KO. 2. 



THK FAR.MKKS CABINKT 



2 5 



according to Mr. Btuur, the insect is already 

 existing in tiio kernel, or ulietlier liie cg}r is 

 placed tliere by tlie Hy. In the first case, soak- 

 in<jin lye and rollin<j in lune, niio;litbe lienefl- 

 ciai ; in the l:i:-t, sowini^ tin; Iniio uj)on tlie 

 yonnu'plantswhiletln^yonno-ears were protru- 

 ding' tVom their sheath, and whilerovercd will) 

 dew, mioJit prevent the attack of the fiy. 



The L'nrculio insect wliieh iejiire.s i'niit so 

 extensively, is one wliich should not besnltered 

 to carry on his depredations unmolested, or 

 witluiiil ertbrts flir his destruction. The cnr- 

 cnlio is a small fly or rather bug, which may 

 in the spring of the year, immediately after 

 plums and cherries have set, be easily caught 

 and examined, or killed, by placing sheets 

 under the trees, and then giving the bodies 

 of the trees, or the priiicij)al branches, a 

 sudden and a violent jar. Tlie curculio will 

 drop do-.vn as ifdead ; but if left unmolested for 

 a i^^\v minutes will crawl or fly away to ronew 

 its attacks. The presence of this insect on the 

 trees--and it infests peaches,apriccits,and some- 

 times apple.s as well as cherries and plums — 

 may be readily known by e.vaminaning the 

 young fruit. 'I'lu; curculio is provided with 

 a pair of cutting flirceps like instruments at 

 the extremity of its body ; with this it makes 

 an incision in the fruit, of a sernicirculur 

 form, lifts up the small lip thus made, aniJ 

 thrusts its egg into the opening. This scon 

 hatches into a little white worm which pene- 

 trates deeper into the fruit, making it gummy 

 and unsound when it does not u holly destroy 

 it. The little white worm changes toa large 

 grub, and when the fruit fall.*, makes its way 

 into the earth, where it spends the winter, 

 undergoes its transformation in tlie spring, 

 and in its new shape of fly, is ready to p'lnc- 

 ture the young fruit, to perpetuate its race. 

 To destroy the curculio, any method which 

 will prevent the parent insect from depositing 

 its egg in the fruit, or after it is deposited 

 prevent the grub from reaching its hiding 

 place in the earth, will be effectual, 'i'o 

 do tlie first, suddenly jaring the tree with con- 

 siderable force, collecting the insects as 

 they fall, and repealing the operation several 

 times during the few days lliey are active, 

 will be the most successful method. To 

 accomplish the last, or prevent the worm 

 from hiding in the earth, having the fruit 

 garden so that the swine can be occasionally 

 turned into it during the time the diseased 

 fruit is falling, will be the best method, as they 

 will thus be devoured with the delecti\e 

 plums or cherries. Where the trees are but 

 few in number, and the presence of swine 

 would be inadmissable, such fruit may be 

 picked up by hand and thus the worm de- 

 stroyed. It has been sometimes observed that 

 trees standing near hard carriage paths, or 

 close gravelled walks, have nearly escaped 



the curculio, while other fruit trees, not so 

 situated, have had their fruit mostly destroy- 

 ed. Tiie inference drawn from these facts 

 has been, that in such situations the worm 

 was unable to penetrate the earth, and was 

 of course destroyed by birds or fowls; and 

 also tiiat tlie fly was not a gn at traveler, 

 but selected for the scene of its operations 

 such trees as were nearest the spot whence it 

 (.'merged from the earth. 



The Ap/iis, or plant louse, is another tribe 

 of insects which C(;mmit serious depredations 

 on liie farmer and orchardist. Nearly every 

 plant has its peculiar species attaciied to it, 

 which feed on its juices and thus destroy it, 

 or materially retard its growth and perfection. 

 'J'hc manner in which they preserve the race 

 through the winter does not appear to be well 

 understood. Last year 1 had a few ruta bagas 

 set out for seed, and they became so infested 

 with the [lanl louse that the seed was worth 

 little or nothing, and when the garden was 

 cleared, the dead turnep rootand branch were 

 removed together. This spring the garden 

 was ploughed as usual, and planted. Hap- 

 pening to be on the spot of ground on the 8th 

 of June, ] observed a multitude of the young 

 aphides, both male and female, apparently 

 just awakened into existence, and extremely 

 active. In what form they had passed the 

 winter in the earth, as I think in this case 

 they must, 1 cannot conjecture. All the va- 

 rieties of the aphis may be destroyed by suit- 

 able applications, such as strong soap suds, a 

 wash made by an infusion of tobacco, or 

 when on the Cody of trees, by washing in lye, 

 or by white-wash. This last is probably the 

 best application for tiie Aphis lanata, or cot- 

 tony aphis, which is spreading in this country, 

 and bids fair to be a finrmidable scourge. 



The common striped yellow, or cucumber 

 bug, is a vexatious little depredator, and un- 

 less attended to in season, is most destructive 

 to young pumpkins, melons squashes or cu- 

 cumbers. By personal examination and at- 

 tention to these plants once or twice a day 

 for a short time, and by killing the bug, they 

 may generally be preserved ; but a better way 

 s to cover tiie plants with boxes. A box 

 made ten inches by twelve, five inches 

 high, the top grooved so as to admit a 

 pane of glass of that size, answers the dou- 

 ble purpose of a hot house and preserver 

 from Insects. When no longer needed 

 in the garden, the glass may be taken out 

 and packed in a proper box, and the boxes 

 secured in an out house or garret for another 

 year. Jf the glass is not at hand, a simple 

 box made as above to enclose the hill, will 

 have a great eflect in keeping ofl" the bug, as 

 he cannot crawl to the plant, and in flying 

 rarely strikes upon the melon or cucumber in 

 the enclosure of the bo.x. — Genexce Farmer. 



