THE CURCULIO. * 123 



spread its roots on the surface, and be vastly better rooted for 

 the purpose of removal. I do not know how to account for 

 that difference. But there is an analogy in the growth of the 

 head also. That is another thing that I have observed. Some- 

 times I find a tree inclined to stretch upward, and not to 

 'branch properly, so that I have to cut it in order to make it 

 form a symmetrical head. I find very frequently, almost 

 invariably, that these trees have roots corresponding with the 

 top. I do not know why it is so, but I know it is so, in a great 

 many instances ; but you will find that trees which spread their 

 heads and incline to branch, are trees which incline to throw 

 out their roots horizontally, and which are easily lifted from the 

 nursery. 



In regard to insects, I will say that the curculio is about as 

 troublesome to apples, sometimes, as to anything else. I know 

 they often damage the crop very materially. Quite frequently 

 you will see the ground covered with apples fallen prematurely, 

 when" they are the size of cranberries or a little larger. They 

 contain the worm which contains the embryo curculio, which 

 becomes a perfect insect pretty soon after the fruit falls. I 

 remember making some observations upon that point not many 

 years ago, with regard to some Washington plums. They got 

 very nearly grown, but still continued to drop until the crop 

 was gone. They were pretty large, and I knew the embryo 

 insects would have time to mature in them before they would 

 shrivel up, and I put a few of them on a little clean sand and 

 covered it with pots. At the end of ten days I looked at them 

 very carefully, and found the curculios in various stages of 

 development. Some of them had begun to go through with the 

 transformation ; on some we could see the legs starting out ; on 

 others the wings, but they were white. Others had got so nearly 

 matured that they had got a sort of grizzly complexion, and 

 were nearly ready to fly. Now 1 have no doubt that the first 

 ones that go to seed, (if I may express it in that way,) are 

 ready to go into the trees and do mischief as a second crop. I 

 do not know how many they will breed during a seaf.on. 



Then there is another thing which I have tried to learn — and 

 that is where the curculios are during the autumn and winter. 

 I have not been able to satisfy myself where they are. They 

 are evidently somewhere, because we can shake them from the 



