1852. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
147 
ble, begin to use it at least the day before the invasion 
commences. Let them prosecute the war while the enemy 
lurks in the field. In two or three years the victory will 
substantially have been gained, and then a very little 
timely labor each year, will keep all safe. C. E. G. 
Utica, Jan . 7, 1852. 
P. S. Those who are interested in this subject, need 
not servilely follow my plan. Two things, however, are 
to be kept in mind, in all precautions to guard plums 
from the curculio. One is, that it is Cheaper and surer 
to make direct war upon him, than it is to set up scare¬ 
crows. The other is, that that method which br^pgshim 
with most speed and certainty, a helpless prisoner at 
your feet, is the best. I claim the discovery of no new 
principle. The idea of catching him upon a sheet is not 
new, but my mode of adjusting the machinery is new, so 
far as I am acquainted with the history of the subject. 
Other shapes, and other modes of spreading and confin¬ 
ing the cloth, may be devised. It has always happened 
in my experience, that at the time the curculio must be 
fought, if ever, the state of the wind is such, that all 
efforts to catch him, upon loose sheets spread upon the 
ground, would not only be slow and uncertain, but in 
three cases out of four, perfectly hopeless. A machine 
such as I have suggested, will cost, to those who have 
ready access to the right materials, about two dollars. 
Any common man, who can handle a saw and hammer, 
can make it himself. My machine, in two years, has 
not cost one shilling for repairs, and is good for years to 
Come. C. E. G. 
Remarks. —We are entirely satisfied of the usefulness 
and efficiency of the above described frame for catching 
curculios, having for some years used one somewhat si¬ 
milar. Our correspondent will find a figure and short 
description on page 182 of the Cultivator for 1848. and 
also, of an umbrella very successfully used for the same 
purpose. This frame was made of strips of common 
sawed lath, an inch wide, and half an inch thick, fasten¬ 
ed together at the corners by lath nails, previous anneal¬ 
ed to facilitate clinching. The muslin itself, formed the 
hinges, and the whole being in two pieces, they were not 
cumbrous, and could be easily managed by one person, 
though not so expeditiously as if entire, and with an as¬ 
sistant. About two hours were required to make these 
frames, and their whole weight was about six pounds— 
about one-third of that described by our correspondent. 
We think smaller timber might have been used in con¬ 
structing the latter, so as to reduce its weight about one- 
half, and it would then constitute the most complete 
thing of the kind yet known. 
For small trees, we have found the large white um¬ 
brella, above alluded to, the most convenient and ex¬ 
peditious, as one movement threw all the insects caught 
on each tree, into a pail of hot water, enabling one per¬ 
son to clear 85 trees in 15 minutes. This umberella was 
six feet in diameter, and cost two dollars at the umbrel¬ 
la factory. On page 49, of the Cultivator for 1850, R. 
II. Drake describes his success with an umbrella eight 
feet in diameter, made after this suggestion. 
Our correspondent has shown very conclusively, that 
his practice may be relied on for entire success, and yet 
we think some modification may be required where the 
circumstances are different. Twice or even three times 
a day in warm weather, and where the insects are abun¬ 
dant, will not be too often to attack them ; for if left 24 
hours, a dozen will spoil a great many young plums. 
When the trees are quite large, it will be impossible to 
jar them sufficiently through a muffled pounder, or by 
other means, applied to the bark of the tree, without 
bruising it. The only way is to saw off a small limb, 
leaving a stump an inch long to be struck a sharp blow 
with an axe . Anything less efficient will be sure to leave 
a part of the insects on the tree. It is the want of an 
energetic application of this mode of destruction, that 
has led some cultivators to denounce it as inefficient. 
-«-©-*- 
Cherry Trees Destroyed by Insects. 
Eds. Cultivator— An inquiry made by Mr. John 
Waters, of New-Milford, respecting an insect which de¬ 
stroyed his young grafts, reminds me of something that 
I should have made public before this. 
For several years back I have been perplexed and an¬ 
noyed by the appearance of my young cherry trees in the 
early part of summer; for on the springing of the sap 
they would appear strong and healthy, and seem to pro¬ 
mise an early and vigorous growth; but as the buds un¬ 
folded themselves, they would begin to shrivel and to lose 
force, and after struggling for a few days or weeks, would 
finally drop off entirely. 
For a long time, I supposed it to be the effect of our 
very cold winters, and had almost abandoned the hope 
of rearing the finer varieties in these parts; but as there 
was occasionally a tree that did not show any such signs, 
although equally exposed to the weather, and would 
thrive exceedingly, I was led to believe it to be the work 
of some insect or animal, which had not yet been des¬ 
cribed as a tree-destroying thing. 
I was soon convinced that it did not commit its depre¬ 
dations in the day-time, for I watched closely for some¬ 
time, without discovering anything, and yet the trees 
continued their sickly appearance; but on watching by 
night, I readily discovered that the young leaves were 
eaten as fast as they shot out, by an enormous beetle-bug, 
that only gnawed by night. I also discovered that these 
same beetles rose from the ground immediately under the 
branches of the trees; and by further examination by 
day-light, I found that there were from one to fifty of 
these bugs under every tree, either in the mulching or 
in the mellow soil. Now, after having 'made this, (to 
me,) very important discovery, I proceeded at once and 
deliberately, to knock each one of these malicious bee¬ 
tles on their heads, until their jaws were broken, and 
they were thus incapacitated for doing any further injury 
to the cherry trees. My trees at once began to assume a 
fine foliage and to renew their health, and since then I 
have had no difficulty in giving them an early start. 
My practice is now to visit each one of my small cher¬ 
ries, two or three times a week during the first weeks of 
their annual growth, and to hoe them carefully. In this 
way I keep a fine nest for the bugs directly around the 
trees, which they greatly prefer to any more distant, and 
then I can, as I hoe, pick them out and cripple them at 
my leisure. Now, I am quite confident that Mr. Water’s 
trouble is occasioned by this same great beetle, which is 
very common in this whole country. 
It is a bug about three-fourths of an inch in length, of 
a dark red color, and with a small black head. It is 
commonly noticed when it gets into the house on a fine 
May or June morning—when, after having made a des¬ 
perate pass at the nearest candle or lamp, it brings up 
against the opposing wall, and with scrambling vain ef¬ 
forts to regain its lost equilibrium, precipitates itself, 
sprawling, upon, the floor. But seriously, the effects of 
this beetle upon my trees, before I found out its practice 
of eating the young leaves, was very pernicious. At least 
one tree in ten was destroyed; and those thej did not 
destroy they rendered spare and gaunt in their forms. Wm. 
R. Manley. Newport, Herkimer Co., N. Y., Feb., 1852. 
