The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-06-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Plum,

Inc Ilu!n,
EDITORS FREE TRADER You criticised
my little article upon the plum, which appear
ed in the Earlvillc Gd=ette some weeks ago.
You said my theory was contrary TO "all
knowledge" l suppose you meant my
theory was 'contrary to good authority. BE.
fore seeing your criticism had written an.
other article on the plum for the GaZettc,
copy Of which enclose to you and ask you
70 publish, If you will. This article is based
on fnoH'edge rs you will see, and is worth n
thousand vague theories born from the brain
of the clustered theorists Of the past or
present age. If you know of any way to
disprove the results of any Investigations OF
the manner in which the curculio kills the
plum you can only dsprove these results by
proving that the curculio has more than one
way Of deposlting the little "cuss' IN the
plum
From the Earlville Gazette.
1t will be recollected by readers, that an
article appeared in the Ga2ette some weeks
ago, merely suggesting how the curculio, in
all human probability, destroys The plum
In the same issue OF the Gazette, appeared
from the pen of the wellinformed naturalist
Dr. d. +. Hurd. The Doctor adopts the
theory which obtains among the best inform
ed naturalists of the age. The Doctors theo.
ry May be correct. havea theory of which
l am the patentee; it is unique and my own.
Since writing my former article on the plum,
which has provoked no little inquiry, have
availed myself of the most excellent oppor,
tunity to test my theory. Among few plum
trees standing in my garden, there is fine,
healthy plum tree, known to plum cultur.sts
as the peach plum tree. This tree is now
fruiting. There may be two or three quarts
of plums, onefourth grown, upon this tree.
BY the kind suggestion of one of our most
intelligent citizens, DIR. Wiley, selected ten
fine, fair plums from different limbs oil this
tree, and with sharp-knlfe, incised these
ten plums and examined them carefully, one
at time under the microscope. The pit of
the plum was white and soft. Upon the pit
Of each of these ten plums was readily de-
tected the egg of the curculio. n slight dis
celebration OF the pit and pulp OF the plum
had taken place
This egg had not as yet shown any signs
of being quick with life. No curcullo had
AS yet stung the rlum from the outer surface.
The entire outer surface of the PLAN WAS ex-
amined carefully under the glass, IN order to
detect the possible puncture of the plum by
the insertion of the snout of the curculio.
These ten plums never had been stung!
How came the egg, or embTyottc curcultO,
upon the pit Of the onc-fourth grown plum !?
The egg is deposited in its little bed by the
female curculio, and tucked softly in, amid
the elder-down pollen and the sweet aroma
and inaudible murmur Of the blossOmisg.
The egg grows or swells into grub; the egg
or grub begins is soon as quick with life to
eat or thred its way to the outer world.
The plum in due time pines and dies. AS
the slime of the serpent Kills the human soul,
so the trail of the grub, or young curcuiiO,
seems to kill the incipient plum.
What then, is preventive? Who can
divine specific?
The remedy must be applied in the bios
som. 1t must be applied before the inner
surface of the pulp has encased the outer
surface of the pit and completely hidden and
protected the little grub.
In conclusion | desire TO say that nowhere
in the animal kingdom does the embryo, as
it begins to live, fail to kick AID move to-
ward the outer world. Never does it move
toward the centre aud darkness Light and
life are its end and aim. So with the curcu-
Ito. The chicken energies through the shell,
punctured by itself. The grub curculio
energies through the plum from pit to sur
face, through the hole made by itself
write this article in part to instruct some
few of those little creatures whom God, IN
his inscrutable wisdom, permits to- write
and talk about what they know nothing.
j. w. Brown.