342 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



the curculio will not live through its period of transformation 

 in earth that is kept perfectly dry. The drought of the pre- 

 ceding season was undoubtedly the cause of our exemption from 

 the pest that year. Had we used some of the curculio remedies 

 so much in vogue, they might have had the credit. And all the 

 credit they all have is due to some such adventitious circum- 

 stance. 



Our whole fruit crops seem, in some near future, to be in a 

 great measure, at the mercy of this insect. And the question 

 arises, what can be done ? 



As we approach our plans of managing this question, we wish 

 to take both a scientific and common-sense view of the whole 

 matter. If we could destroy all the young insects, (the worms 

 or larvte,) found in the fruits for one year, we should not expect 

 to find the full grown curculio tlie next season, and this is fos- 

 siklc. This young insect, or grub, in search of food, penetrates 

 to the centre of the fruit, and by feeding there destroys its 

 vitality so that it falls from the tree prematurely, and in almost 

 every instance some days before that worm has finished feeding upon 

 it. During that interval it can be destroyed with less trouble 

 and more certainty than at any other time. Suppose that every 

 fruit grower in the State of New Jersey should have all his fruit 

 bearing trees of every kind within such enclosures that he could 

 turn his stock of hogs amongst them during the time this stung 

 fruit was falling — let those hogs be fed sparingly — (we do not 

 mean that they should be kept squealing hungry, but sharp,) so 

 that they would be constantly in search of this falling fruit — that 

 fruit would certainly be destroyed, and with it that mighty crop 

 of embryo curculios. This may be said to be impracticable, and 

 that is certainly true in the present want of knowledge, but still 

 it is a supposable case. If this were done, the curculio question 

 would be settled for the time. But if impracticable in a State or 

 county, it may be done in a neighborhood — it certainly can be 

 done by an individual. Where your trees are so situated that 

 your hogs cannot run at the proper time, as in j^our garden, then 

 let the falling fruit be gathered by hand, every day, and fed to 

 them or burned. Some suppose the poultry is valuable to de- 

 stroy the curculio. Poultry is certainly destructive to many 

 kinds of insects, but there is scarcely any period in the life of 

 this insect that it is within the reach of your fowl — they cer- 

 tainly will not eat this green, worthless fruit because there is a 



