OF WASHINGTON. 231 



In fact, it was a pleasure for him to predict these happenings a 

 day or two in advance with unerring accuracy. 



Although a man who observed much and recorded many facts, 

 he published very little. In the bibliography of the published 

 writings of American economic entomologists we find recorded 

 but nine papers which Trimble was known to have published. 

 The most important of these was his treatise on the Insect Ene 

 mies of Fruit and Fruit Trees, which he dedicated to the farmers 

 and fruit-growers of America in 1865. 



He had studied these enemies for many years, and at first it 

 was an investigation made necessary for the protection of his own 

 crops. From this experience he ascertained many facts that he 

 had not been able to find in books or cabinets. The interest thus 

 excited was increased by the reading of the valuable works of 

 Kirby and Spence, Huber, Latreille, Say, Harris, Fitch, and 

 many others. From this reading and personal experience, Trim 

 ble felt satisfied that the interests of all fruit-growers would be 

 promoted if the practical knowledge on this subject could be 

 gathered into a separate work ; and he felt it his duty to make a 

 beginning by contributing his portion. 



He maintained that any individual could subdue his fruit 

 enemies if he chose, and all that was necessary to accomplish 

 this object was to adopt some general plan of treatment. His 

 first work, therefore, was a review of personal experiences with 

 the plum curculio and codling-moth, or apple-moth, as he called 

 it, two insects that had been conspicuously abundant in his 

 orchard, both of which he conquered by persistent and energetic 

 warfare. He believed that a work to be of much practical value 

 to the average fruit-grower must be profusely illustrated. He 

 therefore secured the services of the talented artist, Hochstein, 

 of New York, who came to his house in order that the drawings 

 might be personally supervised. Trimble's first volume con 

 tained eleven plates, eight of which were richly colored. Care 

 ful and minute descriptions of these plates followed each, and it 

 must be co'nceded that he spared neither time nor money in mak 

 ing his work intelligible by addressing his illustrations to the eye. 

 His specimens were carefully selected and beautifully arranged 

 on his plates. 



As soon as he determined on the preparation of his book he 

 began a systematic investigation upon the time of the appearance, 

 the habits and the depredations of the various insect pests that 

 came under his observation, and noted every evening what he 

 had seen during the day. During the season of 1864, he says, 

 " this diary made many volumes." That portion relating to the 

 curculio and codling-moth has been incorporated in his published 

 work, but, unfortunately, so far as we are aware at present, the 

 other notes have been lost 



