210 
NATURE'S CRAFTSMEN 
But, if for any reason the apple manages to with¬ 
stand the onslaughts of the grub and clings stead¬ 
fastly to the tree, a strange thing happens. The 
grub, foiled in its usual method of escape, knows 
not how to combat the situation; it is not hungry, 
having reached its growth, and shortly it loses 
heart and dies. Little by little its body is ab¬ 
sorbed by the growing fruit tissues. Its trail, 
however, never altogether disappears. Perhaps 
some time when eating an apple, you may have 
noted a thin streak of hardened, rather green¬ 
looking character, extending from the surface of 
the apple toward the core. This marks the prog¬ 
ress of the little curculio in its attempt to outrun 
the growth of the apple and get at its heart. Fail¬ 
ing in this desire, it was itself overcome and ab¬ 
sorbed. Nothing remains but the faint trace of 
its tunnel. 
“ The time the curculios remain in their earth 
cradles depends not a little on weather conditions. 
If the season is dry and hot, they stay drowsily 
hidden away. If, however, heavy showers follow 
one after another, the hunchbacks hustle into 
their adult clothes and hurry up into the trees. 
As though they knew full well their own destruc¬ 
tive character and the feelings they rouse in the 
bosom of the orchardist, they are exceedingly 
shy. One good shake of the limb on which they 
have settled, and they quickly let go with all six 
