12 BEAN. 
Mr. Wood notes that the kind of Bean he experimented on was 
not one of the most freely bearing kinds, six pods to a plant being the 
average yield; but if we look at the fact that, instead of 120 pods, 
which at an average yield was to be expected, only thirty-two pods 
were formed, of which fourteen pods did not reach full growth, and 
also that three plants were barren, the result points very strongly (as 
pointed out by Mr. Wood) to the presence of the infestation being 
highly prejudicial not to the germinating qualities of the seed, which 
appeared to be uninjured, ‘‘ but to the reproductive capabilities of the 
adult plant.” 
I certainly think,—from the enquiries sent to myself as to the cause 
of deficient growth of Bean-plants when some way advanced to maturity, 
and when no reason can be found in state of ground or of weather, 
or from presence of any kind of insect or eelworm infestation on or in 
the plants,—that it would be very desirable for this point of bad effect 
of injured seed on crop development to be made the subject of field 
observation. 
In regard to direct loss of weight, and consequently of money 
return, in the case of Bruchus-infested Beans, the following notes were 
sent me in 1888 by Mr. E. A. Fitch, of Maldon, Essex, who was (and 
is) well acquainted with the subject, both as an agriculturist on a large 
scale, and as an entomologist. Mr. Fitch reported with regard to 
damage by Bean-seed Weevil, B. rufimanus :—‘* In my own case a most 
moderate computation of loss of weight alone of 2s. per quarter, would 
give £65 12s., i. e., 164 acres x 4 quarters the acre x 2s. per quarter.”’ 
To this Mr. Fitch added the following note:—‘: The much-talked- 
and-written-of Hessian Fly has not been nearly as destructive in Hssex 
last year (1887) as this small beetle. The complaint of holey or bug- 
eaten Beans comes from all over the country, and is by no means 
confined to the Bean-growing lands; where Beans have been grown 
on our light land, they have suffered equally with those usually grown 
on the heavy land. I have myself delivered Winter Beans in other 
years weighing 19 stone 4 lbs. (674 lbs. per bushel); and I hear from 
the corn merchants that nothing over 18 stone can be expected this 
year; a year in which condition, and consequently weight, is excep- 
tionally heavy, the loss being entirely due to the ravages of the 
Bruchus.’—(H. A. F.) 
Without going into details as to the Beans being unsaleable (which 
does occur) from maggot-injury, the above gives some definite account 
of what damage may be. 
Prevention AnD Remepies.—The first of these,—and a method 
which (if buyers could but be persuaded to adopt it) would save loss 
from deficient growth of crop to begin with, besides subsequent loss 
