WIREWORMS DESTRUCTIVE TO CEREAL AND FORAGE CROPS. 9 
seeded and dragged and receives no further treatment until harvest. 
The seeder usually is set to sow at a depth of about 3 inches, although, 
if the moisture content is high enough, 1 inch is considered sufficient. 
Wheat hay is used extensively in this country, and is cut while the 
wheat is in the dough stage, which usually is from July 4 to July 15. 
The wheat crop is harvested from August 1 to September 15. In 
order to destroy wireworms this practice should be altered in the 
following manner: 
(1) Disk or drag-harrow the summer fallow as early as possible in 
the spring in order to produce a dust mulch and thereby conserve the 
accumulated winter moisture. (2) Continue the disking as often as 
is necessary in order to maintain the dust mulch and keep down the 
Fig. 6.—A horned toad, an enemy of the western Wireworms. (Author’s illustration. ) 
weeds. (3) Plow the summer fallow in July or early in August and 
immediately drag. (4) Plow the stubble as soon as the crop is 
-removed. | 
As these wireworms are of three different ages in most infested 
fields, and as only about one-third of these are in the pupal stage, 
changing to beetles each year, it is evident that the first year of this 
practice will not show marked results. However, if the practice is 
continued for two years it will reduce the number of these pests very 
considerably. Aside from its beneficial results in killing insects, this 
method of handling the land will materially reduce the weeds, the 
early disking merely softening up the soil and allowing all the weed 
seeds present to sprout, the entire crop of weeds subsequently being 
_ destroyed by the summer plowing. By the present method of farm- 
ing, the weed seeds are turned down to such a depth that many can not 
germinate; but they lie dormant, and sprout whenever they happen 
