The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-05-28


How Michigan Fights Curculio.
THERE Is no fruit Of our Northern
States more delicious than the plum,
none more scarce, none more profitable
70 raise. Yet the curculio has nearly
banished plum culture from our coun-
try. Notwithstanding the ravages Of the
Little Turk" however. several Michi- |
gan orchardists secure this CROP annual
". with scarce \ failure. A few years |
since one Of Ger alumni, Immediately
upon graduation. engaged TO labor for
an orchardist of Northern Ohio. Some
fine plum trees attracted his attention.
He asked if they raised plums. "Oh,
no. was the response. The trees
bloom full every year. but the plums all
drop OF" He gained consent to hight
the curculio. and also gained large
and profitable crop of this delicious
fruit. The curculio hibernates, and il
confined will live for years when prop
erly fed and cared for II Is nocturnal,
| and early in the season hides under
chips. boards. etc., by day. but later
remains in the trees in the day time, as
well As after nightfall. 1t stings the
plums from the time they set till cher
| ries are ripe. In singing. it makes
crescent-shaped cut about the puncture
where the egg Is put Upon Matching
the larva eats into the fruit, causing It
to fall prematurely- II also attacks
cherries. peaches, pears and apples. but
none Of these last fall from the tree as
the result Of attack.
Early in the season. II there are no
weeds, grass or rubbish beneath the
plum, peach or cherry trees (the dam
are TO apples and pears will hardly war
rant effort to rid them Of this enemy.
il will pay to lay piecesof board or bark
or chips beneath the trees The bee
ties will hide beneath these traps by
day, and can be easily gathered up and
destroyed. Mr.. A. 5. Dyckman. Of
! South Haven, Mich, whose plum or
. chard has been immensely profitable,
! states that this method saves him three
hundred dollars annually over the old
method Of exclusive jarring. Mr. Dyck-
! man uses oak bark. places two small
? pieces beneath each tree. on opposite
! sides near the trunk. with smooth sur
face down. He employs boys to gather
the insects, and pays them according 70
2 the number they find. This insures
close examination. The curculios are
\ placed in an open bottle, closed by the
I. thumb of the one who Is gathering
them
Often the character Of the orchard
precludes this method. and even wher
4 practiced ii needs to be supplemented
!; late in the season. by the Earring Of
4 sheet process. This Is not expensive
;, and often brings q tremendous profit
e To practice this we have only 10 put ,
il shcet-a white sheet is best-beneatl
a the tree and give the limbs a suddeI
d lar. The little beetles, looking lik'
y dried buds, fall to the sheet, when the,
can be caught and killed. For q few
"A trees the sheets can be tackled o
\ sewed to . cheap rectangular frame
y with narrow slit on one side, so tina
Il the trunk Of the tree can be brought 4
n the center Of the sheets surface. Wit
q but = few trees, two persons can carr,
n this sheeted frame from tree TO tree
y In large orchards IL can be placed d
II one or two wheels, where one perso
y can easily manipulate it. The male
should be Of rubber, or else cloth
wound. 50 that in striking the branche
~ they may not be injured. A sudde
y 4 IUI - WHAt - NtEAt4 W AEt tttC ii-ttt'
~ From several years experience, kno'
~ that with caution no damage need B
done.
" The trees should be Jared very earl
~ in the morning. or just before darl
z. when the weevils are mostly In III
n u trees. The Earring should begin as 500
y as the fruit sets. and continue As lon
as the insects are caught The FRI
or quency Of jarring. whether once /
nd twice daily, or less, will be indicated }
n; the success in catching the beetle
oil Let all remember that these lit
nd weevils are very small, and when the
" curl up. to fall, look like dried buds,
III that the inexperienced eye hardly SCI
all them Look very carefully, or you vi
nd be deceived in thinking that you q
OF free from the pest. when, indeed, yoV
es; trees are fairly overrun. "A brother
m mine commenced few years ago
oil raise plnms exclusively for the curculi
he Not thinking this profitable, he beg
e.; three years ago 10 use the sheet, a
nrs now he has plums ITO sell and TO keep
Prof "A. y. Cook, MichigdB Agric'
m turai College, IN N. y. Tribune.
ncs -
ing ATa late sale in Paris, book by