THE CURCULIO. 
§1 
see these signs, take the plum from the tree, and 
cut off a small portion where the mark is, and you 
will notice that the larva has burrowed down into 
it. 
The effect, upon the plum or other fruit, of the 
larva within, is to cause it to shrivel and decay, 
and after a while it falls. By the time the plum 
falls, the insect has nearly or quite completed his 
larva or grub stage, and then he leaves it and goes 
down a little way into the earth. 
. Here in the earth he undergoes his transforma¬ 
tion, {fig. 16,) which is performed in about fifteen 
or twenty days, in-the month of June, or fore part 
of July. But all the larvse (so far as I have ob¬ 
served) that go into the earth about as late as the 
20th of July, do not ascend that season, but remain 
(Fig. 16.) 
Larvas of the Curculio of the natural size. 
there in the pupa stage, {fig. 17,) until the next 
spring. We are to observe, then, that there are 
two generations in one season, of these insects, 
and this fact it is important to know; for if the 
first generation in the larva and beetle stages is 
(Fig. 17.) 
Curculio in the pupa 
stage magnified. 
destroyed, we have little to 
fear from the second, which 
operates in July. 
The kinds of fruit, and the 
only kinds, which the curculio 
injures, as far as 1 have ob¬ 
served, are the plum, apricot, 
nectarine, peach, cherry, and 
apple, and these I have placed 
in the order in which he seems to prefer them. 
But I would remark, that he is not the only insect 
which makes the apple wormy. The codling- 
moth does great injury to the apple-crop, and the 
caterpillar of this moth should not be mistaken for 
the larva of the curculio. 
The curculio does not usually injure the cherry- 
crop excessively, but it is remarkable what a cause 
of general devastation he proves to the plum-crop, 
when he is suffered to go on in his work unmo¬ 
lested. The writer has known large plum-trees, 
loaded with fruit, in the early part of June, upon 
which nearly every plum would be punctured, and 
consequently all would be lost to the cultivator. 
The objection, in the community, against culti¬ 
vating this fruit, is upon the complaint, or fact, 
that the plums will not hang on until ripe; and 
nurserymen are often questioned, if they know of 
any kinds that will not drop before they become 
matured. 
As great a pest as this little insect is to the fruit¬ 
grower, I am not willing that he should be loaded 
with more sms than he deserves. He has been 
charged with being the cause of the fungus ex¬ 
crescences on the plum-tree, of which he will not 
plead guilty. True, his larva, and also those of 
some other insects, it is said, are found in this fun¬ 
gus, and this is the reason why this disease has 
been attributed to him. My reasons for saying he 
is not the cause of this disease, may be offered in 
another place. 
It is remarkable how unconfined or unlocated 
the curculio appears to be. I formerly believed 
that he was limited nearly to the ground, under 
and near the tree where he was produced, and 
that, if the earth under it was paved, or so fixed 
as to prevent the larvse from descending into it, 
that that tree would be secure the following sea^ 
son, at least. But more extensive observation has 
taught me otherwise. This fact I consider a very 
important point in this insect’s character. In 1838, 
a new apple-tree came into bearing, having three 
apples upon it, situated 20 rods distant from any 
fruit-bearing tree, and I hoped to test the quality 
of the apples thereby ; but I was disappointed. In 
the first of July, I noticed the spoiler’s mark upon 
these apples, and after a while they dropped off. 
I have searched after, and found him, upon an 
apple-tree in a pasture, which stood alone and at 
a distance from any other fruit-tree. A pi um-tree, 
trained to the east end of my house, bore for the 
first time in the year 1841. I watched the fruit, 
and, about the usual time, found his mark upon 
some of the plums, and secured them. From these 
observations, I am led to the supposition, at least, 
that he may not be dependant altogether upon the 
before-mentioned fruits for the propagation of his 
race ; but when fruits are wanting, he finds other 
receptacles for his eggs. But this is a conjecture 
simply. No doubt lie is capable of flying to a con¬ 
siderable distance. 
Dr. Harris stated to me, that he was not certain 
that the plum weevil does feed in the beetle form, 
though he rather supposed he did. But whether 
he does or does not feed, his organs of taste and 
smell are rather obsolete or disused, for we are 
able to state, from observation, that many kinds 
of odorous bodies which are obnoxious to many 
insects, are not so to him. 
I have tried camphor upon the tree, watered it 
with solution of soap and of tobacco, and I do not 
know that he was disturbed any further than he 
would be mechanically by their application. 
I might here notice the inadequacy of other 
measures which have been recommended to frus¬ 
trate bis operations, but prefer to proceed to a 
statement of those means which will ensure suc¬ 
cess, if persevered in, and prove satisfactory. 
As the notion is prevalent that he crawls up the 
body of the tree, I would state that he flies on to 
it, and, therefore, it is useless to apply any preven¬ 
tive to keep him from ascending that way. 
I am free to state, that this insect can not be 
combated without labor, and the result secured, 
will very far more than compensate for all labor 
bestowed, even in a pecuniary point of view. 
Believinsr, from my observation, that he can not 
be successfully opposed by preparations of soap, 
and infusions of odorous bodies thrown on to the 
tree, by means of a syringe, I proceed to state the 
course which has been followed with success, so 
far as I know. 
Our rule of action should be, direct aggression 
upon him, both in the beetle and larva forms. In 
the pupa stage he lies in the ground secured from 
our search. 
