89 

 CONTROL. 



( at ) The habit of coming, to the surface to cut off the young plants 

 leaves cutworms open to attack. Accordingly, a practical simple remed/y 

 has been devised for their control by the use of poisoned baits. One of the 

 best baits is the poisoned bran-mash made as follows: - Mix thoroughly 

 1-2 lb. of Paris Green with 50 lbs., of bran to which a pint of molasses 

 has been added; moisten with water but do not make it mushy; usual- 

 ly half a gallon of water is about sufficient. A handful of this poisoned 

 bait should be scattered at the base of each cabbage and tomato plant, 

 or where the area of infestation is large the bait may be scattered in 

 handfuls along the rows. This process should be done at night-fall, just 

 before the cut"\^'orms leave their hiding places. The bait is very tempting 

 and is apparently more relished than the plants themselves for cutworms 

 will be killed in large numbers. Usually one good application suffices to 

 stop the depredations. 



Agriotes mancus (Wheat Wircworm) ; a. adult beetle ; B. wireworm or laiva : c. last segment of Inrva. 



( bv) Since the parent moths lay their eggs in August in w^eed and 

 grass lands deep ploughing of such lands in autumn is of remedial value. 

 Many eggs and young cutworms will be destroyed. 



(c) Cabbages, tomatoes, cauliflo^wer, etc. may be protected by fit- 

 ting a collar of tin or paper around the stem, setting it two or three 

 inches into the ground. 



WIREWORMS. 



Wireworms are the grubs or larvae of beetles known as click beetles 

 or "skip-jacks" belonging to the family Elateridae. They are slender, 

 cylindrical, yellowish or reddish brown wire-like grubs, Vz to i inch long, 

 mostly vegetable feeders and living in the ground. Like the cutworms 

 they are essentially grass insects and breed in pastures and meadows. 



