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around the trunk to the height of about eighteen inches early 

 in June, and leaving this mound till the end of September. 



In just what way this mounding prevents the attacks of 

 the borer is unknown, but in such trees their numbers are 

 greatly reduced, and when combined with cutting out in the 

 spring excellent results are obtained. 



But peach trees should not be the only ones watched for 

 this insect, as it also attacks plums and cherries; and these 

 also should therefore be examined every spring, and any 

 borers found in them be destroyed, to prevent the peach 

 orchard being annually restocked with this pest. 



Plum Cukculio. 



Every plant has its insect enemies, but, though the number 

 of these differs with different plants, in each case one or two 

 are of prime importance. It is probable that nine out of 

 every ten fruit growers, if asked to name the most serious 

 foes of the apple, pear, peach and plmn respectively, would 

 agree upon the San Jose scale; and after this would select 

 the codling moth for the apple, the pear psylla for the pear, 

 the borer for the peach and the curculio for the plum. Yet 

 it is doubtful if more than two or three of the nine persons 

 making this selection would know the adult plum curculio 

 if they saw it. Its small size, its inconspicuous colors and its 

 habits combine to aid it in escaping notice, but the work 

 it does makes this pest an important one. 



The plum curculio {Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst.) is 

 a small snout beetle, one of a group containing many im- 

 portant pests, among them being the cotton boll weevil of the 

 south. It appears in early spring soon after the buds open, 

 coming from the protected hiding places in which it has 

 spent the winter months, and, flying to the plum trees, feeds 

 to some extent upon the tender leaves while waiting for the 

 fruit to grow. When this has taken place the beetles pass 

 to the little plums, and here and there deposit their eggs. 

 This process is at least suggestive of the exercise of some in- 



