'New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 455 



comes forth early in the spring to deposit its eggs in the young 

 fruits, commencing as soon as they are formed. It does this by 

 puncturing the tissue and inserting the egg. After the egg is 

 deposited, the beetle cuts a crescent-shaped groove around one 

 side of the puncture evidently to prevent the growing tissue from 

 crushing the egg. The eggs hatch in a few days when the little 

 worm, or larva, at once commences to feed on the fruit causing 

 much of the infested fruit to fall while still young and that which 

 remains on the trees ripen prematurely and soon decay. 



The curculio does not confine its attacks to plums, but it usually 

 infests plum orchards and if left unmolested, often destroys an 

 entire crop. 



Treatment. — It has been found that the beetles' manner of 

 protection is to fall to the ground when disturbed. Here they 

 curl up so as to resemble bits of bark. Advantage is taken of 

 this habit in fighting the insect by a process known as jarring. 

 The trees are jarred by three or four strokes with a padded crutch 

 or mallet and the insects are caught on sheets spread underneath 

 the tree and destroyed. 



The curculio catcher commonly used in the vicinity of Geneva 

 is one made by Mr. J. B. Johnson, Geneva, IST. Y. The frame 

 over w^hich the sheet is stretched is attached to a two-wheeled 

 cart. The sheet slopes downwards to the center where an open- 

 ing allows the bugs to be swept into a tin box underneath the 

 sheet and between the wheels. A slit at one side allows the cart 

 to be run directly under the tree and two or three jars bring down 

 the bugs which are swept into the box above mentioned, by means 

 of a short handled broom. The cultivated ground is made smooth 

 by rolling to prepare it so that the cart wheels will pass over it 

 readily. Jarring should be begun as soon as the fruit sets and be 

 continued as long as the curculio are found in sufficient numbers to 

 pay for jarring, which is usually for about three weeks. Early 

 morning is the best time to do this work. Towards the middle of 

 the day, especially on bright days, they are more active and apt 

 to fly. 



