The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-03-19


Outstanding that your money will be
returned IL 1t does not help you.
Whites Pharmacy. Pensacola, Fla.
which it is commonly known through
out the country is Plum Curculio."
1t is a native American insect breed
ing commonly in wild plums. haw-
thorns. and crab apples, but finds cui-
tivated plums, peaches, cherries, and
apples, even more attractive. East of
the Rocky mountains. 1t is found
everywhere from Canada to the gulf.
Aside from it's direct injury to the
fruit, this insect is the most important
single factor in spreading brown rot"
which frequently destroys a large pro-
portion of the crop just as It ripens.
Within recent years it has been found
that both OF these fruit pests. the
curculio and the brown rot, may bo
controlled almost entirely by a system
of spraying the fruit, which will be de-
scribed below.
Many people may be interested to
know something Of the life history of
this important insect. and a few of
the leading facts may therefore he
given.
This insect lives drought the winter
only in the adult or beetle stage. find-
ing shelter under leaves. grass, and
other rubbish such as may be common
in orchards or in woodlands adjoining.
They begin to come out of winter
quarters by about the time buds starts
on the peach, and becomes very album
dant soon after the trees have past
their full bloom. They may feed upon
the tender foliage, or as they prefer,
the buds or young fruit. Most of tbs
attacks occur within six weeks after
the blooming time. They breed only
| IN the fruit.
The mother weevil eats out a cavity
large enough to receive an egg. After
the egg has been deposited. she cuts
! a half circle around it, so that tha
egg is really in about the center of a
small flap of the skin OF the fruit This
is done to protect the egg from being
crushed before 1t matches by the ex-
pansion Of the rapidly growing fruit.
After from three to Eve days, &C.
cording to the temperature conditions,
! a small white grub matches from the
egg, and begins burrowing into the
fruit. The grub becomes full grown
in from two to three weeks, and then
always leave the fruit, and burrow
into the ground where they form
earthen cells at depth Of from one
half to two inches, with which they
transform from the grub to the beetle
stage. Several weeks may be spent
in the ground in this process of trans
formation. so that the first beetles in
the spring generation may become
adult and active in about six or eight
weeks after the period of full bloom.
| Until within the last few years,
orchardists have done but little in the
way Of controlling this pest. The most
common method of control has been to
jar the beetles from the trees during
the early morning hours, catching
them upon sheets stretched on wooden
frames, and held beneath the trees
This has been an expensive and I'M
satisfactory method, securing only
partial control Within the past three
or four years it has been found that
these beetles may be kept away by
| spraying the peach trees with an ar
senical poison two or three times dur
ing the early part of the fruiting sea-
son. Neutral arsenate of lead is about
the only poison that can be used with
safety on peach foliage. Extensive
experiments indicate that the beetles
| do not eat this poison but rather that
! it acts as repellant, as the beetles
will Immediately leave poisoned trees.
The most economical and effective
practice is as follows:
Within ten days after the period of
full bloom, spray the trees thoroughly
| with a solution of two pounds (2lbs.)
of neutral arsenate of lead, with three
pounds of freshly slaked lime, in a
barrel of water. After about ten or
twelve days, give a second spray
Ing, this time using two pounds
arsenate Of lead in each barrel of self
boiled lime sulfur" solution. Directions
for preparing this solution are given
In Bulletin No. 152 OF the Alabama
Experiment Station. which win be senr
free to all applicants. The lime sui
fur treatment is used because It Is
very effective in preventing the brown
rot BY using the arsenate of lead AMI
the self boiled lime sulfur together in
this way one spraying is saved, and
unless considerable numbers of the In
sects come into the orchard from out
side sources, no further treatment viii
usually be needed. II there is evidence
of further weevil work, q third spray
ing may be given in about two weeks
using the same materials as in the
second.
Wherever twenty-five or more trees
have to be treated. it win pay the
owner to secure barrel spray pump
outfit. These are made in different
sizes. and at costs ranging from about
$500 to $500 for good outfit. Two
men at least, are needed to operate
a barrel pump, one to do the pumping.
the other to direct the nozzle. A work
ing outfit should include, at least, the
following items:
The pump. which may be purchased
either mounted in a suitable barrel, or
without the barrel. in which case there
is saving of about $500 on FIRST cos.
beside about half the freight. An oil
barrel can be secured locally for about
e1 IN and the rfruar Y,rnnorlxy v,,onpfakl