WIREWORMS AND APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL. 21 



tine, in a strong solution of strychnine, etc., etc., In all cases 

 it was found impossible to protect the seed, and often the treat- 

 ment retarded or prevented the germination of the seed. 



ii. Destruction of the Larvae. Starvation by clean fallow, by 

 the growth of buckwheat, mustard and rape ; by the use of 

 insecticides such as kerosene, pure and as an emulsion, crude 

 petroleum, pure and as an emulsion, and poisoned dough, proved 

 useless. Bisulphide of carbon in quantities sufficient to kill 

 proved too costly. Various fertilisers were also tried ; muriate 

 of potash proved too expensive and like salt, chloride of lime 

 and gas lime, have to be used in such large quantities to kill, 

 that they would also be very destructive to vegetation. 



iii. Destruction of Pupae and Adults. Fall ploughing, under 

 this head Professor Slingerland writes " experience clearly indi- 

 cates that if infested fields are ploughed after July 2Oth, and 

 thoroughly pulverised and kept stirred up, many of the little 

 earthern cells [cocoons] may be broken and the tender pupae or 

 beetles within destroyed. ... In connection with this fall 

 ploughing and cultivation we earnestly recommend the method 

 of short rotation of crops to farmers having land badly infested 

 with wireworms. Do not keep fields in sod for more than a year 

 or two at a time. No doubt it will require several, at least three 

 years by this method, to render the soil comparatively free from 

 the pests as only the pupae and adults are killed each fall, while 

 most of the one and two-year old wireworms will escape injury." 



Trapping with poisoned clover baits destroyed large quan- 

 tities of the beetles. 



One point not taken into consideration in the above men- 

 tioned experiments is the effect of natural enemies, and under 

 this head I cannot too strongly emphasise the importance of offer- 

 ing every encouragement to Plovers, Rooks, and Starlings in the 

 fields. The ruthless destruction of Plover's eggs during recent 

 years, undoubtedly has much to do with the great increase of 

 wireworms. The remedy lies very much in the farmer's own 

 hands, so long as Plovers' eggs are collected and sold in the 

 numbers they are to-day, so long will wireworms, and many 

 other pests flourish. 



THE APPLE BLOSSOM WEEVIL. 



Anthonomus pomorum, Linn. 



In Worcestershire this very destructive beetle has re-appeared 

 in large numbers, after a period of comparatively lean years. All 

 who have any experience of this insect know only too well of 

 the serious damage it does. I am, therefore, giving some account 

 of its life-history, and of the various tried and suggested reme- 

 dies. 



LIFE-HISTORY. 



Early in the spring the beetles leave their winter quarters 

 and make their way to the apple trees. Considerable difference 



