The Portland daily press., 1883-10-12
AGRICULTURAL.
Fruit Insects.


A young cultitator, who is about to set
out fruit garden with general supply of
fruits, wishes 20 know what are the most
formidable insects to be generally feared,
and how to meet them to best advantage; and
also if there are any other troubles to guard
against. in answer, a book might very
properly be written on the subject; and we
can, therefore, on the present occasion give
only a few condensed and leading state
ments.
The Apple. The most formidable enemy
is the codling moth, and the remedy is spray
ing with Paris green in seven hundred times
as much water, two or three times when the
apples are as large as cherries. The canker
worm is killed by the same treatment earlier
in the season. The orchard caterpillar is
easily destroyed by well known means. The
borer is killed by punching in its hole with
flexible wire. With these remedies prompt
ly applied it is not difficult to have good
crops of apples; but good culture and ma
nure are also indispensable.
The Pear. The great drawback is the
blight A remedy, pretty efficacious, is cut
ting off promptly all the affected limbs and
burning them; and the best preventative is
planting those sorts least liable to the dis
ease as the Seckel, Winter Nelis, Duchesse,
Clairgeau, Anjou, etc. In some places the
curculio disfgures the crop; and the young
fruit is to be treated the same as for the
plum, and the codling worm the same as for
the apple.
The plum has its great enemy, the curcu-
lilo, usually regarded as too formidable to be
conquered We have for many years found
the insects easily destroyed by Earring down
on stiffened sheet carried on the operators
left arm, while striking with heavy ham
mer in his right hand on an iron plug, when
they are quickly killed with a pinch of
thumb and finger The whole expense for
season is about six cents a tree; but there
must be no intermission. Failure results
from the use of padded mallets and other
feeble appliances. The black knot some
times destroys plum trees; but it is easily
kept off by prompt excision.
The great drawback of peach culture is
the yellows. When first seen in an orchard.
the diseased trees must be grubbed up and
burned The grub in the bark at the root is
easily cut out and destroyed. To keep
peach orchard in good bearing condition, the
ground must be kept mellow by cultivation,
and the limbs must be kept short by cutting
back in spring.
The cherry is troubled with the cIrculio
and with birds. The former is prevented by
the same method as described for the plum.
1t is hard to say what is the best treatment
for the birds. Some cultiVators assert that
they are more formidable than all insects
taken together in their attacks on cherries,
Strawberries, blackberries, and often on ear
ly pears and peaches.
Currants are easily protected from the
current worms by busting o. spraying with
white hellebore; but the operation must
never be deferred till next day after they are
first seen. The same remedy protects goose
berries.
Nearly all these remedies, if promptly, in
telligently and unremittingly applied, an
swer their intended purposes we'll, and do
not require SO much labor as the proper Gull
tivation of the soil. The preceding are the
principal enemies of the fruit crop, although
number of others of less Importance might
be named.-Country Gentleman.