August, '17] TUCKER: PEGOMYIA FUSCICEPS AND FIELD CROPS 403 



iSTot knowing, however, but that the sprouts might yet succeed in 

 establishing themselves, the presence of the maggots was consequently 

 on first notice not regarded by the writer as a serious menace. But a 

 subsequent report made by the planter, under date of April 17, con- 

 clusively affirmed the opposite of this impression. He then wrote that 

 the results were just about what he had expected: no stand was secured 

 at all from the impaired seed stock, though a later planting attained 

 to perfect growth. 



Adult flies, which proved to be the species, Pegomyia fusciceps Zett., 

 matured on April 1-3, from the maggots received in the rotting tubers 

 for examination. 



Another loss of a planting of seed potatoes on account of attacks 

 by maggots occurring again in Pointe Coupee parish, which complaint 

 was made by a grower at Ventress, under date of April 1, 1915, seemed 

 to indicate that some especially favorable condition for the pest existed 

 in the country there. The stock was said to have been obtained from 

 Maine, then having been planted on March 6. At the date of writing, 

 all of it had become rotten, which state was attributed to the work of 

 ''worms." The samples submitted for examination consisted of rotten 

 pieces of the potatoes infested by numbers of maggots. To all appear- 

 ances, these larvae represented the species Pegomyia fusciceps Zett., 

 though they failed to produce adults. 



The possibility that the maggots might not have been entirely to 

 blame for the rotting of the tubers was pointed out in reply to the 

 grower's request for information. Their occurrence may have followed 

 decomposition induced by cold wet soil. In case the growth of sprouts 

 had been delayed by the latter conditions, the seed had very likely 

 started to rot before the parent flies deposited their eggs, with the 

 result that the issuing maggots were immediately attracted to the 

 rotting tissues. Owing to their scavenger habits, the maggots naturally 

 reveled in the decomposed matter and therefore hastened the spoiling 

 of the seed. 



If means in accordance with a better knowledge of the pest at this 

 time had been employed early enough to prevent the maggots from 

 reaching the seed, the prospect of obtaining a stand of sprouts might 

 have been insured. The most practical measures in such respects 

 would have depended on spraying the sprouts as soon as they had 

 appeared above ground, with a solution of lead arsenate, preferably in 

 combination with Bordeaux mixture. But the best that could be done 

 in case the stand of plants proved to be inadequate for a crop would be 

 to replant the field. 



Killing Young Corn 



A correspondent writing from Tallulah, Madison parish, La., on April 



