THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July,- 



been in the soil before and is no doubt a worm 

 of last year, and had been feeding on the roots 

 of any vegetation that may have been grow- 

 ing on the premises before the tobacco was 

 planted there. Now, this being the case, an 

 application of an insecticide to the soil before 

 the tobacco is planted, would seem the proper 

 thing to be done. I have seen it stated with 

 confidence that salt applied to the soil— eight 

 bushels to the acre— has proven an effectual 

 remedy. But doubtless there are other reme- 

 dies that are equally good, if so applied. 



The "bogus wire-worm"— which by way of 

 distinction people should accustom them- 

 selves to call a "gally-worm," or anything 

 else but a wire-worm— is quite a different ani- 

 mal, and properly speaking is not an insect at 

 all ; and yet it is indisputable that it is more 

 thoroughly insected, or divided into simple 

 and distinct segments or sections than any in- 

 dividual belonging to the restricted class In- 

 secta. But no matter about that, its present 

 status as the subject of a distinct class has a 

 numerous following among systematists. 

 These animals are, and have been for a long 

 time, known under the name of "millipedes" 

 and "centipedes," or "thousand-feet" and 

 "hundred-feet," and it is a great pity these 

 names could not have been retained or used 

 iu speaking of those that are Injurious to 

 vegetation, and not have confounded them 

 with the real, or true wire-worms. We often 

 hear complaints about the wire-worms de- 

 stroying strawberries, young radishes, tur- 

 nips, cabbages, peas, beans, lettuce, &c., and 

 when we have instituted an investigation, 

 we have found these depredators to be small 

 species of gally-worms, otherwise millipedes. 

 Nothing could be farther removed from true 

 wire-worms than these animals are. Instead 

 of having but six or seven feet, they have 

 four feet attached to the underside of each 

 segment or section of their bodies— except 

 one or two— multiplying them (although per- 

 haps never to a thousand) in some instances 

 to hundreds. This alone, is sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish them from wire-worms, but this is 

 not all. They have more or less conspicuous 

 antemm or feelers, which are very inconspicu- 

 ous iu wire-wornjs, and as soon as they are 

 disturbed they coil themselves up spirally, fall 

 over on their sides, and "play possum," 

 making no attempt to escaije at all. It is 

 true that the sub-class usually denominated 

 centipedes, or hundred feet, are very swift 

 runners, and do not indolently coil themselves 

 up and play possum, but on the contrary 

 "scamper" off as fast as their legs will carry 

 them, and hide themselves in any cover 

 that is large enough to conceal them ; but 

 then this sub-class does not feed on vegeta- 

 tion—they are carniverous, and I have seen 

 them seize and carry off young wire-worms 

 and making a meal of them; Now these di- 

 verse habits of the two sub-divisions of the 

 class Mjjriiiodce (which means many feet) is 

 something worthy of the attention of the far- 

 mer and tobacco grower, in order that they 

 may be able to distinguish between an enemy 

 and an auxiliary in the destruction of his 

 enemy. The help he receives from these 

 friends may be small ; still, it is some help 

 at least. 



The specimens of wire-worms brought to 

 me by Mr. Hippey are from eight to twelve 



m m iu length and two m m in diameter. They 

 have their bodies divided into a head and 

 thirteen segments, the last one longest and 

 terminated by two blunt spines. The head is 

 brown and the whole body a brownish yellow, 

 smooth and glossy. They have two feet on 

 the second, third and fourth segments of the 

 body, and a protuberance or foot on next to 

 the last segment. They approach in form to 

 the larva of Alhous hirtus, fig. 1. plate 5 of 

 "Chapuis and Candeze" illustrations of Cole- 

 opterous larvse. They are probably two years 

 old. As we probably may have some foreign 

 species in this country we here append a part 

 of Curtis's summary, from his chapter on 

 wire-worms in his work entitled Farm Insects. 



"Wire-worms feed upon corn, turnips, man- 

 gelwurzel, potatoes, grass, cabbages and gar- 

 den flowers." Of course in coru he includes 

 wheat, and we may include in our country, 

 tobacco. 



"Eggs minute, but whether laid in the 

 earth or on the base of the young wheat-stalks 

 not determined. 



"Wire-worms almost invisible when first 

 hatched. They live five years in the larva or 

 feeding state. They resemble meal-worms, 

 but are less cylindrical. When full grown 

 they form cells in the earth and become pupce 

 in July or August. 



''Pupa, stationary, quiescent and harmless. 

 Scarcely any land free from wire-worms, and 

 but few crops they will not attack. Doubtful 

 if they can fast long. 



''Sijgs probably deposited in pastm-es, clover- 

 lays and fallows, whilst the surface is undis- 

 turbed. One wire-worm will bite twenty 

 difi'erent stalks. Wire-worms cannot propo- 

 gate or increase their numliers, and the Slaters 

 (their parents) do not lay eggs during the six 

 winter months. 



"Wherever grass will grow wire-worms may 

 be found. Most to be dreaded in dry seasons, 

 but must have some moisture. 



"Oats, barley and wheat greatly injured by 

 them, the latter even in raiUl winters. 



"They descend deep into the earth when 

 frost is severe. Hop plants also destroyed by 

 them. 



"In adding ;on»/i and other soils to garden 

 borders great care should be taken to free 

 them from wire-worms. 



"Soot and lime will kill them. 



"Burning the rubbish recommended after 

 clover and grasses; it kills the eggs and 

 starves the wire-worms. 



"Nothing more dangerous than to have 

 strips and patches of grass or lays in plowed 

 fields. 



"Waste and woodlands harbor wire-worms. 



"Feeding land close with sheep prevents 

 eggs being laid. Folding oxen aud sheep in 

 spring will prevent beetles from coming out 

 of. the eartli. 



"Harrowing and hard rolling in March and 

 April strongly recommended. 



"Top dressings of lime useful before rollu\g. 



"*Woad will expel wire- worms. 



"White mustard seed equally efficacious. 



"In Germany mowing coru is considered 

 good for getting rid of wire-worms. 



"Eape-cake, powdered' and sown on a field 

 will preserve the wheat crop. 



"Spirits of tar and sand mixed with the 

 soil is a protection to a crop. 



"Eefuse lime of gas works will banish wire- 

 worms. 



"Chloride of lime-water kills them. 



"Nitrate of soda will destroy them. 



"Salt on light sandy soils highly efficacious. 



"Alcohol kills them in five minutes, and 

 turpentine instantly. 



"The best bait in a flower garden is sliced 

 potatoes stuck down. 



tlsalisUncloria—a CriiciferoOs Plant, from which a dark 

 blue color is manufactured, said to be more permanent 

 than Indigo. Cultivated in West Indes aud Europe. 



"Pieces of turnip, cabbage, beet-root, pars- 

 nip, carrot and apple will attract them. 

 "Hand-picking is the most certain remedy.' 

 "Crows, (rooks) wagtails, robins, black- 

 birds, thrushes, pheasants, partridges, lap- 

 wings, ducks, turkeys and common fowls wijl 

 pick them up in plowed fields. ^ 



"Moles feed ahnost entirely on these 

 other insects ; iilso frogs, toads and lizards. 

 ' 'Wire-worms are also infested by parasitr- 

 As allied species of insects of Europe; 

 origin and those, of America feed on allie 

 substances, therefore a remedy that would ex^: 

 pel or destroy them there, would be of similar 

 efficacy here; hence the study of the foregoing 

 extracts may afford some instruction to those 

 of our people who have to war against wire- 

 worms ; but if they were the best and surest 

 remedies on earth, they could not possibly be 

 of any avail without intelligent and persever- 

 ing co-operation. If we fall into deep water 

 and do not swim we shall probably drown, 

 but if we swim we may reach the shore in 

 safety. Under any circumstances we should 

 "try all things and hold fast that which is 

 good." 



There seems to be a growing interest mani- 

 fested"here and there" within the borders of 

 our Union, in the cultivation of silk, but so 

 far, the interest has not been general, nor 

 perhaps entirely void of that speculative view 

 of the subject, which forty years ago culmi- 

 nated in such a disastrous failure. Although 

 we did not engage in the enterprise, yet that 

 sensational period looms up very vividly be- 

 fore us, and we confess we about half envied 

 some of those apparently lucky ones, whom 

 we were persuaded were on tlie high road to 

 wealth, or at least to financial comfort. But 

 the bubble finally bursted, and the whole en- 

 terprise was abandoned as effectually as if its 

 longer continuance would have engendered 

 small-pox, or the seven-year itch. 



The fools who embarked in it never for a 

 moment thought of developing an industrial 

 pursuit that would be advantageous to the 

 country at large, and for all time to come, 

 but only for the immediate advaucemont of 

 their own personal pecuniary gain ; and when 

 it was found that this could not be realized, 

 Multicaulus trees were rooted out by the tens 

 of thousands and thrown "over the fence." 

 A few fed worms, and fewer reeled silk, but 

 all or nearly all who engaged in the business 

 were amateurs, and of course experienced all , 

 the drawbacks, losses, and discomfitures, usu- . 

 ally appertaining to a want of experimental - 

 knowledge, and these met with disappoint-' 

 ments— the novice's reward. Self was the , 

 predominant feeling of the period, and few en- 

 gaged in it were able to grasp the whole sub- 

 ject. 



It seems to us that if our silk culture 

 and the manufacture of beet sugar are suc- 

 cessful in this country, they must be conduct- 

 ed on principles analogous to the tobacco cul- 

 ture. Every man cannot afford to build a _ 

 large tobacco warehouse, store up his "weed" 

 and then wait for a market, and yet these- 

 vast depots are essential in the business as a? 

 market for a vast number of small operators,. 

 These small operators diffuse labor and fur-, 

 nish occupation for many, in this progressing 

 or changing age, who might otherwise be left 



