Sec. 12.] ENTOXIOLOGIC^VL. 219 



simply bj- spreading a lioavy coat of fresh horse manure on the ground under 

 his trees. He said it entirely prevented the ravages of the curcnlio, when 

 on their account he had not been able to gatlier a crop of plums for years 

 before." 



SoLox Robinson read the following letter from Dobbs' Ferry. The man 

 certainly can read, at least he says so, but we wonder how he can own a tree 

 liable to the attacks of the curculio, and know so little about it. He savs : 



'• I have been much interested in the doings and sayings of the Fanners' 

 Club, but in the various debates before that body, I have seen no statement 

 advanced concerning the habits of tlic curculio. I have also read several 

 articles concerning its depredations, but I have yet to learn whether it is a 

 flying insect, or simply crawls up the body of trees. 1 have several cherry- 

 trees in my garden of choice varieties, and I can safely say that every cherry 

 was jHinctnred by the curculio this spring. 



"The trees are growing and have just commenced bearing. 



" The soil is sandy. 



" My neighbor, less than a hundred feet from me, has escaped its ravages. 



" Does it fly or crawl ? 



" "Would a barrel or trough similar to those used on the elms of New 

 Haven be of any service in staying its ravages ? 



" Are the worms in the common black cherry, which is imiversally 

 inhabited, produced by the curculio ? 



" Is there any remedy for this pest ?" 



That question — " Is there any remedy for this pest?" — has been answered 

 in every agricultural paper in the world, and so it has been stated that the 

 insect has wings, and yet the writer of this letter has not read of it. 



Let me ask another question : " How is it j^ossiblc to enlighten people 

 who will not read ? or, reading, will not understand ?" 



Dr. TniMnLE — I am now trying several experiments to prove that the 

 same insect that stings the fruit makes the knots on the limbs. No attach- 

 ment to the bole of a tree can be any protection against a flying insect like 

 the curculio. The excrescence on the limb is no more remarkable than the 

 insect that produces the balls upon oak-trees. Dr. T. showed specimens 

 of the curculio of plums, that he had hatched out in earth covered to pre- 

 vent escape, to show that the insect becomes perfect from the first laying of 

 eggs in young plums, and, as he tiiinks, these perfect insects lie dormant till 

 spring. The rpicstion is. Where do they hide themselves xmtil the young 

 fruit is ready for them to deposit their eggs ? 



Prof Mapks said that a preparation called Persian Powder is said to bo 

 very cfloctujil in destroying insects. 



AVxi. S. C'AitrENTEK thought that no bug-powder would rid a farm of cater- 

 pillars. Something else must be done. 



AVm. Lawtkn said that lie had cleared his farm ot' tent cateri>illnr9 by 

 pulling down the nests by hand, with all the worms in them, when they arc 

 easily destroyed. 



