250 NOTES ON A GEUB FOUNt) INFESTING THE ORCHARDS. 



female has been variously estimated at from 50 to 100, of 

 which she deposits from 5 to 10 a day, her activity varying 

 with the temperature. In warm and genial weather it will 

 hatch in 3 or 4 days, but in cold and chilly weather it will 

 remain a week or even longer without hatching. The young 

 larva is a tiny and footless grub, with a horny head. It 

 immediately begins to feed on the green flesh of the fruit, 

 boring a tortuous channel as it proceeds until it reaches the 

 centre, where it feeds around the stone. It attains its full 

 growth in from 3 to 5 weeks, when it is about 2-5ths of an 

 inch long, of a glassy yellowish-white colour, with a light 

 brown head, a pale line along each side of the body, a row of 

 minute black bristles below the lines, a second row, less 

 distinct, above, and a few pale hairs, towards the hinder 

 extremity. The insect is single brooded, the beetle hibernating 

 in secluded spots, under the loose bark of trees, and in other 

 spots. Besides the plum, the peach, nectarine, and apricot 

 also suffer much from its attacks, aud it is very injurious to 

 the cherry. When the plum curculio is alarmed it suddenly 

 folds its legs close to its body, turns the snout under its breast, 

 and falls to the ground, where it remains motionless, feigning 

 death. Advantage to be taken of this peculiarity to catch and 

 destroy the insect, a sheet to spread under the trees, and the 

 tree audits branches are suddenly jarred, when the beetles fall 

 on the sheet, where they may be gathered up and destroyed." 

 This extract will sufficiently show the serious nature of the 

 new invasion, and it seems to me of sufiicient importance to 

 sound a note of alarm on the subject. How can we best deal 

 with the insect pests that are injurious to fruit ? The question 

 must be answered if the fruitgrowing industry is to live, and 

 answered in a vigorous and indisputable fashion, or the industry 

 will utterly perish. We have in our midst not one pest 

 but many, and though some of the fruit inspectors have a 

 general knowledge of the codlin moth, there is probably not 

 one qualified to deal with any new pests that may be developed. 

 What we need is to have one competent practical entomologist, 

 with a knowledge of actual orchard work, to take charge of 

 the entire department, make such regulations as he may see to 

 be necessary, and be responsible only to Parliament. As no 

 country in the world has paid so much attention to the subject 

 as America, it might be necessary to send there for the man 

 we require, but no time should be lost in setting in motion the 

 machinery for the subjugation of our insect foes. Another 

 aspect of the same subject is the danger we incur in importing 

 fruit from the United States. When we know that in 

 America there are 210 species of insects known to be injurious 

 to apples, the gravity of the danger in introducing American 

 fruit to Tasmania may be understood. Dr. Packard, a well- 



