The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-02-06
From the Ohio Farmer.
THE CURCULIO.
Its Nature and Habits-The Only Sure
Prevention of its Rayages.

fural productions OF the earth are infested
That is more detrimental in its ravagea, or
more aggravating to the orchardist, than
the curculio, or plum weevil; and any sure
remedy that may be suggested, based upon
q fair experience, | am quite sure will be
by these who are more or less en-
gagged in the growing of plums, with graf
itude. Many who have only small lots of
land and but little space to devote to plum
raising, annuity suffer the loss of their
entire little crops, simply because they do
not understand how to save them; and so,
after experimenting few years with uni
formly the same result, they cut down
their thrifty bearing trees and consign them
to the brush pile
ltis fact, that where the plum crop is
suffered to year after year to be punctured
by the insect, and then drop to the earth,
the pest will increase to that extent, that
it usually destroys the succeeding crop in
few days after the blossom drops from
the young fruit. The only way that plums
can be grown without the necessary atten-
tion to destroy the weevil, is to plant an
orchard of such dimentions, that With the
aid of lot of pigs to devour the pune
tured fruit as fast as 1t falls. the incect will
be unable TO increase in such numbers as
to damage the entire crop.
Since my first attempt at plum raising,
! have tried about every remedy that
have seen published, such as paving un.
der the trees, tying cotton around or tarring
the trunks, soaking corn cobs in sweetened
water, aprinkling various preparations over
the tree, etc., but by fair experience I
think can safely venture to say that not
one of these remedies is worth the pa
per wasted in relating it, The curculio is
not necessitated tn crawl up the trunk of a
tree to reach the plum (though some
that are too lazy to fly may do so,) but
they use their wings, and they are very
rapid flyers when in search Of their fsvorite
fruit.-The simple remedy of paving with
brick or stone, may have the tendency to
prevent the Larvae from entering the ground
after they leave the plum, and thus cause
them to perish. But this will not prevent
your neighbor's insects from paying your
trees friendly visit if they run short of
material at home.
II sometimes happens whore remedies
are rssortsd to, that the incects for that
year have not been so destructive Is in
othea years, and are generous enough to
leave a few plums' The e1perimenter
then Immediately rushes into the public
prints, with the cry of the old Greek, "Eu.
reka!" He is positively certain he has made
the discovery that will head off the pest.
ferrous insect; but unfortunately, the next
year when they come round more numer.
ously, he finds his crop swept away clean
and his remedy failure.
An experience of twenty years convinecs
me that most of the remedies named are
simply crude experiments, without having
even the merit of partial success. l have
found but one remedy, and only one it ii
worth while to spend time upon. THAI
remedy is to spread sheets under your trees
and with quick jar or shake of the limb
cause the insects to drop, which they read
lily do upon the sheet. There they will re
main, opossum like. in a quiescent state
till they can be destroyed beswsed tn,
thumb and finger. This shaking process
should be done thrice day where yor
have but few trees, for period of from
fourteen to eighteen days; at the end o
which time the curculio season proper will
have passed. There will be now and ther
one found until the plum changes for ri
pening, but they are usually SO few tina
they do but little harm.
The time to begin the shaking should bt
before the blossoms begin to drop from th'
plums provided the weather is warm i
is true, they do not begin the work of de
struetion SO soon, but they may be found up
on the tree a week before they are ready t,
begin, undsrgowing Foundation. Thus
in the interval between the time the incect
make their appearance from the earth til
the females are ready for the work of de
struction, most Of them may be captured
before doing any damage. When they ar
ready for work. however, if not destroyed
the few first warm days will bring then
cut in numbers, and they usually max
short work of small crop-puncturinl
very often the same plum three or fou
times, a thing they will not do where the
crop is plentiful.
The curculio does its travelling chiefly
by night, as one will soon ascertain by tn
shaking process. The largest number will
b gathered in the morning, and the mex
largest in the evening.-TLe noon shaking
usually gathers but few; but it is better t.
get rid of those few than to have them dep
redating an entire afternoon.
| Those who have made microscopic ex
animation of the curculio, say that eact
female carries from twenty five to thirt,
larve, so that one hundred insects will de
stroy one thousand plums, and we hav,
many times caught more than double thai
number on one small tree.
Having thus attended properly to your
trees during the curculio season. your
next care should be to pick up all the punct
ured fruit as soon as they drop from the
gree, and burn them. This will prevent
them from increasing in numbers unde,
your own trees, and you will the next sea.
son have only to guard againstItresspasseri
that may come from other quarters, and
| whose instincts we'll lead them to your plum
trees as surely as the instinct OF duck
| will lead it to seek the water.
We would also say to plum raisers, do
noi depend upon the birds and chickens to
defend your plumb crops The plum wee
vii 10 aspecies of the coleoptera tribe that
chickens will not devour, unless they are
in state of starvation. This can readily
be tested by throwing some of the insects
upon a sheet and driving hen and brood