198 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



fell at the first jar ; in the evening, none. On that 

 day, ill the nionunj;, two were caught, and in the 

 evening, the same number. 



The plums were at that time nearly half their full 

 size ; and those that were first bitten began to fall. 

 On breaking them open, I found that the grub had 

 worked its way over nearly the whole circumference 

 of the kernel, and was about ready to enter the earth 

 and assume its beetle form. I prepared glass jars, 

 pai'tially filled with earth, for their reception, in such 

 a manner as to render visible all their changes. I 

 also prepared jars and kegs of earth for the apple, 

 pear, peach, and cherry. On June 20th, in the 

 morning, no curculio fell from the trees, but at even- 

 ing I found one, and dej^iosited the bitten fruit for 

 experiment. On the 21st, the temperature being 90° 

 at three o'clock P. M., I caught one curculio. On 

 the 22d, three in the morning, but none at night — 

 the thermometer standing 100° at one o'clock, 90° at 

 four o'clock, and 85° at six o'clock P. M. 



On the 23d of June, three curculios were caught, 

 the wind being west and south-west. A few rose- 

 bugs {Cetonia aiirata) appeared on the blossoms of 

 the Charryanthus, (?) and on the leaves of the Sweet- 

 water Grape. I secured them in network cages, to 

 observe their habits, means of reproduction, &c. I 

 found also worms coiled up in the apple-leaf, which 

 are very numerous, and deposited more fruit bitten 

 by the curculio. 



On the 24th, we had a strong west and south-west 

 Avind, and I found no curculios. On the 25th, the 

 wind blew from the west and north ; and I observed 

 that the blossoms and foliage of the Charryanthus 

 were nearly covered with rose-bugs. I placed pans 

 of hot water imderneath, and jarred them off into it. 

 I then gave some of them to my fowls, which did not 

 seem to relish them, and threw the remainder into 

 my fish-pond, where they were eagerly devoured. 

 After the appearance of the rose-bugs, I found but 

 few curculios, not more than three or four from June 

 25th to July 17th. 



Finding that my plums were out of danger, I re- 

 moved the platform, and had the felicity to see my 

 trees bowing to the earth and loaded, as many per- 

 sons of taste and judgment declared, with several 

 bushels of the finest Gages and Washingtons. 



I speak this, not boastingly, yet confidently, as the 

 result of my experience. Two other Gages, Avhich 

 blossomed equally full, yielded but one perfect plum, 

 though subjected to a groat variety of popular exper- 

 iments, quite too numerous to be mentioned. 



Reproduction of the Curculio. 



The plums which have been bitten by this insect, 

 and deposited in jars June 28th, produced, on the 

 28th of July, one curculio, on the 30th, three ; and 

 the number increased for several successive days. 

 These jars were set in a window with a southern 

 aspect, but shaded from the sun. On the 5th of 

 August, the plums deposited in other jars at the same 

 time, but sunk in the coldest location in the garden, 

 produced curculios. I attended carefully to this ex- 

 periment, to satisfy myself and others in relation to 

 a question asked by Hon. ilr. Calhoun when the 

 subject was discussed last winter at the agricultural 

 meetings. 



It was then intimated that these insects come from 

 the earth in the same season in which they enter it, 

 and this was attempted to' be proved by the fact that 

 they had been seen to, when buried in earth in ajar. 

 But the inquiry was made, whether this fact was not 

 owing to their exposure in the jar to a warm temper- 

 ature, and whether, if buried in the cold earth, they 

 would not remain there during the winter. 



However cold the position, or late the deposit of 

 these grubs, in about sLk weeks they return to the 

 surface perfectly furnished, winged, and equipped 



for their work of destruction. I come to this con- 

 clusion from many experiments, and much research. 

 For two seasons I have had an opportunity of wit- 

 nessing the daily changes of this insect, from the 

 moment it leaves the fruit till it reappears. I know 

 the order and time of its appearance, and have it pre- 

 served in twelve or fourteen of its different stages, 

 showing what changes it undergoes from day to day. 



From the great variety of jars and positions in 

 which the grub of this insect was preserved in 1848, 

 not one curculio has appeared this year, (1849.) 



In the latter part of May, broad covers were placed 

 under trees which were subject to their ravages last 

 year, from M'hich the fruit fell and deposited them in 

 the ground, but not a single curculio was caught in 

 them, proving conclusively that they do not come up 

 from the ground, as is generally supposed. 



Also, peaches bitten by the curculio were put into 

 a keg half filled with earth, and placed in a cool, 

 shady place in my garden. In due time, thirty or 

 forty curculios made their appearance beneath' the 

 network which covered the top of it. The decayed 

 fruit was removed, and the insects kept confined as 

 before. In three or four weeks, all of them were 

 found dead on the surface of the earth, none haA-ing 

 reentered it. These, and many similar experiments 

 which I need not at present describe, satisfy me that 

 neither the curculio nor its grub burrow in the 

 ground during the winter ; and, consequently, that 

 the common practice of guarding against its ravages 

 by various operations in the soil, rests on a false 

 theory, and is productive of no valuable results. 

 Truth alone can make us fiee, and crown our efforts 

 with success. 



If every fruit-grower will examine carefully the 

 habits of this insect, and report the result of his 

 labors, we may yet see them subjected to human 

 control. 



" Many a shaft, at random sent. 

 Finds mark the archer little meant." 



I am permitted, through the courtesy of Judge 

 Greenleaf, of this place, to relate to you a very in- 

 teresting and successful experiment, one that is 

 worthy of the imitation of all our cultivators, and 

 capable of application to various kinds of fruit. As 

 soon as his young apples began to fall, he employed 

 boys to pick them up from day to day, and put them 

 in barrels by the sunny side of his house. On 

 emptying them after a few days, he found at the bot- 

 tom of the barrel a large handful of small white 

 grubs or Xi/mpkae. Fi'om all the barrels he obtained 

 a full quart, which were destroyed with hot water, 

 except a handful which he put into a glass jar half 

 filled with earth, into which they immediately de- 

 scended, and from which, in due time, reai^peared 

 bona fide Rhijnchaenus Nenuphar, or Plum Weevil, 

 alias curculio, and as a curiosity they were exhibited 

 to very many. 



My neighbor, Mr. A. W. Pike, also brought me a 

 vial swarming with curculio, which he obtained 

 from cherries bitten bj' this insect, and deposited as 

 above described. I have the results of many other 

 experimenters, all affording' materials for valuable 

 discoveries. 



Dear sirs, if I had not already taxed your patience 

 too long, I would describe similar experiments on the 

 rose-bug, apple-leaf Avorm, and other insects inju- 

 rious to our fruits, but I will defer this till a future 

 occasion, and will close with an interesting fact, of 

 which I had nearly forgotten to speak — the rearing 

 of curciilio from the black wart, which often appears 

 on the plum-tree. I had, at one time, living speci- 

 mens from this source ; also from apples, pears, 

 plums, peaches, and cherries, all of which, examined 

 through a powerful microscope, presented the same 

 general appearance in form, size, and color. 



