153 Mr. Walford's Observations on an Insect, 



by these noxious insects: but the depredations of the Wireworm, 

 as I am informed by a friend* whose experience and observa- 

 tion enable him to calculate with superior judgement, being prin- 

 cipally confined to wheat sown upon clover leys, old pastures 

 recently broken up, pea and bean stubbles, &c, we may sup- 

 pose the general average of the injury to amount to much less 

 than a fifth (Mr. Olley's loss): a twentieth part of what is sown 

 upon this description of lands will, I think, be deemed a very 

 fair and moderate calculation. The number of cultivated acres 

 of land in England at the time above mentioned was computed 

 at seven millions, of which 2,400,000 were calculated to be 

 sown with wheat ; and as only one half of the wheat annually 

 sown is supposed to be upon clover leys, old pastures, &c, our 

 calculations must be confined to 1,200,000 acres instead of 

 2,400,000: this will give 60,000 acres as annually destroyed by 

 the insect in question ; which replanted, at one bushel per acre, 

 will require 60,000 bushels of seed, which, at eight shillings per 

 bushel, are worth 24,000/. Besides this, although no extra ex- 

 pense is incurred by the farmer in preparing the land, yet he 

 has to pay for dibbling-in the seed, which, at five shillings and 

 threepence per acre, will cost 15,750/., or, at the full price, six 

 shillings per acre, 18,000/. If the land requires harrowing, there 

 will be a further charge of ninepence per acre, or 2,250/., not to 

 name other items, which render it difficult precisely to ascertain 

 the loss of the farmer. 



If the above calculation be thought a fair one, and I see no 

 reason why it should not, we find the quantity of wheat lessen- 

 ed to the market by the depredations of these insects is very 

 frequently, if -not annually, sixty thousand bushels ; which oc- 



* Allen Taylor, Esq. Wimbish-hall, Essex. 



casions 



