112 CORN AND CIRASS. 



TJie first point in measures of prevention is such treatment 

 of pasture or leij by close grazing, treading with sheep, dressing 

 with lime, gas-lime, salt, d-c., as may best prevent the Click 

 Beetles laying eggs, or may destroy such eggs or Wireworms as 

 may be in the soil before the land is broken up; also various 

 methods of ploughing and consolidating the land, and of paring, 

 burning and cleaning out roots and rubbish, and of cropping 

 and manuring, suited to destroy or starve out the Wireivorms ; 

 and to p>romote a hearty good groivth of the next crop.* 



The following are some of the measures especially advised : — 



** Feed down the land as bare as possible before ploughing 

 it, and leave as few stumps of Grass as possible or leaves to 

 plough in. I believe a top-dressing of lime, or lime and salt 

 to the land, after it is eaten down bare, and before it is 

 ploughed, would also tend to check the Wireworm. After the 

 land is ploughed, roll it down as tight as possible." — 

 (M. Locke Blake, near Ilminster.) 



"In order in some degree to prevent mischief from this 

 pest, it is well to consolidate the surface thoroughly, and to 

 graze every bit of plant off all leys or pastures which it is 

 desired to break up. For this purpose sheep and cattle 

 should be fed with cake. Corn, or other feeding stuffs, so that 

 each inch of land shall be trodden and eaten bare. By this 

 means the grub would be destroyed, or if it escaped being 

 trodden to death it would find great difficulty in obtaining 

 food, both through the scarcity of vegetation and the solidity 

 of the surface soil. 



"A dressing of gas-lime on the surface and ploughed in 

 has a good effect on any of the worms which may have 

 escaped the treading and starving." — (Adam Lee, for the 

 Plight Hon. the Earl of Powis, Lydbury, N. Shropshire.) 



" If the lea is broken for Oats (our general crop), it is sure 

 to be attacked more or less by Wireworm ; I top-dress with 

 4 cwt. agricultural salt, 2 cwt. superphosphate, and some- 

 times 1 cwt. nitrate of soda. I have never found this to fail 

 if applied in time. If the lea is broken in the autumn, to 

 have green crops in the following year, I have the land 

 worked as much as possible, and apply 8 tons hot lime to the 

 statute acre ; lime as hot as possible. I always sow the seed 



* A portion of the information in this paper is taken from notes contributed 

 in reply to a circular issued by the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England, requesting information as to the habits of Wireworms and 

 methods of prevention of their ravages, which were formed by myself as 

 the Entomologist of the Society into a Eeport published in their Journal for 

 1883, vol. xix. part 1, and reprinted (by permission) in my own ' Annual 

 Report on Injurious Insects' for 1882, published 1883. The more important 

 of these extracts are distinguished by the name and address of the original 

 contributor. — Ed. 



