The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-08-15

tBy FRED f. BROOKS. West Virginia |
University Agricultural Experiment |
Station.)
The plum curculio is snout beetle |
about one-fifth of an inch long. Its
color is a mixture of black, brown and
white, with the darker shades greatly
predominating. On the back are sew
eral prominent humps which give the
insect roughened appearance and
make 1t difficult to distinguish while
on the tree from the bark or from a
dry bud 1t Is armed with a curved
snout one-third as long as the body.
The insect is a native of this coun-
try and is distributed over practically
all the United States east of the Rocky
mountains Before orchards were
planted within its range 1t undoubted-
ly fed and bred on wild plums, crab
apples and hawthorns, but with the
settlement Of the country 1t turned it's
attention more to cultivated fruits. al
though it continues to breed on the
wild, native varieties. 1t attacks plums,
peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries.
apples, crab apples, pears, ounces
and hawthorns,, and has even been re-
ported as breeding on persimmons. On
account of the usual abundance of the
insect and the great variety OF valu-
able fruits which 1t attacks, there is
little doubt but that it has been right
fully designated as the most destruc-
tive of all the insect enemies of the
orchardist in this section of the cOun-
Try.
It Injuries the fruit by puncturing
holes through the skin with Its snout
both for the purpose of feeding and
egs-laying. The feeding punctures
time during the summer, but the egg
punctures are made mostly while the
; apples are small These wounds. and
the subsequent feeding Of the larvae
which hatch from the eggs. cause the
fruit to become dwarfed In size. lop
sided, knotty and otherwise mis-
shapen.
The injuries done by the plum cur
, culio are not so easily prevented al
are those Of some other insects, ant
yet there are a number Of methods
that can be used against them with
very satisfactory measure OF success
. In dealing with the insect on apple
by far the most effective means of pre-
venting loss Is spraying with one O
. the arsenical poisons, such as pari
!. green, or, preferably. arsenate OF lead
Even where spraying is practiced
!. however. 1t Is a good plan to use i
connection with the operation some G
the other measures suggested here.
the best possible results are to be oil
: tanned.
The apple curculio has been col
Z fused often with the plum curculio, bu
in reality 1t is quite distinct from this
: species In both appearance and habit
Z The apple curculio is more reddisl
Z brown in color, the form is more r
I bust and on the back are four prom
nept humps, the front two of whic
are much larger than any of the humI
on the back of the plum curculio. Tt
snout of the apple curculio is almo
+ as long as the rest OF the body. {
Z three times the length of that OF II
other species. The snout Is carrie
projecting FORWARD, inseedo VI honeA
down like an elephants trunk, as
= the case with the plum curculio.
Z In attacking the fruit the apple GU
4 culio bores through the skin. In ma
= ner similar to that OF the other sp
Z cies, but after the puncture Is col
Z pleted and the egg laid, only an Ind
Z tinct speck is left on the surface
r mark the place of injury, whereas Il
Z plum curculio makes the conspicuo
= ,rescent-shaped mark. A glance at Z
+ insects or at their work Is sufhcient
Z enable anyone. who is at all well
Z ouainted with the species. to dist
= euish between the two.
Z Where the apple curculio becom
Z troublesome care should be taken tn
= no thickets of wild crab or hawtho