81 



cause of this is obvious. The corn grew rapicHy and with vigor, and was considered the 

 best in the neighborhood. Whether the bisulphide had anything to do with it, I will nob 

 say; but [ am somewhat inclined to think it had. We know that solutions of some of 

 the mf^t-illic silts have a tendency to stimulate favorably the growth of seed that is 

 immersid in it. 



I only know of one great d inger in handling the bisulphide, in which T nearly lost 

 my own lift;. The experimenter mxy pour it into the opening of an ants' nest to destroy 

 them, and safely ignite it at the hole with a match. After the explosion it leaves for 

 a while an invisible dime at the opening. If he is tempted to recharge the opening from 

 a full bottle ot the fluid in his hands it will explode and send him without a moment's 

 notice into the other world ! 



It is supposed that nearly 50 per cent, of the corn in Texas is annually destroyed by 

 weevils and ri.ts. The destruction is so great that nearly all the corn used in this part of 

 the State comes from Kansas. — G. P. Hachenberg, M. D., Texas, in Insect Life. 



WIREWORM REMEDIES. 



In answer to a question in relation to destroying wireworras, the larvoe of click 

 beetles, of which there are a large number of species, elaborate experiments by Prof. 

 ComstOfk, of Cornell University, N.Y., sliovvs that the beetles can be easily attracted to 

 baits of clover which have been poisoned by wetting with one ot" the arsenicals — Paris 

 gref*n waler f jr instance. The>i;> b tits consist of small bunches of the freshly cut plant, 

 about ont'-founh jiound in weight, distributed throughout the field and protected and 

 kept moist by b-ing covered with boards. 



As an indica i<->n of the efficifnoy of this method it is stated that a series of twelve 

 traps yiehled in three days 482 beetles, or an average of more than forty per trap. These 

 traps hliould be put out. daring ih^ early summer, and the beetles killed in a majority of 

 cases will not have depositnil thinr eggs and the consequent depredations of their larvje, 

 tlie wireworins, will be greatly diminished. It frequently happens that the infested areas 

 are ra'her limited in extent, au'l do not ci)ver the entire field, and where this is the case 

 the labor of distributing biit will be greatly lessened. The bait should be renewed once 

 or tv'icM per week during the early part of thii summer. In place of the clover, cornmeal 

 dough and sliced potatoes are used, but clover has proved itself the most valuable. 

 AVhere a fi'-ld his become extensively infested by the worms there is little which can be 

 done so fur as any actu il experiment has shown. 



The wireworm is the larvre of a beetle, commonly known as the click-beetle. This 

 is a small brown or black beetle, and is sometimes recognized from the fact that when 

 placed in any untiatural position it regains its feet by throwing itself into the air by an 

 action of Llie body which produces a sh')rt, sharp, clicking sound. There are, of course, 

 many species of cliidc-be'-ties, the number being co-exbensive with the different varieties of 

 wire worms. — Vralfle Farmer. 



ELECTRICITY VerSUS CATERPILLARS. 



Edison originated electrocution on a practical scale when he waged successful war on 

 cockioacliL'S. We are greiter believers in the hu;nanity of electricity as a destroy in» 

 agent wh'^n thus sipplied ihin whnn used punitively for man. We now hear that Edison's 

 original device has been greatly improved upon, and applied to prevent caterpillars from 

 climbing up trees. Alternate wires of copper and zinc are run around the trunk of the 

 tree, at the distance of about halt an inch apart. The casual caterpillar begins to mount 

 the trunk of the tree, and uilimbers himself with the confidence and vigor born of an 

 impending feast. Presently he reaches the copper wire, pokes his nose over it, and lets 

 another kink out of bis bickl)one. Half an inch further up his front feet strike the zinc, 

 the circuit is completed, and the unf )nunate larva is a martyr to science. — Science 

 Gossip. 



G (KN.) 



