IKSECT AND OTHER ENEMIES. 127 



yard. On account of their habits they are regarded 

 with much ill-favpr. They hop about tlie house and 

 are continually running over the mushrooms, beds, and 

 walls, in the most suspicious manner. But, notwith- 

 standing this, I am inclined to regard them as perfectly 

 harmless so far as injuring the mushroom crop is con- 

 cerned, except the fact that they soil the mushrooms 

 somewhat by their traveling over them with their 

 muddy feet. 



In attempting to get rid of the maggot fly I have 

 destroyed large numbers of these little innocents, but 

 without any apparent diminution in their numbers. 

 Lachaume recommends : " These flies may be destroyed 

 by placing about a number of pans filled with water to 

 which a few drops of oil of turpentine have been added. 

 The flies are attracted by the odor and drown themselves. 

 Tliey may also be caught with a floating light, in which 

 they ^vill burn their wings and fall into the water." I 

 have found that pure buhach powder dusted into the 

 air or burned on a hot shovel in the mushroom house 

 has been more effective in destroying these flies than 

 either the lamp or drowning process. 



Slugs These are serious pests in the mushroom 



house, especially in above-ground structures, .ind they 

 also occur in annoying numbers in cellars. Wherever 

 hay or straw is used in covering the beds, or there is 

 much woodwork about the house, slugs appear to be 

 most numerous. They are very fond of mushrooms and 

 attack them in all stages, from the tiny button just 

 emerging from the ground to the fully developed plant. 

 In the case of the buttons or small mushrooms they 

 usually eat out a piece on the top or side of the cap, and 

 as the mushroom advances in growth these wounds 

 spread open and display an ugly scar or disfigurement. 

 They also bite into the st«ms. But in the case of fresh, 

 full grown mushrooms they seem to have a particular 



