30 



by carefully destroying all weeds and roots, and drilling white mus- 

 tard seed, and keeping the ground clean by hoeing." 



I am not aware that tobacco has been tried as a crop for this pur- 

 pose, but I think it would be equally effectual as the mustard, and 

 has the advantage of always finding a market. The castor bean will 

 also, in all probability, prove as obnoxious as either of the other two 

 plants named. It is possible also that well directed experiments will 

 bring to light otber valuable plants which can thus be used as crops 

 to counteract these pests. But in substituting these crops one thing 

 is necessary in order to derive full benefit from them, and that is to 

 keep down the weeds, grass and other vegetation on w T hich they 

 might feed. So far as possible there must be nothing else allowed to 

 grow in the fields where the obnoxious crop is planted but the mus- 

 tard, tobacco or castor bean, as the case may be. 



Mr. Walsh suggested pairing and burning the sod in grass lands, 

 but this would hardly be practicable, and even if performed would 

 leave the worms to a great extent untouched. 



I must confess that none of these remedies are satisfactory to the 

 farmers of Illinois. I have given them more as a part of the history 

 of these worms than for any other purpose. Some I have mentioned 

 because they will be advantageous on small areas highly cultivated. 



Starving them out is really the only effectual remedy, and in order 

 to do this all food must be removed from them, and as they are tenac- 

 ious of life, and capable of subsisting on quite a variety of plants, this 

 is no easy matter. I find in the " Report of the Entomological Society 

 of Ontario,'' 1871, the best suggestions on this subject I have seen any- 

 where, and as it agrees, so far as it goes, with the opinion I had already 

 formed, I present it as giving, in a few words, probably the best prac- 

 tical remedy which can be adopted: " When a field is observed to be 

 badly infested by them (the wire-worms) it ought to be plowed up and 

 kept fallow for a season, taking care to keep plowing it as often as 

 possible, and to burn up all rubbish, stubble, &c. ; this will destroy 

 the eggs and starve out the worms." 



To make this effectual it must be carried through an entire year, 

 and the work thoroughly done. The land must be kept absolutely 

 clean and stirred deeply, and as often as possible. Begin the work before 

 spring opens, clearing off and thoroughly burning all stubble, grass 

 and rubbish on the ground ; plow it deep the first open weather when 

 it can be done, even if before the winter closes, so much the better. 

 Let this be repeated as often during the spring and summer as possi- 

 ble, sufficiently often at least to keep anything from growing in it, as 

 this is the whole object in leaving it fallow and the chief point in the 

 remedy. I am inclined to believe the remedy may be rendered, if 

 possible, more effectual by applying a dressing of unslacked lime at 

 the time the land is broken up in the spring and turning it under 

 before the rain has fallen upon it. I do not know that this has been 

 tried, yet I think it would be well to test it in the infested fields, and 

 that it would be beneficial to almost any Illinois soil cannot be 

 doubted. _ In an article published in the Prairie Farmer of February 

 19, 1876, in answer to Mr. Corbin's request, I suggested "the fall" as 

 the proper time for applying the lime, but a more thorough investi- 

 gation of this subject leads me to the conclusion that spring is the 



