Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-04-28
AGRICULTURAL.
For ae Columbia Democrat.
Remedies against the Curoulio.

The following remedies, from various
sources and combined with my own expe-
rience show, that Animalison is pervaded
with an astonishing degree of energy, and
that even the minutest being is endowed
with degree Of prudence and foresight
beyond all comprehension.
The curculio, or plum weevil (RhynchG-
nus Nenuphay) is about two-tenths of an
inch in length dark brown, has wings
covered with sheaths, each sheath having
a pollowish spot on the hind part, where
by it may be identified. When feigning
death, which it always does when alarmed
or in danger, it looks, as much as anything
can look, like a dried bud. As soon as
the blossoms open, we find the insect recon-
noitering on the tree, and it commences
weltod and while the tree is yet in blossom.
Commonly the weevil is not detected till
the most part of its work is done. and un-
I'll the punctured plums make their ap.
pcarance. Each puncture contains an egg,
which soon becomes little worm or mag
got gnaving away till the plum drops un-
ripe to the ground, where the maggot,
when full grown, enters the soil, perhaps
not more than an inch or two, there to
undergo the transformation into pupa.
This pupa will, some pretend, come out
transformed into curculio again in about
seven weeks, but we believe it will remain
till next spring when it will find its natural
f,od and lodgings for the eggs.
l. Some very successful planters, have
seen it stated in the Scientific American,
place good deal Of dependence upon the
Introduction of -four of sulphur into the
circulation of the tree, either by boring a
three-quarter hole towards the center
downwards sloping and filling it with said
substance and closing with pine plug, or
by (either on the trunk, or on some of the
mlin roots) separating the bark from the
wood, laying the remedy on, and if on the
roots, pressing with the soil the bark back
to its place. / think the latter is the
preferable way. This means, see, a
certain writer is pleased to discredit, since
sIl phur is in water not soluble. have
got the first crop of plums when Iapplied
sulphur, and others ditto. Water and
sulphur and water in contact with the
vegetable circulation are different rela-
tons.
2. Tying carded, soft cotton snugly a.
round the trunk, below the crown, before
the time of blossoming, strip about three
or four inches wide, forming a labyrinth
FIR the ascending insect, has, in different
places been reported to be of very good
effect. Tar, fish oil, and the like, would
be at least equally good, as long as such
things do not become dry, or loose their
sticky or noxious smelling character.
3. Pruning the young wood of the pre-
yious year, about one-third or two thirds
cS the length, according to circumstances,
about the time when the tree is in full
blossom, or perhaps a little later, causes n
very general confusion among the evil
doors; they feel alarmed, and moving
about car. easily be discovered and killed ;
some at least; conclude the place unsafe
and leave, and the rest become more or
less intimidated by so many losing their
mates just when they needed them most !;
besides, the pruning causes new impetus
in the vegetable machine, whereby the
young plums are accelerated in their
growth, and thus more of them will have a
chance to escape the sting of their enemy.
If this pruning be done about two weeks
after blos5oming, four-ifths, if not more,
Of the little plums may, at the same time,
he thinned out with yet more advantage
Of course plumsand all, to be secured and
burnt.
A. Turning over the ground about eight
feet around, or a sufficient arer about the
tree as early as the state of the ground
Will allow IN spring, raklng 1t even and
pounding it smooth, is, I dare say, with the
most practical planters, the most natural
preventive, If the ground is turned per-
fectly at the right time, and this repeated
at the fruit gathering, the whole crop Of
weevils, metarnorphosed into pupns or
larv@s, must this way become forever
buried, and the tree can only be visited by
strangers from other places, and bya very
few from unnoticcd crcviees. 1t is, how.
ever, only reasonable opinion that three
females can destroy the same season q
large tree full of fruit.
s. 1t seems that the insect tribe in gen
eral is possessed Of an exceedingly scnsi
tive smell. Any strong OdOr disagreeabtt
yI ., ill 49,.