The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-10
CHESTNUT WORMS.
rhoy Dore Out OF Instead OF Into tho
ms II Commonly Supposed.

Thoy Bore Out OF Instoad OF Into tho Nut
ns II Commonly Supposed.
"How docs the worm get into the
chestnut" Entomologist Howard, Of
tho Department Of Agriculture was
| asked tho question and he replied;
cit Is put into tho chestnut by kind
OF long-snouted beotlo This insect
has proboscis OF most extraordinary
proportions, as much as twice the length
OF Its body. In the business it conducts
such an exceptional nose Is absolutely
necessary. Inasmuch as when the TO-
male desires to lay her oggs she crawls
over the chestnut burr as it hangs on
the tree and not yet ripe and seeks tho
little opening at the top. through which
she inserts her snout The snout thus
introduced is thus protected down
through the thick prickly husk to the
chestnut inside. 1t may DO that the
beetle thrusts her probosois actually
through tho she'll Of tho nuts them-
selves, but my impression is that she
simply lays her eggs and pushes them
with her snout in among the nuts, lesy-
ing thom there to be hatchod, after
WHICH the littlc worms bore their way
in search OF food into tho kernels
ceptible. AT all events they are quickly
closed up with tho growth of the nuts.
You never find worms in chestnuts
you obtain by smashing the green burrs
opon- 1t is only the nuts that are found
upon the ground loose or taken from
ripened burrs that have fallen which
appear to contain those unpleasant in
truders. Presumably, tho reason for
this is that the worm. imperceptibly
small in the freshly developed nut, be-
gins to feed and to grow very rapidly as
soon as the fruit has become ripe. At
all events, you never find worm in
chestnut that has hole in it. but only
the destroyed meat that 1t has eaten and
discarded. When the creature has fin
ished devouring tho kornel it bores its
way out through the sholl and leaves
the hole behind it.
by the time the worm has consumed
its chestnut and crawled out to look
upon tho world the weather has begun
to BIO pretty cold, and it seeks shelter
by burrowing into the ground, whero it
lies in torpid condition for many
months Eventually from the earth it
emerges, though not in the shape of a
worm, but as n beetle with long snont-
w hon autumn comes it waits upon tho
chestnut tree or in it's neighborhool, if
it is female, and chooses the proper
time for showing it's eggs into
tho burrs when they are ripeninp.
These worms are the new crop ready
to begin anew their destroying work,
and so the thing goes on from
year to year. In some seasons tho
DGAtlna
chestnut worms proportionately. Ship
pers OF chestnuts avoid sending their
product for long distances so far as is
possible, because the contents OF tho
barrels become heated as they
call it and tho worms are rapidly de-
veloped, so that a consignment may
reach the market altogether unfit for
use, The best way to prepare chestnuts
for shipment is to immerso them in
boiling water for about ton minutes as
soon as gathered. Wormy nuts will
float on the surface and may be re-
moved All eggs will DO destroyed and
the condition of the meat Of the nut will
be so changed that it will not become
flinty by further curing for winter use.
At the samo tlmo it will be in nowise a
boiled chestnut The nuts may BIO dried
in the sun or In lighthouses after being
placed in sacks in such quantities as to
admit Of thor being spread to tho thick
ness of about two inches tho sack being
frequently turned and shaken. Dried
by this method they remain quito ten
der and retain for long time their de-
licious freshness and flavor
The worm have spoken OF is not the
only ono that attacks the chestnut.
There is species of moth that lays it's
eggs upon tho nuts as they lie upon the
ground, and the little caterpillars
Matched from the eggs attack tho fruit.
The chestnut worm also devours tho
hickory nut tho chinquapin, and the