STATE HOBTICTTLTURAL SOCIETY. 265 



same remark wlU also apply to the hit'' peaches Btnng early in season ; whereas, In all 

 the early varieties, as well as early nectarines, the apricol and cherry, they breed quite 

 as freely as in the plnm. Notwithstanding the larva' are not perfected Id the pear and 

 late apples, the eggs hatch and the young grubs eat their way a considerable distance 

 into these fruits, w here they perish. 



The fruits, at these wounded parts, cease to grow, and some varieties of apple-, 

 the Rflwle's Janet, for example, in some localities, nearly all rot from the punctures 

 thus made. Those apples that escape rotting are so deformed and knott] as to be of 

 little value, except " t<> sell," and for cider. 



The mischief done by these insects is by no means confined to the Loss of t tu • stung 

 fruits; these, under certain conditions, rot to such an extent, especially some of tin- 

 early peaches, as to defoliate and kill all the interior branches, and so impair the vitality 

 of the trees, as to render them worthless, and, in some instances, to kill them. 



Within a few year- we have discovered that much of the black knot, on the branches 

 of our plum trees, was clearly referable to the stung plums resting on, and rotting on 

 the branches; thus creating those conditions favorable to a Bpecies of fungoid growth 

 resulting in that peculiar enlargement of the limbs known as the " black knot." 



itness the operation of the curculio in stinging the fruit it is necessary to approach 



her with caution, take a near position and remain motionless a few minutes, when Bhe 



■will cease to notice you; being provided with a bi1 of mirror, resting it in a favorable 



position, and, with the further aid of a glass magnifying eight or ten diameters, yon will 



ile i" view the "little turk" at her work. 



'lie insect having taken a strong hold on tic fruit, Bhe depresses her snout, bringing 

 it under her body and in cunt act with 1 he fruit. The end of the .-mud very much resem- 

 bles the lower part of an elephant's trunk. A little way down in this, as Bhe folds hack 

 the end of it, you will observes pair of jaws or shears. If you wish to observe more 

 minutely the shears, crush the body of a female curculio and then place her on her hack 

 under a microscope, with the end of her snout up; in her struggles she will fold hack 



the end of it, and will commence cutting right and left, so as to fully expose her shears 

 and her manner of operating them, the two halves of which are each an exact represen- 

 tation of the cutting blade of a pair of pruning shears. These cutting blades are admira- 

 bly adapted for making the crescent eut of this insect, also for wounding the fruits, from 

 which it sucks its food. With these shear- she make- a minute cut just through the 

 skin of the fruit ; next, without changing her position, Bhe thrusts her Bnoul under the 

 skin of the fruit to the depth of about L-16 of an inch, moving it hack and forth until 

 the cavity is large enough to receive the egg it is to retain. She next changes her i 

 tion and drops an egg into the mouth of the cut, then regains her former position, taking 

 the egg in the end of her snout, crowds it to the end of the passage before described, the 

 upper end of which has been enlarged to receive it. she then enlarges and deep, qs the 

 cut at the entrance, giving it that peculiar crescent Bhape which is the distinguishing 



mark of the plum curculio. in thi- manner she i tinues her operations on from one to 



eight plum- per day, until her More of eggs Is exhausted. The daily average varying 

 atly, according to the temperature; continued warm weather exciting the insect to 

 the greatest activity. Their eggs, after being deposited in the fruit, an' left to depend 

 on the warmth of the atmosphere to hatch ; at this time they may be crushed with the 

 thumb or finger nail, without Injuring the fruit. These eggs are oval, and of a pearl 

 white color, and large enough to he Been by the naked eye. When these are about to 



