Report of the State Entomologist 267 



or but partially devoured even in the worst infested beans," may 

 require this explanation: at the time of writing, the bean-weevil had 

 only been known in Missouri for a year or two, and had not as yet 

 become abundant. If Curtis, in his " Farm Insects," in commenting 

 on Latreille's remark that by a wonderful instinct of the weevil " the 

 vital germ of the pea is spared," was correct in stating, " this is 

 the case with the beans also," and again on page 361 loc. cit., " as the 

 beetles [Bruchus granarius] generally leave the germ uninjured, the 

 vitality of the infested seeds is not destroyed " — then certainly the bean- 

 weevils of Eux'ope must be less injurious in their feeding operations 

 than is our species. Dr. Fitch — always accepted as a careful 

 observer — has distinctly stated (as already quoted), " in most 

 instances I find the germ is devoured." My own examinations of 

 infested beans are in accord with this, for in no case have I found a 

 bean of the ordinary size used for baking, which has nurtured more 

 than five larvtc, in which the germ has remained intact. 



Experiment in Testing Vitality and Productiveness. 



But beyond the question of germination, there is still another quite 

 as important — the vitality and productiveness of the plant after its 

 stalk and leaf development. Where a full crop is desired, and when 

 is it not, beans even but dightly injured ahould not be used for' seed. 

 This is proven beyond all question by the careful experiments made 

 and reported by an eminent English entomologist, Mr. Theodore 

 Wood. 



For the purpose of ascertaining the precise degree of iujur}^ caused 

 by Bruchus rufimanus in beans, twenty were selected from a large lot 

 of infested material, three of which had been perforated by three 

 weevils each, five by two, and twelve by one only. They were sown 

 under the most favorable conditions for insuring uniformity in 

 growth and general welfare. 



The young plants showed strong and vigorous growth, and were 

 apparently none the worse for the injury that the seed had received. 

 But when the time for fruiting came, a great change was evident. 

 The blossoms were few and small; the foliage faded and withered; 

 and several of the plants died without producing a single pod. 

 Mr. W^ood further states: 



Of the first three plants, raised from seed pierced by three weevils, 

 one was altogether barren, while the remaining two bore but three 

 pods between them, none of which arrived at perfection. The next 

 five grown from seed tenanted by two beetles only, were slightly more 

 fruitful, bearing in all six pods, of which five reached their full 

 growth; two of these five plants, however, were barren. Upon the 

 remaining twelve, the seed of which had but one perforation, I 



