266 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



lime over the plants early in the morning when the leaves 

 are damp or wet with dew. Our readers may remember, 

 perhaps, that Mr. Fisher Hobbs recommended a similar 

 remedy for the prevention of the attacks of the turnip in- 

 sect, or fly. Mr. Curtis also points out how a catch crop 

 may be made by leaving some of the rows undusted, and 

 when the weevils rush to these in numbers, as to new feed- 

 ing grounds > and their presence is made thoroughly mani- 

 fest by the erosion of the leaves, the whole army of insects 

 might be destroyed by pouring boiling water over the 

 plants, thus saving the general crop. The same authority 

 also mentions the fact of a very eminent agriculturist hav- 

 ing with great success adopted the plan of harrowing or 

 hoeing the plants, doing either the one or the other of these 

 whilst the dew is upon them, so as to cover the leaves 

 with soil, and thus destroy the feed of the weevils. 



62. If the plants escape the attacks of the millipedes or 

 the weevils, and reach the more mature stage when flowers 

 appear; with these also, appear other insect enemies the 

 " humble bee," and the " aphides or plant lice." Bees 

 are often quoted as friends to man, bearing the pollen of 

 male plants to the ovaries of female ones, and thus render- 

 ing them more prolific ; while this is true enough of them 

 in some, nay, in many cases, it is not so in the case of the 

 bean plant. The bean flowers are greatly injured by the 

 humble bees order " hymenoptera," family " aphidae," genus 

 "bombus," and the species "bombus terrestris," and "bombus 

 lucorum" which operate upon them "by puncturing the 

 $ase of the flowers, and rendering the incipient pod en- 

 tirely, or partially abortive." The cause, says Mr. Curtis, 

 of the humble bees" " thus damaging the crops of beans and 

 flowers, arises possibly from some unusually large females 

 for individuals of the same species vary greatly in size 

 not being able to creep into many flowers that are too 

 small to admit of their bodies, and too long to allow of 

 their reaching the nectary with their tongues ; they are 

 not, however, to be thus balked of their feast, and in- 

 stinct directs them to the exact spot on the calyx, beneath 



