THE SCULPTURED CORN-CURCULIO : REMEDIES. 263 



be the unsuspected cause of much of the injury to young corn which 

 is cliarged to cut-worms and other insects. When, therefore, the 

 young shoots are observed to be injured from some not apparent cause, 

 search should be made for this beetle beneath the ground, where, if 

 present, by carefully removing the surface soil, it will be found, near 

 to, or with its beak inserted in, the plant. 



Remedies. 



Presuming that the history of the species is now substantially known, 

 the following recommendations may be made for the arrest of its in- 

 juries: — 



First, For the destrnciinn of the beetle : Where it is known to occur 

 in a field, it is probable that a handful of sand, well moistened with 

 kerosene oil and dropped around and among the shoots of a hill, will, 

 as the oil is carried into tlie soil by rains, kill the beetles. If, upon 

 examination, this should be found ineffectual, then the soil should be 

 carefully removed by hand from the hills showing the attack, and the 

 beetles collected and destroyed. 



Second, For destroying the eggs and young larvm : If eggs be dis- 

 covered in the punctures made by the beetle, then, just as soon as the 

 effect of the attack is observed, the shoots should be pulled up. 

 Their speedy drying, under exposure to the sun, would probably be 

 fatal to the contained eggs or young larva3, but it might be more pru- 

 dent to collect them and carry them from the field. 



TJiird, For destroying the pupie: If this precaution should be neg- 

 lected and the insect be found pupating in the stalks in the autumn, then 

 by cutting off so much of the base of the stalks as may be found to 

 harbor them, and burning them, as was done with the Sphenophorus 

 occurring in Alabama and Arkansas {ante, p. 261), all the contained 

 pupa^ may be destroyed. Unless the species breeds also in some other 

 plant, this method would effectually arrest its spread. Mr. Glover sug- 

 gested that the roots and stalks might be gathered in heaps, and quick- 

 lime applied in layers to them, which would kill the pupfe while the 

 material would be particularly useful, upon its decomposition, as a 

 manure where lime is needed for the soil. 



