136 THE ORCHARD. [FEB. 



The following extracts, taken from a communication made by that 

 ingenious citizen, DOCTOR JAMES TILTON, of Wilmington, Dela- 

 ware, and published in the first American edition of the Domestic 

 Encyclopaedia, by Messrs. Birch and Small, Philadelphia, are 

 worthy of attention ; and the laudable efforts of that gentleman, 

 both in agricultural and horticultural pursuits, are highly merito- 

 rious and deserving of emulation. 



" Curculio, a genus of insects belonging to the Coleofitera, or Bee- 

 tie order. The species are said to be very numerous. The im- 

 mense damage done, by an insect of this tribe, to the fruits of this 

 country, of which there is no similar account in Europe, has given 

 rise to a conjecture with some naturalists, that we have a peculiar 

 and very destructive species in America. 



" The manner in which this insect injures and destroys our fruits, 

 is, by its mode of propagation. ...Early in the spring, about the time 

 when the fruit trees are in blossom, the Curculiones ascend in swarms 

 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 un- 

 safe 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 appear 

 very reluctant in the use of their wings ; and perhaps never employ 

 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 neigh- 

 bourhood, not to touch each other, that one 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, plumbs, apricots, &c. when they abound on a 

 farm : they nevertheless attack the rough skinned peach, the apple, 

 pear, and quince. The instinctive sagacity of these creatures di- 

 rects 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 oppor- 

 tunity to the young maggot to hide itself in the earth. Although 

 multitudes of these fruits fall, yet many recover from their wounds, 

 which heal up with deeply indented scars. This probably discon- 

 certs the curcalio, 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, plumbs, &c, in most 

 districts of our country, where the curculio has gained an establish- 

 ment, 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 



