282 [Assembly 



the pupa state, and eventually come forth perfect beetles. From 

 the time of these perfect beetles pairing until their progeny shall 

 have undergone the last metamorphosis is usually about fifty 

 days. It has been stated that in a single season one pair of these 

 insects was known to produce upward of 6,000 individuals. The 

 ravages of these pestilent depredators are not always visible at 

 first sight, but if a handful of wheat partly devoured by them be 

 thrown upon water, the injured grains will float upon the surface. 

 Notwithstanding the innumerable remedies that have been tried 

 to prevent their evils, very few have proved useful. Killing these 

 insects by heat is rendered impracticable, because the tempera- 

 ture required to cause their death would injure the grain, and, 

 therefore, the cure would seem to be as injurious as the disease. 

 There is a French remedy, of which much has been said, namely ; 

 the spreading of unscoured fleeces of wool over the wheat, which 

 will attract the insects to their surfaces, and cause them to die, 

 but from what cause is not well understood. The frequent turn- 

 ing over of the heap has been found useful in many instances, as 

 the insects dislike to be disturbed, and endeavor to seek more 

 quiet hiding places, which they can readily do if the granaries be 

 old; but this plan, to prove effectual, would involve much labor. 

 The best preventive seems to be the salting of wheat. I learned 

 from a friend of mine, a short time since, who has tried this me- 

 thod of preservation for several years, that he has never had his 

 salted wheat attacked by the weevil. He generally mixes about 

 one pound of salt with two bushels of wheat. He also states, 

 that this salting prevents, in a great degree, the necessity of sun- 

 ning wheat, which would be a great saving of labor. This is a 

 very simple preventive, which could be very easily tried, and 

 should it prove to be universally successful, would be of incal- 

 culable value to wheat growers, 



Solon Robinson — The insect that has destroyed so much wheat 

 in Western New- York and Pennsylvania and Northern Ohio tliis 

 season, which is called the " red weevil," is not the one spoken of 

 by Mr. Low. That destroys the wheat and Indian corn, particu- 

 larly in the Southern States, to a distressing degree in the crib or 

 grainery, while the other attacks the wheat head in bloom, and 



