1908 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 129 



covered with a mealy-looking powder of a bluish or ashen hue, which gives 

 them a particularly disgusting appearance. Each of the myriad lice ia 

 engaged all day long in sucking the juices of the plant on which it is 

 stationed and the comT)ined effect of so many feeders is soon shewn by t^e 

 impoverishment and destruction of the leaf. 



These sucking insects can be destroyed by the application of any of the 

 usual contact remedies, such as kerosene emulsion, tobacco wash or strong 

 soap-suds; the last is probably the cheapest and easiest remedy to procure 

 and has been found very effective. A difficulty, however, is experienced 

 with all these applications in getting at the insects on the under side of the 

 leaves which are often close to the ground. In order to ward off an attack 

 nest year all the refuse of the crop, such as cabbage stalks and turn^'p 

 leaves, should be destroyed by forming them into a compost heap or some 

 other method which will prevent any lice upon them from finding secure 

 winter quarters, and also kill the eggs which are laid on stems and leaves. 

 This should have been done as soon as the crop was taken off the field. 

 Next year these vegetables should not be planted on the same piece of ground, 

 and should be watched for the first appearance of any colonies of lice. If 

 a sharp look-out is kept during hoeing and any affected plants cut out and 

 crushed under foot, a very great deal will be done to reduce the number 

 of colonies if not to entirely clear out the insect. 



Wire-Worms and White Grubs. (Figs. 34 and 35), Next in order 

 to the- foregoing were enquiries respecting these two classes of insects, which 

 attack the roots of various plants and destroy large numbers of them. Being 

 underground feeders no method has yet been found of applying a poison 

 for their destruction. A great many experiments have been made in various 

 places and all sorts of things have been tried, but nothing has yet been 

 found to answer the purpose. Salt is often suggested, but it would require 

 so large a quantity to kill the worms that all vegetation would be destroyed 

 as well. Apparently the only thing that can be done is to prevent their 

 breeding and coming to maturity by a short rotation of crops. Both these 

 insects increase and multiply in grass lands, especially old pastures, where 

 the worms and grubs feed upon the roots. If left long undisturbed they 

 become very numerous and destructive. When an infected field of this kind 

 is broken up for the first time, not much damage is done to the crop that is 

 put in as the worms have still plenty of food in the roots and leaves of the 

 grass that has been ploughed under. The next year this supply of food is 

 gone and the worms must attack the roots of the crop whatever it may be or 

 perish of hunger. Hence it is that corn and many other things suffer 

 severely the second season after the grass field has been broken up. The 

 most effective method, so far as the writer knows, is to plough up the infested 

 field in August to destroy the tender pupse which have been formed by ■'•hat 

 time and again late in October to expose the newly formed beetles and also 

 the young worms to the cold and frost of winter; this ploughing will also 

 enable birds and other creatures to get at and devour them ; poultry and 

 pigs will feed iipon them eagerly and should be allowed to range over the 

 field immediately after it is broken up. 



Wheat Insects. The Hessian Fly has been present in injurious num- 

 bers affecting winter wheat in the Counties of Norfolk, Brant and Essex and 

 in the Niagara District; in other parts of the Province it does not seem to 

 have inflicted any appreciable injury. The plan of sowing wheat after the 

 middle of September in order that the plants may be too late for the egg- 

 laying of the flies has proved satisfactory, though it is attended with the 

 risk in an unfavourable season of having an imperfectly grown plant +o 



