FALSE WIREWORMS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 87 
This treatment is by no means advocated for those farmers who 
find it impossible to disk their summer-fallow, as leaving the land 
untouched until July would cause all the accumulated winter’s 
moisture to evaporate, and the plowing would simply be stirring the 
dust and be of no value whatever. 
In the spring of 1910 a series of experiments was carried out at 
Wilbur, Wash., to determine the value of certain substances alleged 
to be useful as poisons or repellents against elaterid larvee. Eleodes 
larvee were also quite numerous in the fields where these experiments 
were carried out; hence mention of the results, though relating prin- 
cipally to another insect, may not be out of place here. 
Seed in bulk was treated with the following substances: Lead arse- 
nate, at the rate of two-thirds of a pound per bushel of seed, dissolved 
in water; strychnine sulphate, at the rate of two-thirds of an ounce 
per bushel of seed, dissolved in water; coal tar applied until seed 
was all coated, then sanded until dry. The substances were stirred 
into the grain thoroughly with a wooden paddle and then allowed to 
dry several days. 
The experiments were sown in strips with a wheat seeder 11 
feet wide and one-half of a mile long. Untreated check strips were 
planted between each treated plat. 
Just after sprouting ‘the percentage of damage done by insects 
was estimated by counting the damaged and undamaged ‘seed in 
several areas of 1 square yard each in each plat. The results were 
entirely negative as all the plats, including the checks, were about 
equally attacked. ? 
These treatments, even had they been found efficient, would have 
been impracticable from an economic standpoint.. The poisons were 
too expensive and the application too expensive and laborious, and, 
in addition, the coal-tar treatment, even after’ drying several days, 
so clogged the seed cups on the seeder as to cause very uneven dis- 
tribution of seed. 
DDITIONAL COPIES of this publication 
may be procured from the SUPERINTEND- 
ENT OF DOCUMENTS, Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D. C., at 5 cents per copy 

