40 



for plat, was the same, thus duplicating- the work on two different 

 situations on the farm. Without going into detail, 1 will mention 

 some of the ways which the plats received treatment. Corn was 

 planted deep, shallow, early, late, with an excess of seed in the hills, 

 and drilled. In one plat the earth was listed over the corn just as it 

 was coming- through the soil. In another plat the earth was thrown 

 awa}^ from the corn as much as possible, thus exposing the lower part 

 of the stalk somewhat. Plats were planted with seed corn soaked in 

 strong kerosene emulsion, in diluted kerosene emulsion, and in chloride 

 of lime. Other seed were coated with tar and with sulphur made 

 adhesive by moistening with molasses. One plat was treated with 

 kainit, at the rate of 2,000 pounds per acre, just as the corn was coming 

 through. Another plat was sprayed with kerosene emulsion around 

 the hills as corn appeared above ground. In still another plat a hand- 

 ful of tobacco dust was placed in each hill at the time of planting- 

 seed. 



By May 12 the corn was mostly K) to 12 inches high and the major- 

 it}^ of larvae were from two-thirds to full grown. At this date six- 

 teen hills from each plat were carefully dug up, the larvae counted, 

 and the nature and extent of the injury noted. In this work it soon 

 became apparent that the various methods of treatment, except late 

 planting, and the different insecticides employed appeared to have no 

 appreciable eflect in reducing the number of larva? as compared with 

 the untreated checks. Injury resulted to seed corn soaked in strong 

 kerosene emulsion for six hours, about ()0 per cent failing to germi- 

 nate. Curiously enough, the plats receiving kainit at the rate of 2,000 

 pounds per acre gave a larger per cent of larvffi than any of the others. 

 This may have been due to the moister condition of the soil, following 

 the use of this fertilizer. 



Corn planted Ma}^ 4: was but little injured, by this date, the beetles 

 mostly having deposited their eggs. 



In the case of plats, where an excess of seed (8 to 10) was dropped 

 in each hill, in no case were all of the plants in a hill destroyed, suf- 

 ficient plants being left for a good stand, and in most hills thining out 

 was necessary. In plats where the corn was drilled the injury was 

 relatively small. From this season's work it appears to the writer that 

 if bottom lands are planted to corn late, as the first of May, or, if 

 eight to ten grains be dropped in each hill, injury from the Southern 

 corn-root worm may be practically avoided or so distributed that the 

 damage will be inconsequential. 



In discussing this paper Mr. Webster said that last fall he had step- 

 ped off a portion of a strawberry l)ed badly infested with white grub 

 and applied kainit at the rate of 4,600 pounds to the acre, but when he 

 came to count the grubs he found more in the portion upon which he 



