152 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



caterpillars form a silken web or tent, under the shelter of 

 which they spend their time, except when feeding upon the 

 young leaves. They are very easily destroyed, as they are 

 found for the most part upon the lower limbs within easy 

 reach, and, while young and small, are readily removed and 

 crushed between thumb and finger or under foot. Their 

 webs are plainly seen when the sun is near the horizon, and 

 a few hours' work at the right time will rid a large orchard 

 of them for the season. Cool mornings and evenings will 

 find them all at home when visited. Notwithstanding the 

 ease with which they may be destroyed, hundreds of trees 

 have been completely defoliated by them during the past 

 season. This neglect on the part of the owners is a fine 

 thing for those who take pains and give their orchards a 

 little attention, because it tends to diminish the supply and 

 thus enhances the price of the fruit. The only drawback is 

 found in the enormous crop of caterpillars which our neighbors 

 thus provide for our comfort the next year. Spraying with 

 arsenites, as will be explained further on, is an effective 

 remedy as a supplement to hand picking. 



The curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) is an insect that 

 appears early in the season, probably before the fruit is 

 formed, and to some extent feeds upon the foliage as well as 

 upon the fruits in making the crescent-shaped puncture in 

 which the egg is laid. It is difficult otherwise to account 

 for the useful effects of early arsenical spraying in arresting 

 its depredations. Aside from spraying, it is best controlled 

 by jarring the trees and catching the falling curculios upon 

 a large cloth, from which they are easily gathered and 

 destroyed. The best mode of jarring is by striking a smart 

 blow with a hammer upon the end of a small iron plug 

 inserted in the trunk or large limbs of the tree. This operation 

 should be begun as soon as the presence of the insect is 

 detected, and continued once or twice daily as long as any 

 are captured. The jarring process is more especially valuable 

 to the grower of plums, as by a systematic repetition for 

 two or three weeks a complete saving of the crop may always 

 be assured. As the plum is prone to bear heavy crops under 

 favorable circumstances, some growers consider the curculio 

 as a friendly insect, inasmuch as its work causes a large 



