Entomological Notes. 301 



manure, put a few pailfulls in an old barrel, mix in a pound of 

 sulphur and a quart of salt; let it stand until you want to apply 

 it. When the flower has just fallen off and the Curculio begins 

 his work, take a few quarts of the liquid, reduce it with water to 

 a moderate degree of strength, add to it a quantity of ashes, 

 making it about the consistency of cream, and, with a basin or 

 broom, drench the top of the tree. If not washed off by a 

 shower, one application will be sufficient. If washed off, repeat 

 the operation, two, three or four times, and your trees, that have 

 lost every specimen of fruit before, will come to the harvest 

 loaded with plums. The other is to mix common tar with soap, 

 boiling it up in an old kettle, dissolve this in water and apply the 

 liquid to the trees with a garden syringe or in other ways." 



Anothe: method by which the same object has been reported as 

 having been attained is, by burning coal tar under the trees and 

 covering leaves and young fruit with a coat of lamp black. In 

 the use of these methods and application, the conditions may not 

 be always alike favorable and consequently the results may not 

 be equally satisfactory ; but, if the remedial agent is used under- 

 standing^ and thoroughly, much benefit will be obtained from 

 any or all of them. The proper time to do the work, as well 

 as the observance of the other condition?, and habits of the 

 insect, must be regarded. Boards, shingles or other things placed 

 under the trees to trap the beetles will be of little or no avail if 

 left until settled and warm weather has come, or they are not vis- 

 ited in the early part of the day ; the beetles will not be found 

 there, and the experiment will be a complete failure. So with 

 jarring, if left until much of the fruit has beeu stung, or it is fol- 

 lowed up carelessly, or left until well into the forenoon, the result 

 will not be satisfactory, and the remedy will be pronounced worth- 

 less. Also the applications, whether of lime, ashes, poisons, 

 offensive liquids or tar smoke, if applied imperfectly or not re- 

 peated after heavy showers or rain, the anticipated benefit will 

 not be realized, and the remedy will be regarded worthless. The 

 failure to use the remedy at the proper time and in the right man- 

 ner will doubtless account for the great diversity in result, and 



