STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 85 



reality irrcatly resemble a dried fruit bud. Tt attacks, either for purposes of propaga- 

 tion or for food, the Xcetarine, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Cherry, Apple, Pear and 

 Quince, preferring them in the order of their naming. 



It is always most numerous in the early part of the season on the outside of those 

 orchards that are surrounded with timber. It is also more numerous in timbered 

 regions than on the prairie. 



It can tly and does fly, especially during the heat of the day ; so cotton bandages 

 around the; trunk, and all like contrivances, are worse than useless. 



It prefers smooth-skinned to rough-skinned stone fruit. 



Tlie Miner Plum, otherwise known as the Hinckley Plum, Isabel Plum, Gilett Plum, 

 Townscnd Plum, Robinson Plum; and other varieties of that wild species known as 

 the Chickasaw Plum [Prvnas cMcasa), are less liable to its attacks than other kinds. 



Both the male and female puncture the fruit for food by gouging hemispherical 

 holes; but the female alone makes the crescent-mark above described. 



Scarcely any eggs are deposited after the pit of the fruit has become hard. 



The cherry when infested remains on the tree, and the preventive measures that may 

 be applied to other fruits will consequently not hold good with this. 



The larva cannot well undergo its transformations in earth which is dry or baked, and 

 severe drouths are consequently prejudicial to its increase. 



It often matures in apples and pears, especially in early varieties, but in the great 

 majority of instances the Q'^g either fails to hatch or the young larva perishes in a few 

 days after hatching. 



Many other facts might be cited, but in the foregoing remarks I have confined myself 

 to that which I know, from ample personal experience, to be the truth and nothing 

 but the ti-uth. 



AKTIFICIAL REMEDIES. 



Now, gentlemen, it must be clear to you that, as praeti<;a] men, this is all you need 

 to know to enable you to tight and conquer this evil. Those mooted points which w^e 

 shall presently consider are of great interest to the naturalist and to the scientific man, 

 and although I do not quite agree with Dr. Trimble, that the hi'iernation of the Cur- 

 culio, for-instance, is practically of no consequence, yet llie settlement of these ques- 

 tions is not necessary to the carrying on of a successful warftu-e. We need not necessa- 

 rily xinderstand the morphology of a ijlant in order to make it grow ; neither is it always 

 neccsssary to penetrate into all the details of an insect's history in order to cir- 

 cumvent its injuries. You can fight Curculio without being a tliorough Entomologist. 

 The remedies are few. They consist of prevention, by destroying the fallen fruit 

 which contains the grub, and by jarring doAvn and catching and killing the beetles. 

 There are a variety of means which can be employed for destroying the grubs which 

 fall with the fruit before they enter the ground. It can be done either by hand or by 

 stock. Hogs and poultry are of undoubted use for this purpose. In the article 

 entitled " Hogs vs. Bugs," in the first number of the American Entomologist, abundant 

 proof in support of this f\ict may be found, and I have, since that was published, 

 obtained much additional proof of a similar nature, and am convinced that our friend 

 Dr. Hull underestimates the value of these auxiliaries. Of course, the first year they 

 are used they do not in the least decrease the number of beetles, but wherever they 

 CAN be used, a most beneficial ellcct will be noticed the second year, and every year 



