270 



ARID AGRICULTURE. 



HOUSE 



FLIES 



CLOVER 



SEED 



CHASSIS 



WHY KILL 

 THE ANTS 



are present, they winter in the larva or pupa 

 stage, in the surface soil. They may be effectu- 

 ally destroyed by plowing or discing to turn the 

 soil up to the air and cold. The worms may be 

 killed with the stomach poisons used as spray. 



We spoke of warring on the house fly. The 

 principal method by which they are controlled is 

 to rid the premises of horse manure or other 

 offal as fast as it accumulates. Cleaning up 

 their breeding places, if carefully followed out, 

 will do much to mitigate this nuisance. The use 

 of sulphate of iron in the manure when stables 

 are cleaned has been suggested. Manure should 

 not be allowed to accumulate but should go to the 

 field as fast as made. 



This is a tiny insect belonging to the bee 

 family. It deposits its eggs in the young seed 

 of alfalfa, when it is forming. A tiny grub 

 hatches from the egg and eats the inside out of 

 the seed during its growth, simply leaving empty 

 shells, which blow out when the seed is cleaned. 

 This insect causes considerable loss to clover and 

 alfalfa seed growers. Should it get serious 

 enough in any locality to make seed growing un- 

 profitable, it will be necessary to stop the seed 

 production for a couple of years until the insect 

 disappears. 



For many years ants were not classed as in- 

 jurious insects. They do not directly eat farm 



