cup-plate. Two or three
weeks subsequently,, on further exami-
nation Of the trees, he found several
warts which had commenced a vigorous
growth, about which were a multitude O.
little white worms, apparently of the
same species as those which latter in the
season committed such fearful depreda-
tion in the orchads and other fruit trees
through the country. In some cases
these worms had formed their nest about
the wart, in others. seemed imboddcd un-
der the bark, so that when disturbed
they would retire from view. But the
wart, rather than the adjacent parts Of
the limb, seemed to be their home. This
was before the worms made their appear
ancc on the trees generally.
Several pieces Of limb having these
excrosccnces upon them, my son cut off
and we placed them with the warts be
fore collected, in the tumblcr, which we
placed in a vessel Of water. hoping there.
by to prevent tho escape Of any thing
from it. The genial atmosphere of the
house fastened the growth Of the worms
and as our covering was not sufficiently
close they escaped, and many of them
were drowned. while somo succeeded in
swimming to the edge Of the vessel, from
which they let themselves down by their
web to the table on which the vessel
stood. These worms soon disappeared
but thus far VIC had discovered no change
in the warts themselves.
Some days later, however, about the
Goth of June, we found on examination
of the tumbler, that these warts had be
comes masses of black, porous matter
evidently eaten through and through by
some worm. Still there was enough q
cohesion about each mass to preserve its
form. except that it was somewhat in
creased in SIZE. Opening these masses
we discovered in each a small white grul
with dark head in some, more thar
one grub. a few days later, this grub
had became chrysalis Still later
examined again, and found ON removing
the cover, several small black flies o1
slender form, such as we had never be
fore noticed, some of which escaped US
These supposed to proceed from the
warts, because on examination ] found
in some Of them certain little insects
evidently becoming transformed into
flies. One chrysalis / opened contained
an insect of grayi.h color, looking a,
much like a bug as II fly. Another con
tanned the same insect in torpid state
which after little exposure to the all
became active. These, | suppose, botl
became flies after the lapse of a littl,
moro time,
Of the connection between the little
worms first mentioned, and the warts.
have no opinion, because they soon after
appeared in countless myriads, on tree.
upon which there are no excrcsccncei
like those on plum trees.
From the other facts | draw the fol
lowing inferenccs-t that the little fl,
alluded to, is probably the mischief
maker in this case-that during tn,
summer it deposit its egg in, on, or un
der, the bark, infusing Herewith poison
that occasions the excrcsccncc, rhicl
forms over the egg so as cffectually tc
shield it that here it lies through til,
winter, until the return of warm weather
when it matches; becomes grub;
chrysalis "a ty-thus producing its spe
ces-that the probable preventive o
the ravages Of the insect is to cut of
either in the autumn. or carly in til,
spring, overy branch on which an incipi
ent wart makes its appearance, and burr
it.
know, Mr. Editor that it is not com
monty safe to base theory upon a singl,
experiment, or investigation. | there
fore only give You the process of my in
vestigation with its results, and my dc
ductions thercfrom. without any stron.
confidence that these deductions arc cor
rect. Perhaps others have Investigated
this matter in similar way If so,
hope we may learn the results,
Certain it is, that unless something
can be done 10 arrest the destruction
now in progress among the plum trees Of
this region, We shall soon cease to enjoy
this delicious fruit. L. MATHEWS.
CornwaH H., H6. 1854.
New FARMS LATELY DISCOVERED. j.
Lawyers have known for long time that
n louHbol lor o,y,ol 4 1