144 TH E ORCHARD. [Feb. 
The following extracts, taken from a communication made by that 
ingenious citizen, Doctor James Tilton, of Wilmington- Dela- 
ware, and published in the first American edition of the Domestic 
Encyclopaedia, by Messrs. Birch and Small, Philadelphia, are wor- 
thy of attention; and the laudable efforts of that gentleman, both in 
agricultural and horticultural pursuits, are highly meritorious and 
deserving of emulation. 
" Curculio, a genus of insects belonging to the Coleofitera or Bee- 
tle order. The species are said to be very numerous. The im- 
mense damage done, by an insect of this tribe, to the fruits of this 
country, of which there is no similar account in Europe, has given 
rise to a conjecture with some naturalists, that we have a peculiar 
and very destructive species in America. 
" The manner in which this insect injures and destroys our fruits, 
is, by its mode of propagation. — Early in the spring, about the time 
when the fruit trees are in blossom, the Curculiones ascend in swarms 
from the earth, crawl up the trees, and as the several fruits advance, 
they puncture the rind or skin, with their pointed rostra, and deposit 
their embryos in the wounds thus inflicted. The maggot thus bedded 
in the fruit, preys upon its pulp and juices, until in most instances, 
the fruit perishes, falls to the ground and the insect escaping from so 
unsafe a residence, makes a sure retreat into the earth: where, like 
other beetles, it remains in the form of a grub or worm, during the 
winter, ready to be metamorphosed into a bug or beetle, as the 
spring advances. Thus every tree furnishes its own enemy; for al- 
though these bugs have manifestly the capacity of flying, they appear 
very reluctant in the use of their wings; and perhaps never employ 
them but when necessity compels them to migrate. It is a fact, that 
two trees of the same kind may stand in the nearest possible neigh- 
bourhood, not to touch each other, that one shall have its fruit destroy- 
ed by the Curculio, and the other be uninjured, merely from con- 
tingent circumstances, which prevent the insects from crawling up 
the one, while they are uninterrupted from climbing the other. 
"The Curculio delights most in the smooth skinned stone fruits, 
such as nectarines, plumbs, apricots, &c. when they abound on a 
farm: they nevertheless attack the rough skinned peach, the apple, 
pear, and quince. The instinctive sagacity of these creatures di- 
rects them especially to the fruits most adapted to their purpose. 
The stone fruits more certainly perish by the wounds made by these 
insects, so as to fall in due time to the ground, and afford an oppor- 
tunity to the young maggot to hide itself in the earth. Although 
multitudes of these fruits fall, yet many recover from the wounds, 
which heal up with deeply indented scars. This probably discon- 
certs the curculio, in its intended course to the earth. Be this as 
it may, certain it is, that pears are less liable to fall, and are less in- 
jured by this insect than apples. Nectarines, plumbs, &c. in most 
districts of our country, where the curculio has gained an establish- 
ment, are utterly destroyed, unless special means are employed for 
their preservation. — Cherries escape better on account of their 
rapid progress to maturity and their abundant crops: the curculio 
can only puncture a small part of them, during the short time they 
