2G4 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



ALTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Our Society continues to Increase in numbers and in interest ; the past year our .v\ eragi 

 attendance has been about fifty, and the meetings hare been more than usually inter- 

 esting and instructive. The practice of holding our meetings at the residence of 

 members was the turning point from which may be dated the establishment of our 

 Societ y upon a firm and lasting - basts-. The increasing interest manifested in our meetings- 

 since we commenced the practice of "■meeting round," assures us that the soc-ial feature 

 of our Society is the one best calculated to draw ont a good attendance, preserve good 

 order, and secure strict attention to our legitimate business. Each year we hare essays, 

 reports and discussions embracing the whole range of horticultural topics. Our pro- 

 ceedings are published in the Daily and Weekly Telegraph. The Society also has about 

 sixty slips, containing our proceedings, struck off", of which the secretary sends one to 

 each of the leading horticultural and agricultural journals, to different prominent horti- 

 culturists, and to different horticultural societies. Our object in sending to the different 

 horticultural societies is not solely to gire them some sound horticultural knowledge, 

 but to procure an exchange. I mention this from the fact that, up to the present time, 

 we have received an exchange from but two societies, viz.: the Quincy Horticultural 

 Society regularly, and the Dayton, Ohio, Society occasion-ally. The officers of the 

 different horticultural societies will please make a note of this. 



From the different essays and reports of the past year, I select the following- as cons- 

 taining matters of interest for your annual report : 



THE PLUM CUKCULIO. 



An Essay bead before the Alton Horticultural Society, at its Regular 

 Monthly Meeting, heli> on the Tth of February, 1868, by Dr. E. S. Hull. 



There are at least fire beetles of the curculio family that aire destructive to our fruits-. 

 In this paper, however, we-shall chiefly confine onr remarks to the one known as the 

 True Plum Curculio. For a full and scientific description of this insect, see Walsh in the 

 Practical Entomologist, page 75, vol. 2. This plum curculio, so-called, has of fate years 

 become so generally disseminated and destructive to our fruits, that any farts concerning 

 its ha dits cannot fail to arrest attention. In this latitude curcullos begin to make their 

 appearance early in the season, always some days before the trees are in bloom, and are 

 usually stocked with well grown eggs by the time the young plums are as large as a pea. 



Everywhere in this region where orchards are numerous and regularly in bearing, the 

 curculio has so increased in numbers that they no longer confine their operations to the 

 plum, but deposit their eggs in all our orchard fruits. Tbese inseets are also we!3 

 acquainted with the hickory nut. This year, on a large shell bark tree contiguous to 

 our orchard, on which there were one or two bushels of nuts, not one could be found 

 which had not been destroyed by them. I hare also known them to deposit their ej 

 in strawberries, gooseberries, and occasionally in grapes. Perhaps It is a little curious 

 that these last named fruits, as well as apples and pears, should be attacked by them, 

 since in none of these are the larv.w perfected, except ha the very early apples. The 



