The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1911-07-29

University Agricultural Experiment
6taton.)
The plum curculio is . snout beetle
about one-fifth of an inch long. lts
color il q 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 dif1cuIt to distinguish while
on the tree from the bark or from q
dry bud. It is armed with curved
snout one-third az long as the body.
The insect ID native Of this coun-
try and IL distributed over practically
all the United States east of the Rocky
mountains. Before orchards were
planted within its range It undoubted-
ly fed and bred on wild plums. crab
apples and hawthorns, but with the
settlement Of the country It turned it,
attention more to cultivated fruits. al
though 1t continues to breed on the
wild, native varieties. 1t attacks plums.
peaches. nectarines. apricots. cherries.
apples. crab apples. pears. ounces
and hawthorne, and has even been re-
ported a. breeding on persimmons. On
account of the usual abundance Of the
insect and the great variety Of valu-
able fruits which 1t attacks. there IL
little doubt but that II has been right
fully designated ~ the most destruc-
tive of all the insect enemies Of the
orchardist in this section OF the coun-
try.
1t Injuries the fruit BY puncturing
holes through the skin with its snout
both for the purpose of feeding and
egg-laying. The feeding punctursa
may be made in apples At almost any
lrne during the summer. but the sGg
punctures are made mostly willis the
apples are small. These wounds. sad
the subsequent feeding Of the larvae
which hatch from the sggs. cause the
fruit 70 become dwarfed n rise. i0p-
sided. knotty and otherwise mfs-
shapen.
The injuries done BY the plum cur.
culio are not 20 easily prevented as
are those Of some other insects. and
yet there are . number Of methods
that can be used against them with a
very satisfactory measure of success.
In dealing with the insect on apples
by far the most effective means Of pre-
venting loss IL spraying with one Of
the arsenical poisons. such as paris
green, or. preferably. arsenate Of lead.
Even where spraying Is practiced,
however. It Is = good plan to use In
Aannection with the operation some Of
II, Ssother measures suggested here. If
TIN best possible results are to be OBJ
tanned
The apple curculio has been con-
fused often with the plum curculio. but
In reality 1t is quite distinct from that
species in both appearance and habits
The apple curculio II more reddish
brown in color, the form is more 70
bust and ON the back are four promi
nent humps, the front two of which
are much larger than any Of the humps
on the back Of the plum curculio. The
snout OF the apple curculio is almost
a. long as the rest Of the body. or
three times the length Of that of the
other species. Tho snout is carried
projecting forward. instead of hanging
down like an elephants trunk. as is
the case with the plum curculio.
In attacking the fruit the apple cur
culio bores through the skin. in man
ner similar to that Of the other spe-
cies. but after the puncture 10 COM
pleted and the egg laid. only an indis-
tinct speck 10 left on the surface to
mark the place Of injury. whereas the
plum curculio makes the conspicuous
crescent-shaped mark. A glance At the
insects or at their work 10 spmcient to
enable anyone. who In at all well &C
quainted with the species. to distin-
guish between the two.
Where the apple curculio becomes
troublesome care should be taken that
no thickets Of Wild crab or hawthorn
m CIT mr. mr.