96 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



of the plant is," as w.e suppose, owing to excessive 

 heat and moisture, by which they are overcharged 

 while the cuticle or skin of the plant is weakened 

 and softened, it does not appear that much can bo 

 done by the efforts of man to prevent the disease. 

 Grain grown on favourable soils properly prepared, 

 and that comes to maturity early, is more likely to 

 escape blight than that grown on unfavourable soils, 

 or than that which, owing to any cause, is late in 

 coming to maturity, since the hot, wet weather of 

 July is likely to find such late wheat in a proper 

 state for the development of th'fe disease. The most 

 probable means of prevention would appear to be, to 

 free the grain from the superabundant moisture that 

 softens the stem at times when the state of the at- 

 mosphere would seem to be favourable to the burst- 

 ing of the vessels by increased circulation, and this 

 may be done by sweeping the fields with a rope 

 drawn by two men over the heads of the grain, the 

 men walking in what are called the clearing up fur- 

 rows to prevent trampling it down. 



The roots of the wheat-plant ai-e liable to be at- 

 tacked by grubs and worms, the larvee of various 

 beetles : among which, the most destructive are 

 those known to us as the wire-worm, the larvee of 

 the Mater segetis, and the red-headed large white 

 grub, the larvae of the May-bug, cockchaffer, or black 

 bug of summer evenings, Meldontha vulgaris. These 

 sometimes commit serious ravages on the roots of 

 grass, corn, and wheat ; but usually, where found at 

 all, their number is so limited as not to prove very 

 injurious to the crops. Both of these grubs or 

 worms live some years hi the larves state, in which 

 they are most destructive ; and where the ground 

 will admit of very late ploughing, it Avill probably 

 prove the most certain method of destroj'ing them, 

 to expose them in this way to the severe frosts of 

 winter. The perfect insect of most varieties of 

 night-flying beetles, the May beetle particularly, is 



