28 BEAN BRUCHUS. 



Before buying seed, a sample should be examined to 

 see whether it is then, or has been, infested. If beetles 

 are in it at the time this will be known by the creatures 

 or their galleries showing through the slightly trans- 

 parent skin of the bean, as I have observed in some 

 instances of S. African bean-seed attack, or by a little 

 round depression in the skin showing where the end of 

 the gallery reaches the skin, as is the case in English 

 attack. If beetles have been present, but are gone out 

 of the seed, this will be known by the seed having little 

 holes like shot-holes into it. 



Seed which either is or has been much infested should 

 not be used, because what has been eaten away by the 

 maggots will so much lessen the seed-leaves which help 

 to support the young plant in its first growth, that it will 

 consequently be weaker, or possibly not shoot at all. 



Sweeping up the beetles in seed-lofts, or the like 

 places where beans may be stored, and destroying them, 

 would, of course, be serviceable, and they should be 

 looked for on the ceilings as well as elsewhere. The 

 beetles live for several weeks at least in this state, for 

 Mr. S. D. Bairstow notes with regard to this Bean-seed 

 Weevil, " Some of the beetles watched by me have lived 

 in the perfect state for five weeks, and are living at the 

 time of writing." 



Where any area, large or small, is much infested, 

 a complete change of crop, so as to ensure absence of 

 beans for two or three years, is highly desirable. If this 

 can be carried out in a district by common consent, 

 and other leguminous plants, whether wild or cultivated, 

 which this beetle attacks, kept under, the absence of the 

 proper food necessarily enormously lessens the amount 

 of the feeders, and clears out the attack for a while. 



The means of prevention may be stated shortly as : 

 destroying the beetle in the seed by steeping or by 

 fumigating ; destroying the beetles in seed-lofts, if they 

 are noticeable ; carefully avoiding sowing infected seed ; 

 and rotation of crops in infested districts. 



