CHAPTER XIII 

 INSECT ENEMIES AND PLANT DISEASES 



Of all the obstacles to the successful growing of corn, 

 none has ever shown itself in a more serious aspect than the 

 destruction due to injurious insects and plant diseases. The 

 problem of how to control them is a hard one and should 

 receive the attention of every farmer. 



We do not feel competent in ourselves to handle this 

 subject of insects and diseases attacking corn, and for this 

 reason we have appealed to Prof. S. A. Forbes, Illinois State 

 Entomologist, who has carefully helped us by correcting and 

 revising this chapter. In addition to this we want to thank 

 Professor Forbes for furnishing us illustrations of insects. 



On the following pages we shall describe briefly the more 

 injurious of these insects, and suggest remedies with which 

 to suppress them. 



INSECTS INJURING THE SEED AFTER PLANTING 



The Corn Wire worm (Several species of melanotus): 

 These are the larvas (offspring) of the common snapping 

 beetles. They are hard, smooth-skinned, reddish brown, 

 worm-like creatures, and vary in size from the thickness of 

 a pin to the thickness of a darning-needle. The body is 

 divided into thirteen segments, and has three pairs of short, 

 stout legs. 



The corn wireworm eats into the kernel after it has been 

 softened by the moisture in the ground, and also bores into 



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