Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-05-17
Remarkable Destruction OF CurcuIio.--
Successful CuItivatiOm of PIums.
From Tie Country Gentleman.

l
Successful Cultivation of PIums.
From the Country Gentleman.
| furnished myself with a cloth three yards
| by two, off the cheap white cotton, and
stick about three feet long, with piece of
an old rubber shoe fastened to one end to
strike the tree or limbs, if large. Equipped
with these materials, and small boy to hold
two corners of the cloth, l held one in my
| left hand, and the other fastened around my
neck with string. L took the stick to jar the
trees in my right hand l continued to de-
stroy them in this way, from time to time, for
some four OF five weeks, with a good degree
of success, until had slain more than four
teen hundred of these destroyers, ON about
one dozen trees. l likewise caught some cur
culios on few cherry trees near by, for
found they were not very particular whether
they were plums or cherries. The result of
this labor was. had two bushels of fine plums
from my Washington trees, and all my other
trees bore profusely. have continued this
practice of destroying these insects, and have
saved my fruit ever since, until the present
time. But the best part of my story is, this
plan has worked so well, that have COMPARE
lively little labor to perform, as they have
mostly disappeared from my garden.
My plan is to begin to search for the insect
when the plum is about as large as a marrow
fat pea, and continue to take them as long as
they are plenty, which generally lasts about
three weeks but they do their work Of de-
st1uetion mostly in very few days. 2 have
| known them to destroy more fruit in one warm,
still day than all the rest Of the season togeth-
er; but as we know not when they get fully
organized to do their mischief we must watch
for them. l search my trees twice or three
times week at first, but as they grow plen-
Z 7 off and of fbo limo how
are to be found in the greatest numbers, go
over my trees two or three times a day. There
is no danger of them in windy weather, that
! is, when it blows quite fresh and in cold
| rainy weather they move but little. 1 have
never seen them fly far, yet believe they en-
| igrate some, but comparatively do but little
damage, if we are faithful to look after them
and destroy them.
! say understandingly, that if any man will
spend two minutes time, on an average, for
each tree in season, he will surely save his
fruit. In fact, have faithfully Jared two
hundred trees, when the insect was plenty,
in twenty minutes, my son holding the watch
while l with small boy performed the oper-
alton. After have gone round my trees,
open my cloth and destroy the bugs with
thumb and finger, which has proved very
elfectual. L have tried all nostruns Of the
day. and found them Intellectual / have tax
en- the worm from the plum, when but few
days old and placed him in fine salt, in strong
brine, in vinegar, and the like, and examined
him with good glass for some time, but he
would not die until the application of thumb
and finger, which has always proved efficient.
i | believe have killed more trees with salt
than insects.
send you the number of insects taken
each wear, from 1847 untill853. could have
told yon how many / took each day, if
thoughtit to have been interesting, for have
day and date of every days work
In lS47 began operations June LIST, and ended July
l4th; and caught on about dozen
trees 14al cucalios.
In ls49--June 4th to June 10th. .......... e75 do
This year, 1S49, had fifty
trees come into bearing.l
In 1S50--June Sd to June 26h. ........... 2O9 do
In 1851-June Sd TO June 18th. 229 do
In 1s52-June 4th to June 24th. .......... $50 do
In 1s5S-June LIST to June 18th. .....,.... S8A do
This year, 1853, had quite number of
trees that came into bearing in a part Of my
garden whore plums were never raised before,
which, probably, was part Of the cause Of my
takingso many more this year than the year
before, and another reason was the mild win
ter of 1858, which was favorable for them, as
they were more plenty throughout this region
than for some years before. believe that
until way is found out to- exterminate them
entirely from our gardens, the Earring plan will
be found the most effectual, simple and econ
omical way to destroy this little but formidable
pest from our gardens m
Before concluding, wish to inform YOU how
/ cultivate my plum trees Myplan is, to set
them twelve feet between the rows and six
feet in the rows, and prune severely and high
ly. BY SO doing, my trees are not large. but
full of bearing wood within two feet eof the
ground. and, and from six to eight feet high,
and have every advantage I'M reaching for
and destroying the curculio, which YOU viii
find to be the saving of good deal Of time
and ON such trees you will have more aud
finer fruit than on larger ones / prune INV
plum trees in July, and have a second growth
the same year. hisN seiag.s S. !,
ia Yours. respectfully le
- s.4 JOHN P ARsoNs, dr.
Rockport, Mass, February, 1854. n aia IS
g z 0Lp HUNDRED. The history Of this old
Psalm tune, which almost everybody has been
accustomed to hear, ever since they can re
member, is the subject Of work recently
written by an English CLERGYMAN. Martii,