Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-05-25


bis lectures bsforS the Agricultural Conven.
ton, lately held a, New llaven, DR.. Fitch
gave the following account Of the eureulio.
The cureulio is a native insect Of our
country. II was hrs, noticed as destroying
the neetarines abOu, Philadelphia, abou,
enc hundred years ago. since which time n,
has multiplied and attacked our apples,
plums. cherries and other fruits. From the
remedies constantly being published in the
papers. We might suppose i,s entire history
was known bu, TO this day we DO no, sure.
" know where and how IL lives during
,hree.fourih. Of the year. 1, makes it. ap-
rearanee on the young fruit when abou;
half grown, and cutting a ercsesni-sbAped
cash, 1, deposits single ees, and only a
single ons in each plum. TIL. haiche, into
a small white worm. which feed. upon the
juic, Of the fruit until I, /. destroyed and
falls TO the ground. IL then goes into the
ground. undersocs It's changes and comes out
again A' beetle. The time when IL 6r.i
makes is appearance. varies from the frs, Of
April to :he middle Of May. when they may
be found on our apple, cherry, plum. but.
tcrnut and other trees. Quite !at1 in tho
f,ll. we End them 10 abundance on the Col.
dsu Rod. When the frui, ], large enough
they attack il. and, being decided epieure',
they select the .arscsi and bcs, specimens
No matter how FOIL plum tree may Be. it
will be sure to End evsry one Of them. |
think the les prOdue,ivsnSss Of our apple
orchards, now than formerly due to thi. in.
'-ci. About the ar.i Of July in'pSe, the
fallen fruit from an apple aud plum tree,
aud you will snd both 10 have persisted from
tie eurculio worm. A, befor, remarked,
the laryp goes into the ground Abou, the
fret oi July, and in few weeks come. cut
again s beetle. The question here arises,
where. aud upon what DO they now feed. a.
there is no young iruit1 The ho, that they
c me in the spring. week. before the fruit
on which they feed is G, fsr them; and tie
fact that they are as abundant after the fruit
is gone as before. 10 good ,'iienSs that they
brece In other places aud feed on other food.
The iac, i. now well established that they
breed in those eIerrseenee' known as the
black knot. on the plum and cherry ,rcc,
jos, as well as in the fruit Of these trees.
Fifty years ago Melsheimcr stated that they
bred IN the bark Ot the peach. -Four year.
ago foend larv@ in the bark Of the rear,
which have reason 10 suppose were Of the
eurculio. These insects are 80 abundant
and large on the bark Of the bu,,sruus a.
q show that this tree j. favoriie abode ior
them. Now as no fruit 1, found on this
tree, like the plum or apple. is /, no, prob
abe that their egg. are laid IN the bark,
and tha, here the larvr feed. and pas, the
wiiter2 In my opinion there are three seu.
Grafton. Of these posts in SINGLE year. two
Of which live in the bark Of trees. and when
the fruit is of proper ase, one generation Of
larvU fecl upon IL.
Until wsLin few months no parasite
bad been discovered of the elrcalio. bu, las,
summer u. W. Bealls sen, ms some speci.
men. of insects, which have found to be a
parasite to IL. aud have called it Cgrrvio
Praais. I, lay. its ssg. in tho larvD, and
oue in,,c, will destroy one hundred Of them.
1, i, greatly to BE- hoped they will multiply
and spread wherever this pest i, found.
DR.. Fitch gave the following as the be',
remedies for the earculio First, shaking
them or the irv, on to sheets, carly in the
morning when they are s,iG with cold. I.
second. Jrsnch the trees thoroughly with
tobacco water aui whale-oil soap. lie also
stated ,ha. it IS probable ihata a tree planted
with It's braneho. over water would no. be
affected. The eurculio know too much to
pllca their ess. where their oG,rrius would
bs drowned.