Op what use is the curculio? This question has often forced itself on my mind, when witnessing the vexatious effects of its industry and perseverance; but I have never answered it to my own satisfaction.

I have been acquainted with this destroyer about ten years, and if the observations I have made, should, by you, be considered worth recording in the Horticulturist, you are

During the term above stated, the curculio has multiplied with fearful rapidity, in the vicinity. A few years since, when trees of bearing size, were not so numerous by may hundreds, as at present, plums and cherried wore seep in abundance, in our markets; by terly, they may be seen in abundance, when one-third grown, under the trees.

The curculio flics faster and further, than most writers suppose it does. I have worn a specimen with lime, salt, Ac, and with a splinter of wood, until the outside shell opened up the center of the back, and a pair of wings projected seemingly from behin very like the wings of the insect known by the common name "lady-bird," or lady-b In the spring of 1849, I planted an orchard and garden, with nearly one thousand trees and shrubs, in a situation where there are no other fruit trees nearer than an eighth mile; yet, the unmistakable crescent-shaped punctures, were visible the same season every stone fruit that set - on the pear, and to my astonishment, on the grape, and gooseberry. I have also seen it on large sized currants. It does no injury, however, the last named fruits.

The curculio does but little damage when plenty of poultry is kept in the fruit gards

Strolling one day, on the grounds of a slovenly neighbor, I was delighted with the sig of twenty or thirty trees of the common horse plum, loaded with perfect fruit. The tree standing in sod - unsightly objects - pigs and chickens the only gardeners. I have notic in several gardens, where poultry is kept, the result to be satisfactory.

The curculio is most active about night, and may be seen, as busy as bees, in the eaj evening - even in places where it is difficult to find a specimen in the daylight.

I have never battled the curculio with success. They are too numerous for me; they c reinforce fester than I can kill. I wish it were possible to annihilate them.

I have just put heaps of manure under the trees, but it docs not hinder them. I h hung vials of sweetened water in the trees, and caught thousands of flies and moths, various kinds, but the "turk" will not enter. I have tried tubs, and a light, at night the invitation was slighted. I have thrown slaked lime over the trees, and on the fru the curculio has poked it away with perfect case. Being determined, last season, to cure a few apricots, I white-washed them, and, (can you believe it,) the wretches stood on the stalks, and effected their work of destruction. I have tried, early in the season, to cut out the eggs - if I cut out one in the morning, there would be two or three in an excellent condition to be operated upon in the evening, on the same fruit. From thirty nectarine trees, I had but three nectarines, last season; those were on a small tree under which a few fowls were regularly fed.

I have some faith in paving, although I have not tried it. In a back yard in Sixth-street, Troy, there are four stunted, little, knotty plum trees, bearing an inferior white plum. The lady of the house told me those trees produced more than three bushels of plums, free from the marks of any insect.

The yard is closely paved all over with bricks. In other parts of the city, where branches over-hang the public pavements, the fruit hung on till the boys knocked it off. I do not believe a bushel of perfect plums were produced in cither of the excellent gardens on Mount Ida, in 1850. In this I may be mistaken, as I judge entirely from the appearance of the trees in July; there arc no pavements in those gardens. From more than fifty plum trees in my own garden, but one plum ripened. From ahundred cherry trees, but three or four cherries. There was no neglect on my part. The trees were jarred, and the curculious picked up and destroyed, as long as a perfect fruit was visible. Again, the question forces itself - What is the curculio for? I cannot tell, unless in feed the birds.

The birds are not here now; - thoughtless boys, and barbarous men, have hunted them, until only an occasional timid wanderer, can be seen.

I have put the following questions, to the oldest people in the neighborhood, and received, invariably, about the same answers. "Are your apples as sound now, as those you raised thirty or forty years ago?" "Oh no! they're gnarly and wormy now - the seasons aint as good as they used to be,'9 "Are the birds as plentiful now, as formerly?" "Oh law, no! they used to make noise enough to deafen you, when I was young." "Do you raise as much poultry?" "Why no! guess not, we get more butchers' meat now." It will be readily observed by the first reply, that those persons have not the least idea of the present cause of failure - (I do not insist that the curuclio is the only troublesome thing.) I know of a solitary apple tree, in a forty acre field, where every fallen fruit shows several crescent shaped punctures.

I have never yet conversed with a person who understood the natural history of the curculio. The only one that seemed to have any previous idea of it, was an Irishman. He complained to me, that his plums were all falling to the ground. As I make it a rule to talk to every one who will listen to me, about the curculio - I commenced an explanation - he suddenly threw up both hands, and exclaimed stentoriously, "is it the baby's nail, you mane? by this, and by that, I always minded the thing as a token of bad luck, and so I did." By the way, his is a stiff clay soil, and that dont save him.

Paving under the trees, or white-washing the fruit, may save the crop, but both plans are expensive; and even when we have done it - the greatest vigilance is necessary, because we are still surrounded by the enemy. Nothing short of total extermination, should be the aim of the fruit grower; - let him explain the nature of this insect, to every one who owns a tree, to every man, woman and child, on his premises; - let him be a grower of poultry, as well as a grower of fruit; - let him give accommodation and encouragement to the birds of the air, in every possible way; - let him petition the proper authorities, that stringent laws may be enacted for their preservation; that all dishonest persons may be prevented from coming on our land, to shoot, or ensnare them. The word dishonest may appear too severe for this place - let it pass. Those who feed the birds, (namely, the owners of the soil,) have a special claim to their services, and no straggling sportsman should deprive them of it.