74 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



It is not in the life history of this insect, but in its structure, that we find a 

 cUie to its subjugation. The rudimentary condition of its wings, and its conse- 

 quent lack of the power of flight, taken together with its sluggish movements, 

 suggest the value of the isolation of new fields as a preventive measure, or at 

 least the policy of separating them from infested areas by a considerable in- 

 terval. Just how wide this interval should be, it is impossible to tell without 

 experiment; but from the observed rate of progress of the pest during the 

 year from one patch to another adjacent, it seems probable that a few rods 

 would suffice. To obtain plants from an old field in which the crown-borer 

 has prevailed without serious risk of transporting the insect with them, it is 

 ■evidently necessary that the stools selected should be transplanted as early 

 as possible in spring. After the beetle commences to stir, the danger will 

 daily increase that the crowns will be infested with its eggs. 



INSECTS IN.irRIOUS TO THE ROOT. 



Ants. 

 Order Hymenoptera, Family Formicidse. 



Although these enterprising and nearly omnipresent insects of various 

 ■species often occur in strawberry fields in noticeable numbers, I have never 

 learned personally of any serious injury which could justly be attributed to 

 them. For the purpose of calling attention to them, however, I quote the 

 following note from the Farmer and Fruit-Grower for June 16, 1880, and cred- 

 ited therein to the Examiner and Chronick' : — 



"The next pest that Ave have to contend'with here is the ants, and so de- 

 structive are they in this locality that some growers think of turning their 

 attention to other pursuits. They honeycomb the ground right under the 

 plants, eat off the fine roots, and as fast as new ones are put forth they share 

 the same fate, and the plants soon lose their vitality. If the grass and weeds 

 are allowed to grow among the plants, they will not suffer so much, as the 

 ants will work among the weeds as well as the strawberry plants; but to grow 

 fine fruit the ground must be kept clear of weeds and runners." 



It is proper to say, however, that the difficulty of determining exactly what 

 as small a creature as an ant is doing under ground, makes it not impossible 

 that the writer of this article was deceived as to the real business of these 

 insects. Only a dissection of specimens and a study of the contents of their 

 alimentary canals could determine this matter with certainty. 



The White Grub. Lf(chnosterna,s]). 



Order Coleoptera, Family Scarabseidse. 



Doubtless I can say little or nothing concerning this species which is new 

 to the readers of this article, so familiar is the insect to every one who has 

 anything to do with agriculture or horticulture in any of their depart- 

 ments. All know that the name is commonly applied to the larva? of several 



