REMEDIAL MEASURES: HISTORICAL. 161 
its ascent of the body of a tree; from which circumstances, I was led to the following 
reflections and experiments to test their correctness: 
That the remedy must be such as would act, physically, to wit: To interrupt the 
metamorphoses, by preventing the descent of the larvee into the earth; to expose to 
the weather, the pupa, after its descent; or to intercept in its ascent of the body of 
the tree, the parent insect; or, chemically, by substances known to be generally 
deleterious to that class of animals. 
The fruit being the nidus of the ovum, and the earth the habitat, in which it is 
brought to maturity and makes its abode, and the larva, from its soft and delicate 
structure, incapable of traveling, or sustaining the exposure; when the fruit contain- 
ing the larva has fallen and is rotted and consumed by the insect, the larva must 
descend, by the most direct route, from its original depository, the fruit, into the 
earth, its permanent abode, there to undergo the metamorphoses, which will bring it 
to maturity, and fit it for a new series of depredations, which is so secretly performed, 
that though myriads are employed, they are never detected in executing their work 
of destruction, the deposit of their ova. Hence, I concluded, that one of the most 
effectual preventives, would be paving with brick, stone, shells, or some other hard 
substance, impervious to the soft larva, a circular space round the fruit tree, as 
extensive as the fall of the fruit, by which it would be interrupted in its descent into 
the earth, and consequently perish; or that it might be accomplished, by turning up 
the earth under the tree to the same extent, and thereby exposing to the inclemency 
of the weather, the tender pupa, of which two methods, the former is to be preferred; 
because thereby you arrest the passage of the larva to maturity, and necessarily destroy 
it. The latter method, if not performed in time, may allow the perfection of the imago, 
and in this state it is unquestionably more hardy and capable of providing another 
habitation, as secure and comfortable as that of its first election. And by the experi- 
ments which I have made, its descent and maturity are at uncertain and unequal 
periods, which would make an insuperable difficulty, in point of time, for performing 
the operation; if below the descent, it would necessarily be useless; if after the 
maturity, equally so, for reasons given. 
This view of the subject has led me repeatedly to both experiments, which I have 
fairly and impartially made, without the influence of any prejudice, which it might 
be presumed, my reasoning had connected with or in favor of the former; the result 
was, the fruit with which I made the experiment that had been destroyed by curculi- 
ones, for many years, were in all cases, when I paved or shelled, entirely exempt; in 
two cases only, when the earth under the tree was turned up, at different seasons, the 
fruit escaped injury, but from the number that failed, I was inclined to ascribe these 
two to causes accidental and extrinsic. 
The third method proposed, viz: to intercept the parent in its ascent of the body of 
the tree, by various obstacles which the mind will readily suggest, and thereby prevent 
its deposit of ova, though I have made no experiments upon it, [ conceive to be rational, 
and easily accomplished; and with those species of curcuiiones, of which there are 
many, whose wings do not admit of flight, but assist them only in climbing, it would 
undoubtedly be effectual. 
The fourth remedy which I propose, of a chemical nature, I have made but partial 
experiments to establish, such as are not yet satisfactory or conclusive; when finished, 
it wil! give me pleasure to report them, if the result be successful, by a fair and candid 
detail of facts. 
The above seems to be the first definite recommendation for paving 
and the use of various obstacles to prevent the ascent of the trees by 
the supposedly wingless adults. 
17262°—Bull. 103—12——11 
