528 



tunnel in the growing plants. There is reason to believe that two or 

 more generations occur during the growing season. During this 

 outbreak samples of beans and growing stems from an infested field 

 were examined, and it was found that about 60 per cent, of the plants 

 were killed before appearing above ground. This pointed to the maggots- 

 being present in the ground before the beans were planted and that they 

 had migrated from the fresh manure which had recently been ploughed 

 in. Examination of a number of bean-fields confirmed this, and it also 

 appeared that, while beans were apt to suffer when planted on freshly 

 turned clover land, especially if recently fertilised with undecomposed 

 manure, they stood a much better chance of escape if the field was 

 prepared early in the season and the maggots given time to develop 

 and disappear before the beans were planted. Cultural methods 

 therefore seem to provide the best control measure. Commercial 

 fertilisers may be substituted for farmyard manure and repeated 

 harrowing and perhaps rolling, especially where the soil is light, may 

 be advantageous. 



Fernald (H. T.). Report of the Department of Entomology. — 



28th Ann. Rept. Massachuseils Agnc. Expt. Sta., Part I., Boston, 

 January 1916, pp. 65^-68 . [Received 12th October 1916.] 



The major portion of this report for 1915 is devoted to an outbreak of 

 Otiorrhynchus ovatus, L. (strawberry crown girdler), which appeared 

 in the spring in a State forest nursery, causing an estimated loss of 

 over £3,000. The damage was first noticed on 13th May in beds of 

 two-year-old white pines, the tops of which turned brown, larvae 

 having girdled the stems and roots at from one to three inches 

 below the surface of the ground. Entire beds were destroyed, while 

 larger trees in blocks also showed considerable infestation. The attack 

 was most severe on light and sandy soils. Besides Avhite pine, other 

 varieties, such as red pine, Scotch pine, Juniperus virginiana, blue, 

 Douglas and Norfolk spruce, and even sugar maple seedlings of the two- 

 leaf age, were attacked, in some cases severely. The larvae were 

 evidently nearly mature and the weevils appeared by mid-June, 

 reaching their maximum abundance about 7th July. The eggs proved 

 difficult to discover, but a few were observed before the end of July and 

 a few larvae appeared later, when further observation had to be dis- 

 continued. It therefore appears that, in this outbreak, at least some 

 portion of the larval feeding occurred in the autumn and was resumed 

 in the spring, while the adult period extended over several months. 

 As pupation was innninent at the time of the first examination, it was 

 advised that affected beds should be entirely stripped and thoroughly 

 cultivated every two or three da3^s in order to remove all food from the 

 larvae and to break up the pupal cells. Examination at a later date 

 showed numerous dead pupae, but indicated that at least some larvae 

 had pupated lower than a harrow would reach. Boards, burlap and 

 heaps of weeds were successfully used to trap the beetles, the last- 

 named proving the most effective. These traps were most successful 

 in hot, dry weather. To prevent oviposition near unaft'ected trees, 

 the groimd immediately round their stems was heavily sprayed with 

 whale-oil soap solution (1 lb. soap in 4 U.S. gals, water), kerosene 

 emulsion, and Black Leaf 40, in different parts of the nursery. 



