8 | FARMERS’ BULLETIN 649. 
While the burning over of fields in winter when the ground is frozen 
might destroy some of the hibernating adults, in many cases they, 
would probably be so near the soil, or so intermingled with the sur- 
face soul, as to escape the effects of the burning, and especially would 
this be true if they were further protected by a covering of matted 
green grass. 
Therefore, at the present time the only practical suggestion that 
can be made is the disking or harrowing of the fields as soon as the 
first hay crop is removed. We know that the larve as a rule do 
not descend much more than an inch below the surface. If, there- 
fore, the surface of the ground were disked and then harrowed, it 
would seem as though the pupal cells would be broken up, and as 
the pest is helpless in this stage, vast numbers would be destroyed 
in this way. While, as stated, there has not been sufficient time to' 
carry out any exact experiments in this direction, it would be well 
for the farmers, until some better methods have been devised, to’ 
take the precaution of disking and harrowing immediately after! 
removing the first hay crop in order to destroy as many as possible 
ef the insects in their development. This, of course, can not be done 
early enough in the season to prevent injury, but it will in all proba- 
bility reduce largely the abundance of the pest the following season. 
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1915 
