Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-17
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
BY AGRIC0LA.
ABOUT NoXIoUS INSECTS.

A few years ago memorial was ad.
dressed to congress asking TOR the estab-
lishment of an insect commission. 1.-The
document declared that noxious insects in
the United States do damage to the
amount of $300,000000." Weare not in.
formed what action was taken upon this
memorial, but allude to the fact to show
the importance of our subject.
Among these noxious insects we fine
the nut weevi. In this country they are
common in hazelnuts, chestnuts ant
acorns. The long shouted kind are the
most common. They have IN oval form
are of dark brown color, and are clothed
with short yellow hair, with spotted wing
covers. The eggs are laid in July. Some
appear in September and October. The
falling Of unripe plums is caused by the
grub of this beetle. Frequently the crol
Of plums in some Of our gardens anC
orchards is entirely destroyed by these in
scots. These little pests are rough, darl
colored beetles, resembling dried buds
When shaken off from the tree they curl
up into heap and seem lifeess. Tney
are on the ground as early as the first Of
April, and begin to sting the plums as
soon as the fruit is set, and continue theil
depredations till the first of August.
First they bore small holes in the Skin
of the plum, in which they deposit then
eggs, and continue the process until all
the plums on the tree arc doctored. From
these eggs white grubs are hatched which
are destitute of feet. These grubs nj
once penetrate into the fruit to the stone
The irritation from the presence and ac-
ton of the grubs causes disease and de.
cay, and the fruit finally drops from the
tree.
As soon rs the grubs become mature
they leave the fruit upon the ground and
burrow in the earth. In three weeks they
complete their transformation and come
forth full grown beetles. These weevils
attack peaches, apples, pears and ounces
They are not the same us the apple worm
but are their cQ-laborcrs in the work OF
destruction.
To get rid of these insects, shake the
trees briskly, both morning and evening,
while the beetles are engaged in laying
their eggs, and gather them on Il sheet
and burn them; or the fruit may be COW
cred with whitewash. if the crop will war
rant the trouble. The fallen fruit should
be gathered and boiled, to kill the grubs.
All diseased excrescences on the tree
should be removed and burned.
The potato rot is caused in part by "A
kind of weevil that lives in the stalk of
the potato. They have three black spots
on their backs and are covered with short
white hairs. They are quite small-not
more than tbree.twentieths of an inch
long, They lay their eggs singly on the
plant, at the base of the leaf The grubs
as soon as they are born, enter the stalk
These insects undergo all the transforma-
tions while employed in the destruction of
the potato field, and they become beetles
the last of August or the first of Septem-
ber These insects are not common in
New England, but arc abundant in the
Middle States.
We come now to the grain weevil, the
most destructive kind of all. These are
the corn moth which attacks stored grain,
and the orange colored maggots of the
wheat fly, found in the ears of the grow
ing wheat, The last mentioned are the
more destructive kind. The grain wee
wills are slender beetles of red color, and
very small. These devour stored wheat
and other grain in large quantities, and
are very prolific. A single pair produce
six thousand in one year. The eggs are
deposited upon the gathered wheat, and
grabs when Matched barrow in the wheat,
each individual occupying Il single grain.
Then they undergo transformation and
the beetles produce another crop of eggs.
These pests can be destroyed by kiln
drying.