INSECTS AND DISEASES 95 



Wliite grubs (larvae of the May beetle) and 

 wireworms (larvae of snapping bugs) are sometimes 

 found feeding at the onion roots. It may be possible 

 to drive away the grubs by applications of caustic 

 liquids, such as lime water, saturated solutions of 

 kainit, or of muriate of potash; although I am not 

 sure on this point. The wireworm is too tough, 

 however, to be affected by such means. The best way 

 of fighting these troublesome customers is to plow 

 and thoroughly pulverize our fields in autumn, or any 

 time after latter part of July. 



The Smut of Onions (Urocystis Apulae Frost) — 

 A very serious disease of the onion plant, but from 

 which the onions grown on the new plan of growing 

 and transplanting seedlings have little to fear, is the 

 rust, smut or blight. This disease has recently played 

 havoc in several of our great onion districts, especially 

 where onions have been grown in succession for a 

 number of years. The spores seem to remain in the 

 soil, reappearing after a long series of years when 

 onions are again grown. Smut attacks the onion at 

 the time the seed germinates and then only. Its ap- 

 pearance shows itself in black streaks on the stems; 

 afterward the stem bursts, and the black powder is 

 seen more plainly. The onion never develops, but 

 rots. Pull up and destroy the diseased plants, and 

 another year plant on new soil. That is about all that 

 I could suggest as a preventive or remedy for smut. 



The following excerpt is from the annual report 

 of the Connecticut agricultural experiment station : 



General Characters — The presence of smut in 

 onions is. first indicated by one or several dark spots 

 at different hights in the leaves of seedlings, which are 

 seen to be more or less opaque when the plant is held 

 up to the light. These dark appearances may be seen 

 in the first leaf, before the second leaf has begiin to 



