Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-05-02

may have lodged on the balk bneat ".
CURcULIo Plum and apple trees in gar
dens and orchards often lose the whole Of
their fruit from the depredsLons Of this in
sect They are about one-iiith OF an inch
long, exclusive of the curved snout. Ihrir
color is dark brown, variegated with spots
OF white, ochre-yeIIow, and black. Tie
thoraX is uneven, The WIng-covers have
several shor ridges upon them, those on
the middle Of the back forming two consid-
cradle humps Of dark color, behind whirh
there is a wide band Of oChre-yellOw While,
Each Of the thighs has two little teeth on
the under side. They begin to sting the
plums as soon as the fruit is set. After ma
king a puncture with their snouIs, they lay
one egg in epch plum thus stung, and 90
over the fruit on the tree in tn ) way till
their store is exhaustpd;so so that where these
beetles abound not a plum will escape be-
ing puncmred. The irritation arising from
, these punctures, and from the gnawing of
the grubs after they are hatched, cause the
young fruit to become gummy, discussed, and
to drop before it is ripe. Meanwhile the
grub comes to its growth, and Immediately
after the fruit falls, it tburo in the grOu nd.
This occurs at various times between the
first Of June and the middle OF August
and in about three weeks afterwards the in-
sect completes its transformation, but those
which bunow later in the fall make their
appearance the following spring.
When these insects once appear IN an
orchard, they usually increase until the fruit
is annually destroyed by them, unless mea-
sures are timely taken to counteraCt them,
| To do this, several ways have been recom-
mended, either Of which, perhaps, would
be efectual if generally adopted and care
fully followed. 1t has been noticed that
trees situated in lanes and extensive yards
where numerous cattle are confined, genf-
rally escape the attacks Of this insect, This
is supposed to be produced in part by tram.
! ping the ground so hard that the worm cali
not enter the earth, and the annoyance and
| fright which the insects receives by the cat
tie rubbing against the Teesi as this insect,
when frightened, rolls itself intoali little b Il
and falls 10 the ground, when il is liable ei-
ther to be lrodden to death or devoured hy
the farm-yard poultry. By tying a rope -
plum tree and attaching it to the handle
of pump, by which the tree was shaken
each time the pump was used, the fruit was
preserved in the greatest perfection. Hogs
are extremely useful in orchards, by devouf-
ing at once the fallen fruit and the insect
which it contains; and provided the hogs
are sufficiently numerous to devouT all the
fallen fruit, they will shortly exterminats
the insects from the orchard. In small gar
dens, or other enclosures where hogs car.
not be admitted, the same effect may be
produced by picking up, and by Ioiling, or
feeding 10 the hogs, or otherwise destroy.
ing, as it falls from the tree, the affected
fruit. Paving the ground is said to be
most effectual mode Of getting rid of this
insect, for by preventing its descent into
the earth it finds no winter habilation.--
Placing, early in spring, hen, with brood
of chickens, in coop beneath the tree, has
effectuaIly preserved it from depreciation,
as the insects were destroyed soon sfpr
they arose from the earth and before they
had acquired sufficient strength TO take to
their wings or ascend the tree. Shaking
the tree suddenly and hriskly, so as to pro-
duce jar among the branches, (which may
| be done morning and evening, and as much
ottener as convenient during the time the
insects are engaged in singing the fruit.
has been recommended Those which fall
may be gathered in a sheet, previously
spread under the tree, and thrown into the
fire. All the fallen wormly plums should he
Immediately gathered and given to the hog,
or, when this is not convenient, boiled or
steamed so as to kill the inclosed grubs.