THE GENESEE FAEMER. 



163 



Inquiries and Answers. 



■WiRE-WoRjis. — I had my wheat crop destroyed last 

 season. so that it was not wurth harvesting; and in plow- 

 ing the ground this spring lor corn I Mod the ground full 

 of these small grubs. What are thcyV What is their 

 cause and remedy, if any? Answer the above, and oblige 

 a young farmer. — Edward Linnly, Toronto, Iowa. 



The grubs sent are the larra3 of a species of Click- 

 beetles, and are generally termed Wire-worms. They 

 are frequently very destructive to wheat. We take the 

 following account of them from the Rural Annual for 

 1S60: 



According to Harris, upward of sixty varieties of these 

 beetles are known in the New England States. Our en- 



CUCK-BEETLES — WIKE- WORMS. 



graving represents three species : 2, Agriotes lineatus, 

 flying; 1, natural size ; 8, larvfv; 9, do. magnified. 3, A. 

 obscurus; 4, natural length; 5, 6, A. sputator; 7, larva; 

 10, pupa; 11, do. natural length. The perfect insects are 

 popularly known under the name of "snapping bugs," 

 from their possessing the faculty of throwing themselves 

 up with a jerk when laid on their backs. They vary from 

 one-third of an inch to one inch and a half in length, but 

 are almost uniformly of a blackish or brown color, with 

 yellowish legs. The larvae or wire-worms have a long, 

 slender, tough, cylindrical body; six feet; and a prop at 

 the hinder end. Their length is about one inch, often 

 more; color yellow, with a brown head. These larvae 

 feed upon the roots and underground stems of wheat, 

 corn, the different pasture and hay grasses, and many 

 vegetables. Some of them are wood-eaters, and live in 

 the roots or trunks of old trees. It is believed that they 

 remain in the larva state for several years before becom- 

 ing pupse. The pupse are whitish, with two black spots 

 over the eyes, and about one-fourth of an inch long. 

 The worm is found in great numbers infesting old pas- 

 tures and meadows. Hind says : 



"Sometimes the wire-worm is found in such destruc- 

 tive abundance that it cuts off most crops as fast as they 

 appear two or three inches above the surface of the 

 ground. Under such circumstances, starving them out 

 is perhaps the only remedy; a field kept perfectly free 

 from vegetation can afford them no nourishment, and they 

 must either perish or remove to another locality." 



In England it is a common practice to bury slices of 

 potatoes or turnips in the field, and employ women and 

 children to take them up in the morning and kill the wire- 

 worms, which will be found attached to the slices in great 

 numbers. The insectivorous birds are among the great- 

 est destroyers both of the wire-worms and beetles. The 



Hon. A. B. Dickinson says he has " tried all sorta 

 of remedies and only proved one remedj^ for these ras- 

 cals to be good, and that is to break up the land and sow 

 it with buckwheat." 



Brewing Ale for Family Use,— (A. C. G.) It is a dif- 

 ficult matter to brew ale unless you have the proper uten- 

 sils as well as some experience. The process is some- 

 thing like this: The malt is crushed and placed in the 

 "ma.sh-tub" and covered with boiling water, being care- 

 ful that every particle of malt is moistened. After it has 

 stood an hour or two it is drawn off and more boiling water 

 is poured on to the malt, and the process repeated until 

 you have the amount of beer desired, and all the sugar is 

 extracted from the malt. The liquid is then boiled for an 

 hour or so, and is then poured into a shallow tub to cool. 

 When about milk warm the yeast is added, and the beer 

 soon commences to " work." It is then put into a bar- 

 rel, and allowed to ferment for three or four days, the 

 barrel being kept full so that the froth can work off. It 

 is then bunged up close, and will be ready for use, if 

 family beer, in two or three weeks, or in two months if 

 ordinary ale. We know an English farmer in this vi- 

 cinity who brews his own beer, but it is not an easy mat- 

 ter. Our climate is not favorable for beer-making or 

 beer-drinking. 



Seventeen-Teae Locust. — (R. W.) You will find an 

 account of thig insect in the Sural Annual for 1860, page 

 61. You are mistaken in supposing that the insects ap- 

 pear in all sections of the country the same year. There 

 seems to be several distinct broods. One brood extends 

 from New Haven, Conn., across the eastern counties of 

 this State, through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. 

 Its last appearance was in 1860, and the time before in 

 1843. Another brood takes in Western New York, West- 

 ern Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. This appeared in 

 1849, and will re-appear in 1866. Another brood extends 

 from Western Pennsylvania, through the Valley of the 

 Ohio and down the Mississippi to Louisaina. Its last ap- 

 pearance was in 1846, and it will consequently appear 

 again this present year. 



Glueing Broken Chairs — (Housekeeper). Tour 

 trouble is probably owing to the glue having been heated 

 too often. In warm weather glue soon ferments and be- 

 comes "tainted." This greatly weakens it. Freezing 

 also spoils it. You had better clean out the glue pot and 

 get a little fresh glue. Put in about as much as you ex- 

 pect to use, say an ounce, and soak it over night in half a 

 pint of cold water. Then when you want to use it boil it 

 for two hours. Put on the glue with a brush or a'"swab," 

 and tie the pieces [together. You will, with a little ex- 

 perience, be able to mend all your chairs and other 

 broken furniture. 



Castor Bean. — I write to obtain of yon some informa- 

 tion regarding the cultivation of the Castor bean — mode 

 of cultivation, method of extracting the oil, Ac. How 

 many bushels can be raised per acre?— John J. Johnsojj, 

 Wellsburg, Va. 



Will some one who has had experience answer the 

 above? 



Can any of your correspondents give me a cure or pre- 

 ventive of the grub in sheep? My fine wool Iambs ar« 

 dying with it. — S. L. Dunham, Venango county, Pa. 



