New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 455 
comes forth early in the spring to deposit its eggs in the young 
fruits, commencing as soon as they are formed. It does this by 
puncturing the tissue and inserting the egg. After the egg is 
deposited, the beetle cuts a,crescent-shaped groove around one 
side of the puncture evidently to prevent the growing tissue from 
crushing the ege. The eggs hatch in a few days when the little 
worm, or larva, at once commences to feed on the fruit causing 
much of the infested fruit to fall while still young and that which 
remains on the trees ripen prematurely and soon decay. 
The curculio does not confine its attacks to plums, but it usually 
infests plum orchards and if left unmolested, often destroys an 
entire crop. 
Treatment.— It has been found that the beetles’ manner of 
protection is to fall to the ground when disturbed. Here they 
curl up so as to resemble bits of bark. Advantage is taken of 
this habit in fighting the insect by a process known as jarring. 
The trees are jarred by three or four strokes with a padded crutch 
or mallet and the insects are caught on sheets spread underneath 
the tree and destroyed. 
The cureulio catcher commonly used in the vicinity of Geneva 
is one made by Mr. J. B. Johnson, Geneva, N. Y. The frame 
over which the sheet is stretched is attached to a two-wheeled 
cart. ‘The sheet slopes downwards to the center where an open- 
ing allows the bugs to be swept into a tin box underneath the 
sheet and between the wheels. A slit at one side allows the cart 
to be run directly under the tree and two or three jars bring down 
the bugs which are swept into the box above mentioned, by means 
of a short handled broom. The cultivated ground is made smooth 
by rolling to prepare it so that the cart wheels will pass over it 
readily. Jarring should be begun as soon as the fruit sets and be 
continued as long as the curculio are found in sufficient numbers to 
pay for jarring, which is usually for about three weeks. Early 
morning is the best time to do this work. ‘Towards the middle of 
the day, especially on bright days, they are more active and apt 
to fly. 
