ROUGH-HEADED CORN STALK-BEETLE. 9 



But since there is a single generation of the beetles a year, the ground 

 may be planted safely to corn the following year. 



PASTURING WITH HOGS. 



When old waste land can not be drained conveniently and included 

 in the regular rotation, the probabilities of injury resulting from the 

 presence of these breeding grounds may be eliminated largely by 

 pasturing hogs on such land every year, at least during the months 

 of August and September. It is a well-knoAvn fact that hogs are 

 very fond of grubs and will root them out industriously and devour 

 them. 



EARLY PLANTING. 



Since the major portion of the injury to corn occurs during the 

 latter part of May to the middle of June, and since young plants 

 succumb to attack much more easily than larger ones, early planting 

 is recommended where practicable, as a means of avoiding injur}-. It 

 has been found that corn planted on April 25 at Tappahannock, Va., 

 suffered much less injury from the rough-headed corn stalk-beetle 

 than did plantings made in May. One of the most serious objections 

 to planting so early is that lowlands often are too w^et for Avorking 

 in early spring. This can be overcome largely by draining such 

 lands thoroughly. 



When planting earl}", more kernels should be planted to the hill and 

 the plants subsequent!}^ thinned if necessary, thereby insuring a better 

 stand. 



CHANGE OF ROTATION. 



As previously stated, corn should not be planted after sod where 

 there is the prospect of injury from the beetle. Besides the rough- 

 headed corn stalk-beetle, sod worms and cutworms are always a source 

 of danger to corn planted on old sod land. Therefore any system 

 of rotation w-hich obviates the necessity of following sod with corn 

 helps to avoid several serious insect pests. 



FERTILIZERS. 



The application of barnyard manure or commercial fertilizers is 

 beneficial, because growth is hastened and the corn plants thus en- 

 abled more quickly to reach a state where they are less likely to be 

 injured seriously. 



HAND PICKING. 



Hand picking is at best only a temporary expedient and in most 

 cases very expensive. When a field of growing coin already is in- 

 fested, however, there is no other hope of relief. Children some- 

 times may be employed for a small sum to collect and destroy the 

 beetles found in young corn. This work may be done principally 

 when the corn is either being plowed or thinned. 



