WIREWORMS ATTACKING CEREAL AND FORAGE CROPS. 15 



ance of the soil to that depth at this time would undoubtedly de- 

 stroy them. At this time of the year the ground is very hot and 

 the air exceedingly dry in this region, and even the resting larva? 

 and pupae that were not actually crushed by the cultivation would 

 soon succumb to drying when their cells were broken open. The writer 

 had considerable trouble in bringing pupae in from the field to his 

 rearing cages and was forced to resort to tightly closed tin boxes 

 which were fitted in the bottom with moistened blotters. 



The usual farm practice in the region where the dry -land wireworm 

 is troublesome may be roughly outlined as follows: Immediately 

 after seeding the wheat in earty spring the fallow land is plowed to 

 a depth of from 4 to 7 inches. This is usually in April, but if 

 horses and help can be spared from seeding, the summer fallow is 

 plowed as early in the spring as the land can be worked. The next 

 operation on the fallow land is disking it late in June or early in 

 July to maintain the dust mulch and kill out the weeds and volun- 

 teer wheat. Many of the more progressive farmers: now advocate, 

 and a few practice, fall plowing of stubble and only disking the 

 fallow land in the spring. The year following the summer fallow- 

 ing the field is disk harrowed early in the spring if the land has run 

 together during the winter and is caked; otherwise the land is har- 

 rowed with a drag or spike-tooth harrow. It is then seeded and 

 dragged and receives no further treatment until harvest. The seeder 

 is usually set to sow at a depth of about 3 inches, though if the 

 moisture is high enough 1 inch is sufficient. Wheat hay is used 

 extensively in this country and is cut while the wheat is in the 

 dough, which is usually from July 4 to 15. The wheat crop is har- 

 vested from the 1st of August until the 1st of September. 



We recommend altering this practice in order to destroy wire- 

 worms in the following manner: 



(1) Disk or drag harroio the summer fallow as early as possible 

 in the spring, in order to produce a dust mulch and thereby con- 

 serve the accumulated winter's moisture; (2) continue disking as 

 often as is necessary to maintain the dust mulch and keep down the 

 weeds; (3) plow the summer fallow in July or early in August, 

 and immediately drag; (4) plow the stubble as soon as the crop 

 is off. 



As these worms are of three different ages in most infested fields, 

 and as only about one-third of these will be in the pupal stage each 

 year, it is evident that the first year of this practice will not show 

 startling results. However, if the practice is continued for a couple 

 of years it will undoubtedly reduce the number of these pests very 

 considerably. Aside from its beneficial results in killing insects, this 

 method of handling the land will materially reduce the weeds. The 

 early disking merely softens up the soil and allows all the weed 



