68 FARM SPIES 



I always thought a heap of it, but then that is what 

 Sam said." 



"It is quite true/' the entomologist continued; 

 "the holes made by the corn ear-worms would offer 

 a way for the weevils to get to the ears even when 

 covered by tight-fitting shucks ; but I have never 

 seen a bad case of weevily corn in the field where the 

 shucks were tight-fitting, and covered the ears, 

 even where the corn ear-worms had made holes 

 through the shucks. It is only in some years that 

 this worm is very bad, and the holes they make do 

 not offer as easy a way for the weevils to get in as 

 the loose, short shucks. It may be that this Mr. 

 Faulkner, of whom you speak, happened to look at 

 a few of the worst ears, in which case it would not be 

 fair to speak that way for the whole crop. 



"Do not sweep your wagon beds near the crib 

 after your corn has been unloaded. Many weevils 

 are in that rubbish, and sweeping them on the 

 ground near the crib would be helping them to get 

 to the crib easier." 



George Brown now interrupted the entomologist : 

 " I am glad that I am here ; what we have been told 

 is of great value to us, but what are we going to do 

 right now, gentlemen, when our corn is stored in the 

 crib and the little six-legged thieves are making meal 

 out of it ? They are ruining my corn in the crib right 

 now and I do not even dare to feed it to my mules." 



