INSECTS. 461 



on the subject in one year alone. Yet no complete, effec- 

 tual remedy has been discovered. The strongest liquid 

 applications of lime, soap, and tobacco, the most power- 

 ful and offensive odors that repel any other insects, are 

 entirely harmless and inoffensive to the curculio. There 

 seem to be really but two means worthy of being re- 

 sorted to. One is, to pave, or in some other way harden, 

 the surface of the ground, so that the grubs cannot 

 enter it to complete their transformations. This is found 

 efficient where no other trees are in the immediate vicinity 

 not paved. We have seen many instances where good 

 crops were obtained by this mode. The fact that they 

 are, as a general thing, less troublesome in stiff clay 

 soils than in light porous ones, is alone a proof of the 

 efficacy of a stiff or impenetrable surface soil. 



Add to this the picking up of fruit containing the grub 

 as soon as it drop-; from the tree, and before the worm 

 has a chance to escape. 



To accomplish both these ends, some people have 

 planted their plums and apricots in a small inclosure by 

 themselves, adjoining the hog-pen, and as soon as the 

 fruits begin to drop these animals are admitted, and 

 gather all up, and at the same time tread the ground 

 so firmly that it is almost as good as if it were paved. 



This is probably the easiest and best way to insure a 

 crop of the fruits attacked by this insect. 



Another way is, to jar the tree daily, from the moment 

 they begin to appear, which is when the fruit is the size 

 of a pea, until they have disappeared, or the fruit begins 

 to ripen, when it is no longer attacked. This is our own 

 method, and is successful. The insects are easier jarred 

 off in the cool of the morning, while they are torpid. 



Before commencing to jar them down, a white sheet or 

 clotfi, wide enough to cover all the ground under the 

 branches, should be spread to receive the insects as they 

 fall, so that they may be destroyed. This was recom- 



