1, Thrips, much magnified. 



2, Distorted pod. 



Insect Pests and Fungoid Diseases. 423 



they are very active, similar to the adult insect in form, but are orange- 

 coloured and wingless. It is probable that more than one generation 

 occurs in the year. 



The foliage of the plants does not 

 appear to be attacked, the damage being 

 done almost entirely to the blossom, 

 from which the sap is sucked away, 

 causing them to become deformed and 

 ultimately to fall off, with the result 

 that although the plants may look per- 

 fectly healthy and have made a good 

 show of blossom they are almost, and 

 sometimes completely, barren of useful 

 pods. 



Treatment : In the case of blossom attacks there seems to be, up to 

 present, no known remedy for the mischief. Spraying is of little use. As 

 the adult insects hibernate through the winter under the rough bark of pea 

 and bean sticks and in similar places, future attacks may be rendered 

 less possible by burning sticks and haulm of infested crops and dressing 

 the ground with gas-lime. Peas or beans should not be grown on such 

 ground for several years following. 



* 



PEA AND BEAN WEEVILS (Sitones sp.) Peas, beans, and other 

 leguminous plants often suffer serious injury from Pea and Bean Weevils, 

 which devour the leaves and young shoots, whilst their larvae feed on the 

 roots. It is not easy to see them at work as they fall to the ground at the 

 least alarm, where their general dark grey colour serves to make them 

 indistinguishable amongst the soil. For this reason the damage they do 

 is often mistakenly attributed to slugs or birds. Crops in gardens are 

 quite as liable to damage from them as are those in fields. 



There are several varieties of these weevils, the commonest being the 

 Striped Pea Weevil (illustrated). This is of a dark grey colour, with lighter 

 stripes on the wing-cases and thorax, and about a quarter 

 of an inch in length. The adult weevils hibernate 

 through the winter in the bottoms of hedgerows and 

 other similar sheltered places ; early in spring they 

 become very active on the wing and attack young peas 

 and beans as soon as they appear above ground. At 

 the same time they lay eggs on or near the roots of the 

 plants. From these eggs larvae appear ; they are small 

 white maggots, with brown heads, which live on the 

 roots and do a great deal of damage. 



Treatment : Spray the plants with arsenate of lead, 

 or with diluted paraffin emulsion. Or the plants may be 

 powdered whilst damp with a mixture of lime and soot. striped p f a Weevi1 ' 



L,, ., . .1 Sitones hneatus. 



The soil on each side of the rows should be firmed so as j Natural size, 

 to check the movements of the weevils in the ground. 2, Magnified. 



