494 THE CURCULIO. 



curculio, and deposits there an egg, and soon hatches 

 a worm. This fly is called Sigalphus curculionis. It 

 is hoped that it will so increase as to prevent the 

 ravages of the curculio. 



A great many preventives of the destruction 

 caused by this insect have been proposed. The one 

 most widely practised is that of spreading a sheet 

 under the tree, and striking the stem smartly, when 

 the beetle falls, as if dead. It should then be taken 

 up and committed to the flames. If left to itself, 

 it soon starts up and flies away. 



Dr. Fitch speaks highly of an application sug- 

 gested by Mr. Cummings, of the " New York 

 Observer." This consists of four ounces of sulphur, 

 with a pound of whale-oil soap, added to four 

 gallons of lime-water, the whole poured into an 

 equal quantity of strong tobacco-water. But he 

 thinks the eflect will be equally efiicient if sulphur 

 and lime were omitted. This is syringed over the 

 leaves of the tree, and repeated as often as it is 

 washed off by the rain. The process should begin 

 at the time when the curculio first makes his 

 appearance. 



(2) The Hose Bug — Macrodactylus suhspinosus. 

 Page 454. 



2. The fall of the Fruit. Page 490. 



3. Sterilitj/. Page 444. 



