Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-08-31
Destroying the CurcuIiO.

lect, In the financial sense u may
not always pay, but that with
many is not the point at issue.
The curculio, which destroys
apricots, nsctarines, plums, peaches
and cherries, and frequently INJURIES
pears and apples, is a winged IN
sect with a long proboscis and a
small body. When taken in the
hand from the earth or sheet, Ii
much resembles a dried bud, both
ia color and shape The incision
it makes in fruit isnot malicious
but simply the carrying out OF It's
maternal instincts. In the cres
cent-shaped cut it makes it deposit
an egg, or nit This soon matches
and becomes q worm. living on
the fruit until it attains a certain
perica of growth, when it leaves IT
goes, probably, iAtO the earth until
the xext spring, and then appears
as the full hedged winged inoect'
>. uSt;no'' more fruit. and die in
its turn.
The common period OF work for
this insect is the early morning
rem daylight until the dew is gone
At least this is The best time 10
catch it, because then there Is
usually little or no wind and 1t IS
moderately cool. The tools want
ed are a white muslin sheet und a
rubber mallet: The sheet should
be large enough TO cover the ground
under the trees to be operated up
on, with a slit in the middle for
halt its length, so that ii can pass
around the trunk. The sheet IS to
be kept open by light sticks or
laths nailed at the ends, and two
sersons at least are needed too per
ate it, and three are better. Lay
the sheet on the ground, and with
the mallet strike the tree on the
trunk ii not large, Or else on some
of the limbs. Tie blow should he
sharp rather tLan heavy. On feel
ing the jar the curculio draws up
his Ger her) legs and drops. On
reaching the sheet it lies motion-
less for a minute or two, as 1t
feigning death. Hunt it out pick
it up, and destroy it. Go from
tree to tree in this way, once each
fair day at least, and as much OF
tener as you can. Every specimen
of fruit will not be saved, but a
fair share Of the crop. Much will
depend on the time the work is be-
gun and the persistency with
which it is kept up. 1t should
commence the moment the frat
"sets,' and be kept up through
live or six weeks, or uutil 1t is
nearly ripe. 1t can be done rapid,
ly after a little practice, or at the
rate Of about one tree per minute
lin a cultivated orchard,
Ellnangcr & Barry, thcnoied
nursery firm of Rochester, and Johl
IL. Thomas, Of the Country Ge"
Itleman, (who resides at Uniol
ISpring, N " have practised this
system for thirty or forty years
mainly with plums, and with pay
ing results, as they claim. If they
can pay for hired la0Or to do sue
work, it ought also to pay thos
amateurs or others who have onl,
a few trees. and "ho are anxious f
lschieve the best results with them
Only one grown person and on
or two children TO assist,are needle
Ito do the work. A very little praC
, tce will enable the operators t
? single out the curcullo from tn
D bits of rubbish which the MALE
may bring down from the tree
The number per tree on he
morning will vary greatly some
+ times none, sometimes two dozen
s though this number is rare. ShaE
n ing the tree will not answer;
must be blow. Mr.. Thorna
i recommends that spike be drive
- Into the tree and a nail-hamm.
d struck upon it; others saw off
o spare limb, and strike on the stun.
A rubber mallet the writer b;
found to be preferable to elthc