The Red Cloud chief., 1880-06-17
How Michigan Fights CurculiO.

THERE i no fruit of our Northern
States more delicious than the plum.
none more scarce, none more profitable
10 raise. Yet the curculio has nearly
banished plum culture from our Il
try. Notwithstanding the ravagcs of the
Little Turk" however, several Anchi-
gan orchartf-ts secure this GRO annual
ly. with scarce a failure. \ few years
since one of our alumni, Immediately
upon graduation. engaged TO labor for
an orchardi>t 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 Off" He gained consent TO fight
the curculio, and also gained Il large
and profitable crop of this delicious
fruit. The curculio hibernates, and if
confined will live for years when prop
erly fed and cared for. 1t is nocturnal.
and early in the season hides under
chips, boards. etc, by day, but later
remains in the trees in the day time, rs
well rs after nightlall. 1t stipgS the
plumS from the time they set till cher
ries are ripe. In singing, il makes a
crescent-shapcd cut about The puncture
where the egg is put. Upon Matching
the larva eats into the fruit, causing ii
to fall prcmatWrely. 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, if there are no
weeds, grass or rubbish beneath the
plum, peach or cherry trees (the dam
age to apples and pears will hardly war
rant effort to rid them of this enemy,
il will pay To lay pieceso of 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. :. 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 Earring. Mr.. Dyck-
man uses oak bark. places W. small
pieces beneath each tree, on opposite
sides neal the trunk. with smooth sur
face down. He employs boys to gather
the insects, and pays them according TO
the number they find. This ~insures
close examination. The c~urculios are
placed in an open bottle, closed by the
thumb of the n who is gathering
them.
Often the character of the orchard
precludes this method, and ever when
practiced it needs 10 be supplemented,
late in the season. by the Earring or
sheet process. This is not expensive.
and often brings a tremendous profit.
To practice thS we have only 10 put 4
Sheet-a white sheet is beSt-beneath
the tree and give the limbs a sudden
jar. The little beetles, looking like
dried buds, fall to the sheet, when they
can be caught and killed. For n few
trees the sheets can be tackled or
sewed TO a cheap rectangular frame,
with Il narrow slit on one side, so that
! the trunk of the tree can be brought 10
the center Of the sheets surface. With
but 4 few trees, two persons z carry
this sheeted frame from tree 10 tree.
In large orchards it can be placed on
one or two wheels. where one person
can easily manipulate il. The mallet
should be of rubber. or else cloth
wound, so that in striking the branches
they may not be injured. A sudden
jar is what is needed to fell the insects.
From several years experience, l know
that with caution no damage need be
done.
The trees should be Jared very early
in the morning. or just before dark,
when the weevils are mostly in the
trees. The Earring should begin as soon
as the fruit sets, and continue as long
as the insects are caught. The fire.
quency OF Earring, whether once or
twice daily. or less, will be Indicated by
the success in catching the ~oeetles.
Let all remember that these little
weevils are very small, and when they
curl up TO fail. look like dried buds. so
that the inexperienced eve hardly sees
them. Look very carefully. or YOU will
be deceived in thinking that YOU are
free from the pest, when, indeed. yorr
trees are fairly Overrun. A brother of
mine commenced a few years ago 90
raise plums exclusively for the curculio.
Not thinking this profitable, he began
three years ago to use the sheet. and
now he has plumS ito sell and to keep"
-Prof. ID Cook, Michigan Agricul-
tuTaI College, in v. Y. Tribune.