ATTACKING THE FRUIT. 183 



€ggs in the pear and apple, hut in these fruits it rarely matures: 

 either the egg fails to hatch, or the young larva perishes soon 

 after hatching. This insect is native to this country, and has 

 in the past fed on the wild plums, on which it may still be 

 found in considerable numbers. It varies much in relative 

 abund-ance from year to year, being much scarcer in some 

 seasons than in others. 



Remedies. — When the plum curculio is alarmed, it suddenly 

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

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

 death. Advantage is taken of this peculiarity to catch and 

 destroy the insect : a sheet is spread under the tree, and the 

 tree and its branches are suddenly jarred, when the beetles fall 

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

 A convenient form of sheet may be made with two or tour 

 widths of cotton (depending on the size of the tree), and of 

 the requisite length, stitched only half-way up the middle, to 

 aUow the trunk of the tree to pass to the centre, and having 

 each of the sides tacked to a long strip of wood, about an inch 

 square, so that the sheet may be conveniently handled and 

 spread. Small trees may be jarred with the hand ; larger 

 ones should have a branch cut oflF, leaving a stump several 

 inches long, which may be struck with a mallet, or a hole 

 may be bored in the trunk and a broad-headed iron spike in- 

 serted, which is to be struck with a hammer, avoiding as far as 

 practicable any bruising of the bark. As it is important to 

 catch as many of the beetles as possible before any mischief is 

 done, jarring should be begun while the trees are in blossom, 

 and continued daily, morning and evening, if the insects are 

 abundant, for three or four weeks, or until they become very 

 scarce. A form of curculio-catcher, known as Dr. Hull's, is 

 an excellent contrivance where a large orchard has to be 

 cared for. It consists of a wheelbarrow on which is mounted 

 a large inverted umbrella, split in front to receive the trunk 

 of the tree, against which the machine, which is provided 

 with a padded bumper, is driven with force sufficient to jar 



