CHEBE1 EIPE. 65 



shower of the insects drawn up as if dead, the frightened 

 dissimulators looking, while in this state of collapse, merely 

 like a number of hemp-seeds, but on recovering their na- 

 tural appearance, they are seen to be little dark brown 

 spotted beetles, scarcely one-third of an inch long, with 

 two camel-like humps on their backs, a long curved snout, 

 which when at rest is bent between their fore legs, and a 

 pair of wings. These devastators have been employed in 

 depositing their eggs, one in each plum, from which a 

 progeny of grubs are hatched, which begin to eat their 

 way to the stone, and as soon as this is reached that is to 

 say, early in July the cultivator, who has watched the 

 trees blossom well and the fruit set in abundance and 

 become half grown, has the mortification of seeing it 

 nearly all fall to the ground, spoiled and useless, while 

 the grub enters the soil, and hides there in safety till 

 ready to emerge again, transformed, and recommence its 

 attacks. Finding an easy passage through light sandy soils, 

 it is in such localities that it chiefly abounds, and being 

 found rarely troublesome in heavy ground, and scarcely 

 seen in the case of trees planted in well-trodden places, 

 the plan was tried of paving or spreading hard cement 

 under the trees, an expedient which proved highly suc- 

 cessful. It is then only necessary to turn a few swine 

 into the orchard, to dispose at once of the fallen fruit be- 

 fore its uninvited tenant quits possession, so that no in- 

 sects may survive to renew the campaign next year, and 

 the victory is complete, and the cultivator once more 

 " worth a plum." 



CHAPTER VI. 

 CHEEEY EIPE. 



"See cherries here, ere cherries yet abound, 

 With thread so white in tempting posies tied, 

 Scattering, like blooming maid, their glances round." 



SHENSTONE. 



ABOUT a century B.C., Mithridates the Great, a man 

 of genius as well as a monarch, conceived the idea of 



5 



