68 MANGOLDS. 



tell Low to deal with the beetles as a root crop pest. Should the 

 infestation increase so as to be of more frequent occurrence we might 

 expect, from the size of the larvaj, to be able to gain observations, and 

 to trace the development. At present we have not made advance with 

 remedial measures against them as a root crop pest, but in the past 

 season, thanks to Messrs. Laxton, of Bedford, we have been put in 

 possession of most serviceable information of how to deal with them 

 as Strawberry infestation, which, by permission, I give further on 

 under the heading of " Strawberries." 



Pigmy Mangold Beetle. Atomaria linearis, Stephens. 



Atomabia linearis (after Taschenberg), magnified; natural length, one 

 twenty-fourth of an inch. 



Atomaria linearis, figured above, is an exceedingly small beetle, 

 only about half a line in length, which has long been known on the 

 Continent as very destructive to Beet or Mangold plants in their early 

 condition by attacking the root, and, later on, extending their ravages 

 to the tender leaves ; but it was not (so far as I am aware) until the 

 year 1891 that we had definite record of it as a young-Mangold 

 pest in this country. For some years previous to that date inquiries 

 had been sent me, with specimens accompanying, as to the cause of 

 the mischief to young Mangolds by the roots being gnawed, or, in 

 some cases, the little plants being eaten at ground level, to an extent 

 to cause much damage ; but there was no clue to the cause of the 

 mischief, and I believe the first record of the infestation as a Mangold 

 pest with us was made by Prof. Allen Harker in 1891, when he noticed 

 an Atomaria beetle as being seriously injurious to the Mangold crops 

 at the Eoyal Agricultural College, Cirencester. On February 27th in 

 the following year Prof. Harker wrote to me: — "I think I mentioned 

 to you that I found myriads of a small Atomaria at our Mangolds last 

 spring, when we lost about half the crop." At the same time Prof. 

 Harker forwarded me an extract from the publication mentioned 

 below,* in which was given a description of Atomaria linearis, and the 

 method of their ravages, with the remark: — " This most accurately 



• ' Cours d'Agriculture pratiqae : lea Plantes fourrag^res,' Betterave, pp. 33, 34, 

 par Gustave Henze. Paris: Hachette. 1861. 



