TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY, 21 



The Curculio does not usually injure the cherry crop excessively, but it 



25 is remarkable what a 



cause of general devas- 



e^^ «^^^ tation he proves to the 



plum crop, when he is 

 Larvae of the Curculio of the natural size. „.,fl- j • i. ■ 



suiiered to go on his 



work unmolested The writer has known large plum trees, loaded with 

 fruit, in the early part of June, upon which nearly every plum would 

 26 be punctured, and consequently all would be lost to 



the cultivator. 



The objection, in the community, against cultivating 

 this fruit, is upon the complaint, or fact, that the 

 plums will not hang on until ripe ; and nurserymen 

 Curculio in the pupa are often questioned, if they know of any kinds that 



stage magnified. ^jjj j^qj ^jj-op before they become matured. 

 As great a pest as this little insect is to the fruit-grower, I am not will- 

 ing that he should be loaded with more sins than he deserves. He has 

 been charged with being the cause of the fungus excrescences on the plum 

 tree, of which he will not plead guilty. True, his larva, and also those 

 of some other insects, it is said, are found in this fungus, and this is the 

 reason why this disease has been attributed to him. My reasons for say- 

 ing he is not the cause of this disease, may be offered in another place. 



It is remarkable how unconfined or unlocated the Curculio appears to 

 be. I formerly believed that he was limited nearly to the ground, under 

 and near the tree where he was produced, and that, if the earth under it 

 was paved, or so fixed as to prevent the larvae from descending into it, 

 that tree would be secure the following season, at least. But more exten- 

 sive observation has taught me otherwise. This fact I consider a very im- 

 portant point in this insect's character. In 1838, a new apple tree came 

 into bearing, having three apples upon it, situated twenty rods distant from 

 any fruit-bearing tree, and I hoped to test the quality of the apples there- 

 by ; but I was disappointed. In the first of July, I noticed the spoiler's 

 mark upon these apples, and after a while they dropped off". I have search- 

 ed after, and found him in a pasture, upon an apple tree, which stood alone 

 and at a distance from any other fruit tree. A plum tree, trained to the 

 east end of my house, bore, for the first time, in the year 1841. I watched 

 the fruit, and, about the usual time, found his mark upon some of the 

 plums, and secured them. From these observations, I am led to the sup- 

 position, at least, that he may not be dependent altogether upon the before- 

 mentioned fruits for the propagation of his race ; but when fruits are 

 wanting, he finds other receptacles for his eggs. But this is a conjecture 

 simply. No doubt he is capable of flying to a considerable distance. 

 Dr. Harris stated to me, that he was not certain that the plum weevil 



