134 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



wards with a jerk, when laid on their backs. There nre many species, 

 some o which appear to be confined to rotten wood. It is believed 

 that they remain in their feeding or larva state not less than five years, 

 before changing into beetles. The grubs injure corn both by eating the 

 grain when first sown, and also by cutting off the young plant just below 

 the ground, as the Cut-worm eats above the surface. 



(Z&amp;gt;.) Spindle-worm. This is the caterpillar of a moth (Gortyna ZCCR,} 

 and is well known as destroying the spindle of corn. Its ravages, how 

 ever, generally begin while the cornstalk is young, and before the spin 

 dle rises much above the- tuft of lca\es in which it is embosomed. The 

 mischief is discovered by the withering of the leaves, and when these 

 are taken hold of, they may often be drawn out with the included spin 

 dle. On examining the corn, a small hole may be seen in the side of 

 the leafy stalk, near the ground, penetrating into the soft centre of the 

 stalk, which when cut open will be found to be perforated, both upwards 

 and downwards, by a slender worm-like caterpillar, whose excremen- 

 tious castings surround the orifice of the hole. The grub grows to over 

 an inch in length, and to the thickness of a goose quill. The chrysalis 

 is lodged in the burrow formed by it ; it is of a shining mahogany 

 brown. 



(E.) The grub of the May-beetles, (Dor-bng, Cock-chafer, Anornala,) 

 injures corn by eating the roots. It is a white, thick, smooth skinned 

 semipellucid-worm, with a brownish head, and when fullv grown nearly 

 half an inch in diameter. It is frequently thrown out of the ground in 

 digging or plowing. When in a state of rest, it usually curls itself up 

 in the shape of a crescent. It is supposed that it occupies from three to 

 five years in the grub state, before changing. 



(F.) The Granary Weevil. (Fly Weevil Grain moth Angoumoia 

 moth,) Butalis cerealel a,) which is so destructive to stored wheat, is 

 also .njurious to corn in some localities, when it is kept unprotected 

 more than six or eight months. (See 202.) 



(#.) The true Grain Weevil. (Curculio granarius, } also attacks 

 stored corn. (See $ .) 



(ff.) The Grain moth (Tinea grandla,} also feeds on corn under sim 

 ilar circumstances. 



(/.) Corn Weevil (Sihanus Surinamcnsis ,} is very commonly found 

 among stored corn, as well as in other grains, and in sugar. It also in 

 fests mills. It is said that Sassafras Root, mixed with the grain, drives 

 them away. (For a very full description and a plate of this, and Calan~ 

 dra granaria, see N. Y. 2 J rans. of Agricul. Society, voL viii., p. 65G.) 



