232 MAINE; AGRicuLTuRAi, expe;rime;nt station. 1911. 



Plot X. Sherwin-Williams Soil Fungicide used instead of 

 lime; otherwise as in Plot 15. Stand very poor in September; 

 wire worms present. 



Corresponding results were obtained on the second series of 

 plots. 



An additional laboratory experiment was made to determine 

 the effect of calcium carbide upon wireworms present in the 

 soil. 



(a) Several wire worms were placed in a shallow uncov- 

 ered dish, 75 mm. in diameter, with a piece of calcium carbide 

 weighing about 6 grams and covered with earth. The small 

 amount of moisture present was sufficient to disintegrate the 

 carbide and fum.es were no longer given off at the end of 24 

 hours. The wire worms were active and unaffected by the 

 treatment. 



(b) One wire worm was exposed to the fumes of 2 grams 

 of the carbide in a 25 cc vial tightly corked. After 3 hours the 

 larva was motionless, but fully recovered after a few hours 

 when placed in a clean vial. 



From the foregoing account it will be seen that the poisons 

 and repellants used, usually so successful' in combating insects 

 under other conditions, were not efficient against wire worms 

 in our tests. The successful growth of the peas leads one to 

 believe that a rotation involving peas, or possibly peas and oats, 

 a common fodder crop in this state, or clover, may be effectively 

 employed though whether wire worms are thereby actually 

 reduced in number in the field so they may be less injurious 

 upon susceptible crops planted later, future experiments alone 

 will decide. 



"Experiments along these lines are planned for next year, 

 following in part, some suggestions made in the papers on wire 

 worms published by the Cornell and the Illinois Experiment 

 Stations. 



It may be of interest to note that the adult beetles Melanofus 

 fissilis, Asphes brevicollis, and Corybites cyllndrif ormis have 

 been captured at Highmoor Farm. The larvae found, also rep- 

 resent 3 species, an Asphes (or Corybites), a Melanotics and 

 one resembling Agriotes niancus as figured in Forbes' 7th Re- 

 port. Adults from these have not yet been reared. 



