INSECTS. ID 



verted from its regular course, and is absorbed entirely by the bark, 

 which is very much increased in thickness ; the cuticle bursts, the 

 swelling becomes irregular, and is formed into black lumps, with a 

 cracked, uneven, granulated surface. The wood, besides being de- 

 prived of its nutriment, is very much compressed, and the branch 

 above the tumor perishes. 



The final transformation of the grubs, living in the fruit, appears 

 to take place at various times during the latter part of summer and 

 the beginning of autumn, when the weevil, finding no young fruit, 

 is probably obliged to lay its eggs in the small branches. The 

 larvae or g? ubs from these eggs live in the branches during the 

 winter, and are not perfected till near the last of the following 

 June. Should the fall of the fruit occur late in the autumn, the 

 development of the beetles will be retarded till the next spring ; 

 and this is supposed to be the origin of the brood which stings the 

 fruit. 



The following, among other remedies that have been suggested, 

 may be found useful in checking the ravages of the plum-weevil. 

 Let the trees be briskly shaken or suddenly jarred every morning 

 and evening during the time that the insects appear in the beetle 

 form, and are engaged in laying their eggs. When thus disturbed 

 they contract their legs and fall ; and, as they do not immediately 

 attempt to fly or crawl away, they may be caught in a sheet spread 

 under the tree, from which they should be gathered into a large 

 wide-mouthed bottle or other tight vessel, and be thrown into the 

 fire. All the fallen wormy plums should be immediately gathered, 

 and, after they are boiled or steamed, to kill the enclosed grubs, 

 they may be given as food to swine. The diseased excrescences 

 should be cut out and burned every year before the last of June. 

 The moose plum-tree (Prunus Americana), seems to escape the at- 

 tacks of insects, for no warts are found upon it, even when growing 

 in the immediate vicinity of diseased foreign trees. It would, there- 

 fore, be the best of stocks for budding or engrafting upon. It can 

 easily be raised from the stone, and grows rapidly, but does not 

 attain a great size. 



This plum-weevil, an insect unknown in Europe, when arrived at 

 maturity, is a little, rough, dark brown or blackish beetle, looking 

 like a dried bud, when it is shaken from the trees, which resem- 

 blance is increased by its habit of drawing up its legs and bending 

 its snout close to the lower side of its body, and remaining for a 

 time without motion and seemingly lifeless. In stinging the fruit, 



