The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
SAVE YOUR PEACHES.

Eternal vigilance IS the price OF
peaches" This, made up from what
great man once said with reference to Ih-
erty. was an aphorism of the late Capt.
Isaac Donovan of Alabama, who in MS time
was the most extensive and successful
peach grower in the lower South. Il cor
rcctly represents the true state of the case
even in i section where the crchardist has
fewer peach troubles, las yellows, etc. TO
contend against, than are characteristic of
the Northern peach regions.
While it may be said that the Texas
peach grower has but two remediable ad-
verses TO circumvent, these, il left without
due attention, arc entirely sufficient to
rather efIcctuallv blast his prospects for
success. One OF these is found in the peach
tree borer--the -I5gcria eXitosa Of cntomol-
ogists-and the other in the plum COR peach)
cmcuiio, known to science as ContrachelEs
nenuphar The former bores into the body
Of the tree, usually about the earth line,
and seriously damages it-oftcn kills it
while the latter bores into the fruit, caus-
ing it to fall prematurely, or TO be what we
ness The tree borer can be easily knocked
out by a correct application of the arsenical
remedy already described in these columns,
but to effectually get the better Of the cur
culio is L thing by no means SO easy Of ac-
cOmplishment
The parent OF the plum curculio, or worm
found in the peach or plum, is brownish-
black beetle measuring only about one
fifth of an inch in length. II is capable of
flying and hence passes from tree to tree,
usually moving at night. When the young
pluns or peaches are the size Of cranberry
it begins 'stinging Them as we say, that
is, it cuts through the outer skin and in the
opening so made deposits an egg. From
this egg is soon Matched minute grub or
worm which at once cuts Its way into the
fruit. Finally when the grub has attained
TO full Size the fruit falls and the grub
quits it and goes into the ground. where it
undergoes its transformations and in due
time comes forth perfect beetle ready To
begin the work of 4 new generation in max
ing wormy fruit This kind of thing con-
tinues until the fruit remaining on the trees
has attained TO the age Of ripcucss, and we
then have u worrny product as the result.
Several remedies for this pest have been
proposed and carried into practice by the
Northern peach growers. One of these is
known is Earring the trees Late OF an
evening or early of 4 morning, sheet is
spread upon the ground under the tree. "A
sharp blow with n mallet is given TO the
trunk OF the tree. When the beetle up
among the branches feels the jar it pos
sums after the manner of some larger
beetles, and falls to the sheet, where it can
be found and destroyed. This remedy is
pretty effectual though, of course 1t in
wolves close attention and good deal of
trouble.
Another popular remedy lies in having
hogs running IN the orchard to devour the
curculio-infested fruit so soon as it falls,
and before the insects have had time to
come out and 90 into the ground TO trans
form and get ready FOR the next generation
of worms. If one can get his hogs to eat
the young and green fruit, this Will do
great deal Of good, but for our own part we
have never yet been able 10 find strain of
hogs that would much take to this charac-
ter of fruit. \ hog must be rather hungry,
we take 1t, TO eat green peaches the size OF
a nutmeg, or smailer-the size when their
services are most needed.
The best and simplest thing to do that we
know of, where a person has only COM
paratively small number of trees to look
after, is 10 visit them night and morning
with a basket, pick up all fallen fruit by
hand, and burn it. Merely crushing it will
do no good, neither will removing it TO some
other locality. Il must be burned to de-
stroy the insects. This is work that the
person with only few trees, or only q
small orchard of either plums or peaches.
should never neglect. 1t does not take
much of either time or trouble, and one
plum or peach left upon the ground twenty
four hours may lead TO the ruin Of fifty
specimens later.
Recently a good deal has been said in
favor Of spraying the foliage OF peach or
plum trees with Paris green or London
purple as a remedy for curculio There is
much difference of opinion expressed with
reference to the effectiveness of this
method. If the parent beetle fed upon the
fruit the remedy would be all right, OF
course, but since it does not, but merely
punctures it and deposits an egg beneath
the reach Of the poison, many conclude that
the spraying could do no kind OF good. We
are, ourself. rather inclined to that opinion.
Some persons put bands of tarred paper
around the trunks of their trees to prevent
the beetles from climbing up from the
ground. This Is all folly, a. the beetles fly.