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Wireworms. — Bd. Agric, London, Leaflet no. 10, February 1916, 

 8 pp., 9 figs. [Received 13th April 1916.] 



The most important wireworm pests in Britain belong to the genera 

 Agriotes and AtJious, and occasionally the larvae of Lacon and Adrastus 

 are harmful. The eggs are laid in spring and early summer at the roots 

 of plants, especially of grass, in weedy fields and pastures. A soil which 

 has been heavily dressed with stable manure is said to be attractive to 

 ovipositing females. The young larvae may feed on the living roots or 

 on decaying vegetable matter, but in later stages attack living roots 

 and stems. The larval stage may last from three to five years. Pupa- 

 tion takes place in late summer in a cell from 6 to 12 inches below the 

 surface of the soil. Agriotes lineatus and A. sputator often emerge after 

 three or four weeks and hibernate in tufts of grass, etc. ; A. obscurus 

 and probably also Athous sp. remain below ground until the following 

 spring. Adults are active in spring and summer, feeding to some 

 extent on various leaves. 



The larvae attack the roots of cereals during early spring and summer ; 

 the seed does not appear to be injured. In the case of tomatoes, a 

 burrow is formed in the stem, extending upwards for several inches 

 above the surface of the soil. Beans and clover seem less liable to 

 attack than other crops, and white mustard and rape are usually, 

 but not invariably, immune. 



The larval and adult stages are eaten by birds. The larvae are 

 parasitised by Proctotrupids and by the fungus, Isaria. Under normal 

 conditions these enemies do not form an efficient check. Thorough 

 cultivation is apparently the best method of reducing the numbers of 

 the pest. Infested land should, if possible, be broken up in late summer 

 or early autumn to destroy or expose the pupae. Lime or gas-lime, 

 the latter at the rate of 4 tons per acre, have some destructive action. 

 Crops which are more or less immune may be planted on infested land. 

 Corn crops should be rolled to prevent movements of the larvae, and 

 the latter may be attracted by the use of rape cake or rape cake dust 

 scattered over the field. The application of manure while an attack 

 is in progress, will stimulate the growth of the injured plants. In 

 gardens and allotments naphthaline, at the rate of 2 ozs. to a square 

 yard, has been successfully used. It should be well worked into the 

 soil and should be followed by a thorough watering. Traps in the 

 form of pieces of potato, carrot, or beet, poisoned or not, may be placed 

 in the soil. Adults may be trapped in spring or summer by heaps of 

 cut clover, sainfoin or broken rape cake, covered with a tile or board. 

 The traps may be poisoned with Paris green. 



EssiG (E. 0.). The California Peach Borer, Aegeria opalescens, H. Edw. 

 —Mthly. Bull. Col. State Commiss. Hortic, Sacramento, v, no. 3, 

 March 1916, p. 107. 



Aegeria opalescens is stated to infest severely the myrobalan variety 

 of peach at Niles, California. This variety has hitherto been regarded 

 as resistant to attack. 



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