Report of the State Entomologist 2m 



or but partially devoured even in the worst infested beans/' m^ 

 require this explanation: at the time of writing, the bean-weevil had 

 only been known in Missouri for a year or two, and had not as y^t 

 become abundant. If Curtis, in his " Farm Insects," in commenting 

 on Latreille's remark that by a wonderful instinct of the weevil " tj^ 

 vital germ of the pea is spared," was correct in stating, " this^-^s 

 the case with the beans also," and again on page 361 loc. cit., " as the 

 beetles [Bruchus granarius] generally leave the germ uninjured, tfefe 

 vitality of the infested seeds is not destroyed " — then certainly the beari- 

 weevils of Europe must be less injurious in their feeding operatioiis 

 than is our species. Dr. Fitch — always accepted as a careful 

 observer — has distinctly stated (as already quoted), " in moat 

 instances I find the germ is devoured." My own examinations of 

 infested beans are in accord with this, for in no case have I found: k 

 bean of the ordinary size used for baking, which has nurtured more 

 than five larvae, in which the germ has remained intact. yd 



Experiment in Testing Vitality and Productiveness. 



m 



But beyond the question of germination, there is still another quite 

 as important — the vitality and productiveness of the plant after itp 

 stalk and leaf development. Where a full crop is desired, and wh^ , 

 is it not, beans even hut slightly injured should not he used for seed. 

 This is proven beyond all question by the careful experiments made 

 and reported by an eminent English entomologist, Mr. Theodore 

 Wood. 



For the purpose of ascertaining the precise degree of injury caused 

 by Bruchus rufimanus in beans, twenty were selected from a large lot 

 of infested material, three of which had been perforated by thee© 

 weevils each, five by two, and twelve by one only. They were sowji 

 under the most favorable conditions for insuring uniformity dn 

 growth and general welfare. 



The young plants showed strong and vigorous growth, and w^JD 



apparently none the worse for the injury that the seed had receivei<li. 



But when the time for fruiting came, a great change was evident*. 



The blossoms were few and small; the foliage faded and withered^; 



and several of the plants died without producing a single pod. 



Mr. Wood further states: zs 



Of the first three plants, raised from seed pierced by three weeviid, 

 one was altogether barren, while the remaining two bore but thr^ 

 pods between them, none of which arrived at perfection. The next 

 five grown from seed tenanted by two beetles only, were slightly more 

 fruitful, bearing in all six pods, of which five reached their fiffl 

 growth; two of these five plants, however, were barren. Upon tb* 

 remaining twelve, the seed of which had but one perforation, I 



