104 INSECT PESTS 



Its larva is a curious object, whitish in colour with a 

 large head and humped back. It makes httle traps in 

 the ground where it Hes in wait and suddenly pounces 

 on any hapless wire worm or daddy-long-legs passing by. 

 The odour of some beetles is the reverse of pleasant, but 

 in the case of the Tiger Beetle, a lovely scent of sweet- 

 briar denotes its presence. This beetle frequents sandy 

 soil. (See Plate 23.) 



The Ground Beetles, the Carabus family, are all useful. . 

 A common species {Carabus catenulaius) is shown. They 

 spend aU their time hunting and devouring small insects 

 and never touch vegetables. This remark also applies 

 to the Rove Beetles, several of which feed on the pupse 

 of the Cabbage Root Fly. (See Plate 23.) 



Sexton beetles {Necrophaga) perform the useful func- 

 tion of dismembering and burying putrid animal matter, 

 such as dead moles, weasels, birds, etc., which are taken 

 down piecemeal into the soil as food for their young. 



Then there are Dung Beetles, the commonest of which 

 is the Clock or Flying Watchman (Oeotrupes Stercorarius) 

 which utilizes cowdung and such material for a similar 

 purpose. (See Plate 23.) 



All the insects and creatures aforementioned are what 

 everybody may readily see in the soil. Apart from these, 

 however, soil is full of life which cannot be seen by the 

 human eye, in some cases not even by the aid of the 

 highest powers of the microscope. These beings include 

 the bacteria, which have many useful functions and play 

 a very important part in the process of plant growth. 

 Armies of bacteria, much more numerous than the fighting 

 forces on the recent battle fronts of Europe, are constantly 

 engaged in creative and destructive operations, and on 

 the results from time to time depends success or failure 

 to the grower. The soil is, in a word, a little universe. 

 It is the living soil in a very real sense, and I hope to 

 say something more about it in another chapter. Certain 

 " go ahead " people at one time made a great fuss about 



