154 Mr. F. Smith's Notes, ^c. 



late in the season, August 5tl) — late, I should say, for that species, 

 as it is just the time for others. 



F. rufa and fuUginosa appear the earliest in the perfect state ; 

 about a month after which follows F. Jlava, F. pubescens, &c. I 

 should state that the species, which I imagine to be F. sanguinea, 

 had formed its nest by excavating a bank of turf and clay plas- 

 tered together, forming an inclosure to a plantation. 



XXI. — Some Remarks on Wireworms which seriously 

 damaged the Potatoe Crops of Shropshire, Worcester- 

 shire, and Herefordshire, in 1838. IBy the Rev. F. W. 

 Hope, F.R.S. &c. 



[Read 1 Apiil, 1839.] 



Wireworms have too often disappointed the hopes of many a meri- 

 torious and aspiring horticulturist. They have in repeated instances 

 injured the hops in the counties of Kent, Worcestershire, and 

 Herefordshire, and I now have to record the result of my observa- 

 tions on the potatoe crops of last year, which have been reduced, 

 in many localities, to less than one-third of the annual produce. 

 The disease of the potatoe, which in some parts of England is 

 called the Curl, I attribute to the wireworm. On observing 

 several potatoe plants just above the ground in a drooping sickly 

 state, (without an Jphis on them,) I was induced to dig them up. 

 In many instances I found the wireworm at work, and adhering 

 to the slices which had been planted ; others ap])arently had been 

 partially eaten, were abandoned, and in a forward state of corrup- 

 tion. Where the plants did not come up, which was the frequent 

 occurrence in 1838, I am inclined to think the slices were entirely 

 eaten, as not a vestige of them could be found. This same 

 disease, which I propose to call the Rootworm disease, in prefer- 

 ence to the Curl, attacks the potatoe chiefly at two periods; the 

 first is, when the slices are first committed to the earth : the 

 second attack is frequently apparent when the haulm is consider- 

 ably grown. To remedy this serious evil in the first of them, I 

 recommend the adoption of my late friend Mr. Andrew Knight's 

 plan of planting whole potatoes, and not slices. It is true the 

 wireworm will attack the whole potatoes, but they comparatively 



