218 BOARD OF AGRICCTLTURE. 



It is also said that this insect is very destructive in Alabama, 

 and on Red River in Arkansas, but that the planters have 

 greatly diminished its numbers by pulling up the roots of the 

 corn after the crop has been harvested, piling them in heaps, 

 and burning the whole mass. 



Now does our corn weevil have the same habits in the larva 

 state as this southern species ? This question must be an- 

 swered before we can propose any remedy for its attacks. 

 Tills point is readily determined by watching the weevil wlier- 

 ever it appears next summer. If it agrees in habits with its 

 southern relative, it can be destroyed in the same way. If, 

 on the other hand, it lives in the larva state in chip manure, 

 or decaying wood, these substances must be removed, or at 

 least not used for dressing. 



The other weevil is a species which attacks the bean. It 

 closely resembles the pea weevil and might readily be mis- 

 taken for it, but is really a different species, the Brachus oh- 

 soletus of Say. This bean weevil probably deposits its eggs in 

 the pods of the bean while quite young and tender, in the- 

 same manner as the pea weevil does ; of the pea weevil, how- 

 ever, there is usually only one grub to a pea so the germ is 

 not destroyed, while a dozen grubs of the bean weevil are 

 frequently found in a single boan, so that those attacked are 

 more than half eaten up and few if any of them can ever ger- 

 minate. The damage done by the bean weevil is therefore 

 much greater than that which the pea weevil accomplishes. 

 This bean weevil was obtained a long time ago by Say from 

 the seeds of a wild plant allied to the beans and peas, but 

 was not known to attack • cultivated beans until recently. 

 Within a few years it has attacked cultivated beans, and has 

 done much damage in Pennsylvania and New York. This 

 year it has appeared about New Haven. How long it has 

 been in this state I am not aware. The same remedies should 

 be used against this as against the pea weevil. The presence 

 of the weevil is readily detected by the transparent spots 

 made by the larvae, and on no account should beans which 

 contain them be planted. 



The other beetles exhibited are two of those which attack 



