256 The Curculio and Codling Moth. 



Art. III. The Curculio and Codling Moth ; their hab- 

 its, and the best means of preventing their ravages upon 

 fruits. By M. H. Simpson, Esq., Saxonville, Mass. 



Dear Sir, — My attention has been called to examine the 

 insects which are destructive to fruits, and to ascertain their 

 habits, in consequence of being a sufferer for a number of 

 years. As the information may be of use, I herewith submit 

 the result of my experiments and observations. There are 

 only two insects which have caused me any trouble ; the 

 others are all easily destroyed, viz. : the Curculio and Cod- 

 ling moth. These two have destroyed the past year seven- 

 eighths of my apples, cherries, plums, and peaches, and have 

 disfigured the pears by their punctures. 



THE CURCULIO. 



The curculios commenced puncturing the fruit about 

 the sixth of June, and deposited their eggs in full three- 

 fourths of the apples, causing them to drop when very 

 small, and to an equal extent the cherry and peach. The 

 plums would have been all destroyed but for the means 

 adopted in saving them : this was by shaking the trees, the 

 insect falling upon cotton cloth, extended over a frame, 

 which I placed under the tree, and also by placing a frame 

 over the tree, and extending worsted netting over it, which 

 was sufficiently open to admit air and light. The labor and 

 expense of these methods are considerable, and I hope better 

 plans may be found, one of which I am now experimenting 

 upon with some prospect of success. 



I showered the trees, before the buds broke, with white 

 wash, with a hand engine, covering the branches entirely ; 

 the time required for a moderate sized tree was only five 

 minutes, and the expense of lime hardly worth estimating. 

 If this does not answer the purpose, I shall syringe the fruit 

 when but little larger than a common white bean ; my ex- 

 periments have convinced me that this latter method is a sure 

 preventive. I found four of the larvae in one apple nearly 

 ready to go into the ground, where they go through their 



