Insects and Other Enemies 341 



large canvas spread, which catches the dropping in- 

 sects when the trees are jarred. There is a slit in the 

 front side of the canvas funnel, which permits the en- 

 trance of the tree trunk. This brings the trunk ap- 

 proximately into the middle of the funnel and spreads 

 the sheet so as to catch the curculios from all the 

 branches. 



If the ground under plum trees is smooth and 

 hard, the beetles may sometimes be shaken directly 



FRAME FOR CURCULIO CATCHER 



Recommended by Goff 



onto the earth and swept up. Sometimes the ground 

 is paved with stones for this purpose. There used to 

 be a notion extant (vide earlier editions of Downing) 

 that plums were free from curculio on heavy clay soil. 

 This is not so; but it probably had its origin in the 

 comparative ease with w r hich the beetles are destroyed 

 on hard ground. 



Where a few plum trees are grown near the farm 

 buildings, it is sometimes practicable to place them 



