214 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



to some extent upon the yonng, tender foliage. But 

 this spraying cannot be depended upon to fully pro- 

 tect the crop. The beetles have a habit of falling 

 from the tree when disturbed. This fact is taken 

 advantage of for destroying them. Sheets are fas- 

 tened over light frames that are made with an opening 

 on one side so that they may be slipped about the 

 trunk of the tree ; the tree is then jarred sharply, the 

 beetles falling upon the sheets, where they may be 

 gathered up and destroyed. This work is best done 

 early in the morning, since the beetles fly too quickly 

 during the heat of the day. Curculio catching should 

 begin as soon as the young fruits are well formed, 

 and the trees should be gone over every morning as 

 long as the insects are found in any quantity. In some 

 seasons they will be practically all caught in three 

 weeks and at other times it will be necessary to con- 

 tinue the catching almost to the time for gathering 

 the fruit. This is a laborious and expensive business, 

 and is not undertaken by all growers. It is, however, 

 the only method by which immunity from this pest 

 can be secured, and it is found to pay well by those 

 who have followed it most thoroughly. 



The San Jose scale (^Aspidiotus perniciosus) is an 

 insect coming originally from China that first attracted 

 attention in this country in the neighborhood of San 

 Jose, California. It has since spread to practically all 

 fruit-growing sections, usually having been carried on 

 infected nursery stock. This fact more than any- 

 thing else has led to the enactment in most of the 

 states of stringent laws governing the inspection of 

 nurseries and the traffic in and importation of nursery 



