78 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



7. Protection of Seed by Soaking it in Spirits of Turpentine. 



The soaking of seed corn in turpentine baa been frequently 

 recommended as a preventive against attack from wireworms. 

 All of the kernels of corn we thus soaked were destroyed, before 

 germination began, by the wireworms and they were unaffected 

 by the meal. 



8. Protection of Seed by Soaking it in a Strychnine 



Solution. 



The idea of soaking seed corn in a solution of strychnine was 

 suggested to us by the fact that seed thus soaked is used to poison 

 sparrows and gophers. Our results from experiments made in 

 1891 showed that although seed corn be soaked in a very strong 

 solution of strychnine, it is rendered neither distasteful nor 

 destructive to wireworms. Prof. Forbes has recently reported 

 similar results from experiments made in Illinois in 1888 and 

 1891. 



9. Protection of Seed by Soaking it in Other Poisonous 



Substances. 



In 18S8 and 1891, Professor Forbes fed to wireworms corn that 

 had been soaked in the following : 



A mixture of Paris green and water. 



Fowler's solution, diluted with an equal quantity of water. 



An alcoholic solution of arsenic. 



A solution of arsenic in boiling water. 



An alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate. 



A saturated solution of potassium cyanide. 



In almost every case the wireworms fed upon the kernels without 

 injury to themselves. Thus, Professor Forbes says, " that it is not 

 practicable to protect corn by means of these substances, even were 

 it possible to use them without retarding or preventing the germina- 

 tion of the seed." 



B. DESTRUCTION OF THE LARY^E. 



The various methods that have been proposed for the destruction 

 of wireworms fall under two heads : First, destruction by starva- 

 tion ; second, destruction by the use of insecticides. 



