The Canadian Horticl'i.tlrist. 39 



Wlkl-: WORMS. 



HE experiments at (.Jornell with the various methods, supposed to 

 help in exterminating the wire worm, have proved the utter futility 

 of most of them, and shows that much useless expense is incurred 

 by farmers in their vain efforts to destroy them. 



The true wire worms are larvae of the Click beetle, a class known 

 to entomologists as Elaters ; both the larval and perfect form of one 

 species of which are shown in the acconijianying illustration. 

 The larval form is only too well known to our readers, but some may not be 

 aware that the Click beetle is the same insect, under another form. It is now 

 proven that almost the only effectual way of destroying them is by fall ploughing 

 or by spading of the ground, thus disturbing the insects at the most critical 

 period of their existence — just when in a state of transformation into the adult 

 form. It appears that a long time is required before the body of the mature 

 insect becomes sufificiently hardened to bear exposure, which, therefore, 





Fig. 6. -Fn;. 7. — Wikewokm. 



A Click-beetle. Dor-ful riew, enlarged two diameters. 



D raster iur'i ele<jans, 

 natural size and 

 enlanjed. 



at this season means certain death. Since, however, the wire worm remains 

 three years in its larval state, it is evident that this treatment must be continued 

 during that length of time, before the soil can be at all cleared of this trouble- 

 some pest. 



There are a great many supposed remedies which have been recommended 

 in the public press, upon which farmers and others have spent much money, but 

 it would appear that all these are comparatively useless and are a simple waste 

 of means. They are such as the application of kerosene, salt, kainit, lime, gas- 

 lime, etc., but the experiments at Cornell have proved that, while some of these 

 are useless to destroy the wire worms, others- to be effective — would need to be 

 applied in such (juantities to the soil as to render it barren, and, therefore, so to 

 speak, the remedy is worse than the disease. 



