226 Harris's Lisects of New E^igland 



In order to account for the occurrence of these insects, both in the fruit 

 and in the branches of the trees, I have ventured, on another occasion, to 

 give the following explanation, although it rests only upon conjecture. 

 The final transformation of the grubs, living in the fruit, appears to take 

 place at various times during the latter part of summer and the beginning 

 of autumn, when the weevil, finding no young fruit, is probably obliged 

 to lay its eggs in the small branches. The larva; or grubs from these 

 eggs live in the branches during the winter, and are not perfected till near 

 the last of the following June. Should the fall of the fruit occur late in 

 the autumn, the development of the beetles will be retarded till the next 

 spring ; and this I suppose to be the origin of the brood which stings the 

 fruit. These suggestions seem to receive some confirmation from the known 

 habits of the copper-colored plum-weevils of Europe, which, " in default 

 of plums, make u.se of the soft spring shoots of the plum and apricot 

 trees." — (Roller's Treatise, p. 238.) In cases like these, we see the 

 care of the Creator for some of the least of his creatures, which He has 

 wisely povided with variable instincts, enabling them to accommodate 

 themselves to the difl^culties of the situation in which they may happen to 

 be placed, and thus, even in unfruitful seasons, to provide for a succession 

 of their kind. 



The following, among other remedies that have been suggested, may 

 be found useful in checking the ravages of the plum-weevil. Let the 

 trees be briskly shaken or suddenly jarred every morning and evening 

 during the time that the insects appear in the beetle form, and are engaged 

 in laying their eggs. When thus disturbed, they contract their legs and 

 fall ; and, as they do not immediately attempt to fly or crawl away, they 

 may be caught in a sheet spread under the tree, from which they should 

 be gathered into a large wide-mouthed bottle or other tight vessel, and be 

 thrown into the fire. All the fallen wormy plums should be immediately 

 gathered, and, after they are boiled or steamed, to kill the enclosed grubs, 

 they may be given as food to swine. The diseased excrescences should 

 be cut and burned every year before the last of June. The moose plum- 

 tree {Prunus Americana) , which grows wild in Maine, seems to escape 

 the attacks of insects, for no warts are found upon it, even when growing 

 in the immediate vicinity of diseased foreign trees. It would, therefore, 

 be the best of stocks for budding or engrafting upon. It can easily be 

 raised from the stone, and grows rapidly, but does not attain a great size. 

 For further suggestions and remarks, the account of this insect by Dr. 

 Joel Burnett, in the eighteenth volume of the ' New England Farmer,' 

 may be consulted." 



Another insidious coleopterous insect is the Scolytus Pyri, 

 whose hidden operations almost eluding vision, rapidly 

 occasions the entire loss of branches of our most valuable 

 pear-trees. 



" For many years past, the pear-tree has been found to be subject to a 

 peculiar malady, whicli shows itself during midsummer by the sudden 

 withering of the leaves and fruit, and the discoloration of the bark of one 

 or more of the limbs, followed by the immediate death of the part affected. 

 In June, 1816, the Hon. John Lowell, of Roxbury, discovered a minute 

 insect in one of the affected limbs of a pear-tree ; afterwards he repeatedly 



