42 THE PLUM-CURCULIO. 



delay its rapid growth, which otherwise might injure the en- 

 closed delicate egg. This hatches in a few days, and the 

 whitish larva or worm, also shown in the illustration, bores 

 at once into the interior of the fruit until it reaches its stone, 

 which it never enters, however, as is the case with the plum- 

 gouger, which always does so. The work of the larva is al- 

 so shown. Though we can not poison the larvae which are 

 hidden inside the fruit, a second spraying about this time will 

 do some good, as the females continue to deposit their eggs 

 for a long time and require some food. As such spraying 

 will kill also many other injurious insects of the plum-tree it 

 should not be neglected. 



By midsummer the larva has reached its full size and 

 leaves now to pupate; it does so in the earth beneath the 

 tree, and the pupa soon changes to an adult insect. As soon 

 as able to move the freshly issued beetles search for hiberna- 

 ting quarters and are not seen again in the orchard until 

 next spring. 



As will be seen from the above account of the habits of 

 this insect it is not readily combatted by arsenical poisons, 

 though two applications of them will do considerable good. 

 Those who will apph^ either Paris green or London purple 

 for this purpose should recollect that the foliage of the plum 

 is very easily injured by all arsenical poisons, and that it is 

 absolutely necessary to add at least equal parts of quick -lime 

 which will neutralize all soluble arsenic and thus prevent in- 

 jury. 



The old remedy of jarring the trees every day or two 

 over some sheet is after all the most successful one; in doing 

 so during the day, when these beetles are not very active, 

 they drop very readily and can be easily gathered and de- 

 stroyed. The trees should be jarred, not simply shaken. It 

 seems that by jarring we imitate the vibrations produced by 

 the hammering of woodpeckers, and the curculios drop to 

 escape them, while shaking simply imitates the motions pro- 

 duced by the wind. There are also a number of patented 

 and unpatented devices to catch these insects by machinery, 

 which jar the tree, collect the beetles and grind them up. 

 More cannot be expected from one machine! "All fallen fruit 



