18S4.] INSECT PREVENTION. 279 



for them. Those various points in the habits of sucli of the various 

 kinds of Crane fly and their grubs as we suffer most from all appear 

 to sliow that the autumn treatment, which we know is useful in saving 

 next year's crops from wireworm, would be ei{ually useful with the 

 leather-jackets. Deep plougliing is also a means of lessening the 

 amount of attack, for thus many of the grubs and eggs are put into 

 such entirely unsuitable circumstances that many of them are destroyed. 

 Wc are speaking chielly to-day of autumn shelters — but just in 

 passing we may notice that the amount of ravage of this grub, even 

 when it is present in considerable numbers in the land, is much 

 lessened by a condition of ground Avhich will push on good growth, 

 and that amongst the various special fertilizers which have been tried, 

 guano and salt, mixed or with an addition of kainitc and super- 

 phosphate, has proved very successful. Before, going on to the 

 subject of the next insect, which especially makes headquarters oi 

 our autumn stubbles, I wish to say one little word on my own behalf. 

 Our subject to-day turns especially on how the use of particular 

 agricultural treatment or implements act on insect life. 1 can tell 

 you the habits of the insects, and how this or that treatment will act 

 or has acted o/o tJicni, but there is a further consideration of whether 

 this treatment that did well in one case will be the right one in another : 

 suitable that is to the coming crops, or many other considerations. I 

 am very anxious you should not consider me presuming beyond my 

 ofiice into suggestions of agricultural treatment, but merely mention- 

 ing what measures act on these pests, which may be arranged in 

 thoroughly practical form nowhere better than by the audience F have 

 the honour of addressing. Another of our bad cro}) attackers, which we 

 are beginning to learn is especially to be found in connection A\-ith 

 clover and stubble in autumn, is the SUona. We can hardly take 

 one kind of this genus separately from the others, because there are so 

 many of them nearly alike in appearance (to general observation), and 

 those whicli we know best are much alike in habits. These various 

 weevils feed on the pea, bean, and clover leaves. The Sitona lincata 

 is known as the pea or bean weevil, and another kind known as the 

 S. jnoLcticollh'^, horn the light points or spots on the body near the 

 head, has been found more particularly amongst clover. But it was 

 not until last year that it was made out where the weevils feed in 

 their maggot state, and in both cases the history was traced out by 

 agriculturists — in the case of the pea weevil, by jNlr. Hart, of Kings- 

 north, Kent ; in the case of the clover weevil, by Mr. Christy, at 

 Boynton Hall, near Chelmsford. It was found by carefully examining 

 the growing plants that the maggots fed on the roots. In the case of 

 the red clover which was infested, most of the maggots were found at 

 or near the end of the tap-roots : in some cases large holes had been 



