110 CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT 



tunities, would be equally attentive with Dr. Til- 

 ton, in communicating their observations upon this 

 subject of rural economy. 



" Curculio, a genus of insects belonging to the 

 coleoptera, or beetle order. The species are said to 

 be very numerous. The immense damage done, 

 by an insect of this tribe, to the fruits of this coun- 

 try, of which there is no similar account in Europe, 

 has given rise to a conjecture, with some natu- 

 ralists, that we have a peculiar and very destruc- 

 tive species in America. 



u 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 our fruit 

 trees are in blossom, the curcidiones 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 mag- 

 got, thus buried in the fruit, preys upon its pulp 

 and juices until, in most instances, the fruit perish- 

 es, 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 ma- 

 nifestly 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 

 neighbourhood, not to touch each other, the one 

 have its fruit destroyed by the curculio, and the 

 other be uninjured, merely from contingent cir- 

 cumstances, which prevent the insects from crawl- 

 ing up the one, while they are uninterrupted from 

 climbing the other. 



