152 THE ORCHARD. [FEB. 



from the earth, crawl up the trees, and as the several fruits advance, 

 they puncture the rind or skin with their pointed^rostra, and deposit 

 their embryos in the wounds thus inflicted. The maggot thus bedded 

 in the fruit, preys upon its pulp and juices, until in most instances 

 the fruit perishes, falls to the ground, and the insect escaping from 

 so unsafe a residence, makes a sure retreat, into the earth ; where, 

 like other beetles, it remains in the form of a grub or worm during 

 the winter, ready to be metamorphosed into a bug or beetle as the 

 spring advances. Thus every tree furnishes its own enemy; for 

 although these bugs have manifestly the capacity of flying, they ap- 

 pear very reluctant in the use of their wings j and perhaps never em- 

 ploy them but when necessity compels them to migrate. It is a fact, 

 that two trees of the same kind may stand in the nearest possible 

 neighborhood, not to touch each other, that one shall have its fruit 

 destroyed by the curculio, and the other be uninjured, merely from 

 contingent circumstances which prevent the insects from crawling up 

 the one, while they are uninterrupted from climbing the other. 



" The curculio delights most in the smooth skinned stone fruits, 

 such as nectarines, plums, apricots, &c., wh^n they abound on a farm : 

 they nevertheless attack the rough-skinned peach, the apple, pear, 

 and quince. The instinctive sagacity of these creatures directs them 

 especially to the fruits most adapted to their purpose. The stone 

 fruits more certainly perish by the wounds made by these insects, so 

 as to fall in due time to the ground and afford an opportunity to the 

 young maggot to hide itself in the earth. Although multitudes of 

 these fruits fall, yet many recover from the wounds, which heal up 

 with deeply indented scars. This probably disconcerts the curculio 

 in its intended course to the earth. Be this as it may, certain it is, 

 that pears are less liable to fall, and are less injured by this insect 

 than apples. Nectarines, plums, &c., in most districts of our country 

 where the curculio has gained an establishment, are utterly destroyed, 

 unless special means are employed for their preservation. Cherries 

 escape better on account of their rapid progress -to maturity and their 

 abundant crops : the curculio can only puncture a small part of them 

 during the short time they hang upon the tree. These destructive in- 

 sects continue their depredations from the first of May until autumn. 

 Our fruits collectively estimated must thereby be depreciated more 

 than half their value. 



"It is supposed the curculio is not only injurious above ground, 

 but also in its retreat below the surface of the earth, by preying on 

 the roots of our fruit-trees. We know that beetles have, in some 

 instances, abounded in such a manner as to endanger whole forests. 

 Our fruit-trees often die from manifest injuries done to the roots by 

 insects, and by no insects more probably than the curculio. In dis- 

 tricts where this insect abounds, cherry-trees and apple-trees, which 

 disconcert it most above, appear to be the special objects of its ven- 

 geance below the surface of the earth. 



" These are serious evils to combat, which every scientific inquirer 

 is loudly called upon to exert his talents ; every industrious farmer 

 to double his diligence, and all benevolent characters to contribute 

 their mite. 



