Entomological Notes. 295 



by making the soil less adapted for their breeding purposes ; as to 

 make it more compact by fall plowing and rolling; to sow clover, 

 winter wheat or rye with the spring grain, and thus secure an un- 

 dergrowth to shade the ground, and thus lessen the heat and in- 

 crease the moisture, both of which would make the conditions 

 more unfavorable for the propagation and development of the 

 bug. Some have recommended sowing of rye with the grain, in 

 order to draw the insects from the wheat to the greener growth 

 underneath, but they do not feed on the leaves, but draw the sap 

 from the ripening stalk, and would not leave it while there was 

 any nourishment left in it. 



There is no doubt but that irrigation, and drenching the eggs 

 and young larvae with water or some offensive liquids, would be 

 effectual, but the conditions are such that they could be practiced 

 only in a limited degree or at great expense. 



Another plan, recommended by Prof. Thomas and others, is to 

 destroy them in their winter quarters. With a little care, the 

 numbers of those that survive the winter and stock the fields 

 anew in the spring could be greatly lessened, and thus reduce by 

 millions the summer horde. Their disposition to go into winter 

 quarters near at hand can be turned to good account by providing 

 little straw piles, shocks of corn stalks, and other combustible 

 material for them to take shelter in, and then burn the piles in 

 winter or early spring ; also by burning the grass and rubbish 

 along the fences, and the leaves in the woodland near at hand. 

 Much would be accomplished by cleaning out the line of fences 

 alone. When we adopt a more civilized style of farming, and do 

 away with all fences except for stock, we shall not only save a 

 great expenditure, improve the appearance and increase the pro- 

 ductiveness of our farms, by enlarging their area, but we shall 

 greatly lessen the losses occasioned by this and other insects now 

 harbored there. 



Plum Curculio. — ■ Conotrachelus nenuphar. Herbst. Of all 

 our insect enemies there is none that makes uniformly so thorough 

 and so complete destruction of the crop on which it preys, as the 

 Curculio. It is not in an occasional year or in here and there an 



