ENEMIES OF THE SUGAR BEET. 277 



The larvaB of these insects do much harm, from the 

 fact that they live in a small cavity, which they make 

 in the upper portion of the heet, from which the sweet 

 juice continually flows. The larva of these insects 

 is frequently taken for the white worm, owing to an 

 existing similarity. For their destruction it has been 

 proposed to make use of a certain quantity of vinegar 

 or sour sulphate of copper. Sulphur has been tried, 

 but, from experiments that we have made, we do not 

 consider success possible with it. 



We must not forget to mention the Nematodes (be- 

 longing to thirty-seventh family' (Euenemidse) of the 

 Coleoptera) which are frequently seen during the 

 damp and wet seasons on the surface of acidulous soils. 

 These are generally found in great numbers. The 

 method of destruction adopted is to plough deeply and 

 as frequently as possible ; in this manner they are placed 

 at a depth beyond their power to rise again to the 

 surface. Then, again, a good plan is to plant the beet 

 only after many years on a soil where they have been 

 noticed. 



Belonging to the same family we have another in- 

 sect, which is said to attack this plant, and that is 

 Heteroderes. The last of all, but not the least import- 

 ant of the Coleoptera, is the Cryptophagous (belong- 

 ing to the fourth family (Engidse) of I^eci'ophagie ; 

 tiie last mentioned being the second division of Eypo- 



' The above is the German classification. 



