98 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE iLLtNOlS 



ments so far are not conclusive, for I have some days caught more in the 

 morning, and at others more in the evening. All other things being equal, 

 the evening will prove preferable to the morning, from there being less 

 dew at that time; and I particularly draw your attention to this mattea* 

 now, that you may institute the proper experiments during the coming 

 year. 



THE RANSOM CHIP-TRAP PROCESS. 



Another grand and successful mode of fighting the little Turk was 

 also brought to light again, and to a great extent practiced the past sum- 

 mer. I allude to the Ransom chip-process for entrapping this insect. 

 About the middle of May the horticultural world was startled by a some- 

 what sensational article which was the burden of an extra to the SL yo- 

 se_p/i (Mich.) I/era/d, headed "Great Discovery — Curculio Extermina- 

 tion Possible." The process consists in laying close around the butt of 

 the tree, pieces of chips or bark under which, according to their instinct, 

 a great many of the Curculios secrete themselves during the day and may 

 thus be easily destroyed. Now that we better understand this insect's 

 habits we also better comprehend the philosophy of this process. Being 

 nocturnal in their habits, the beetles naturally seek shelter during the 

 day, and especially is this the case early in the season when the days are 

 chilly and before the females are too much engaged in egg depositing. 

 You are perhaps all familiar with the numerous opinions expressed as to 

 the value and efficiency of this method ; but I will here repeat my own 

 as given to the readers of the American Entomologist and Botanist., first, 

 because I endeavored to be candid and truthful, and secondly, because 

 the opinions expressed have been so fully corroborated by subsequent 

 experience. 



" We are really sorry to damp the ardor and enthusiasm of any per- 

 son or persons, when enlisted in such a good cause, but truth obliges us 

 to do so nevertheless. Of course, Curculio extermination is possible! 

 but not by the above method alone, as our Michigan friends will find to 

 their sorro-w. For a short time, early in the season, when the days are 

 sometimes warm and the nights cold, and before the peach blossoms have 

 withered away, we have succeeded in capturing Curculios under chips 

 of wood and other such sheltered situations ; but we have never been able 

 to do so after the fruit was as large as a hazel-nut, and the Little Turk 

 had got fairly to work. Our Michigan friends will, we fear, find this to 

 be too truly the case. 



" This process, furthermore, can not well be called a discoveiy, because 

 it was discovered several years ago, as the following item from Moore's 

 Rural New Torker., of January 3Sth, 1865, will show: 



How TO Catch Curculio. — In May last we had occasion to use some lum- 

 ber. It was laid down in the vicinity of the plum-yard, and on taking up a piece 

 of it one cold morning, we discovered a number of Curculios huddled together on 

 the underside. On examining other boards we foimd more; so we spread it out to 

 see if we could catch more, and we continued to find more or less every day, for 

 two weeks. We caught in all one hundred and sixty-one. So I think if people 

 •would take a little pains they might destroy a great many such pests. These were 



