SPRING PRACTICE IN ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY. 35 



The Corn Root Aphis, A-phis maidi-radicus, may be greatly 

 reduced in numbers by frequently stirring the ground between 

 plowing and planting. This may be accomplished with a disk-harrow 

 or a cultivator. This operation destroys many of the ants which 

 foster the lice, by breaking up their nests, and kills many of the 

 young of both ants and lice. Fertilizing well with barnyard manure 

 also does much to fortify the corn against damage by the lice. Dr. 

 Forbes, of the Illinois Station, reports promising results by treating 

 the seed corn with a mixture of oil of lemon and wood alcohol. One 

 gallon of wood alcohol is combined with one pint of oil of lemon, and 

 three fluid ounces or six tablespoonsful of this mixture is sprinkled 

 into each gallon of seed before planting. The corn is thoroughly 

 stirred while being sprinkled to insure an equal distribution of the 

 fluid and to make sure that each kernel of corn has its proper 

 share. The odor of this mixture persists for weeks after the corn 

 is buried, and owing to its repelling powers the cornfield ant will not 

 enter corn hills until all odor has gone; consequently no aphis eggs 

 are carried into the hills. Cost of materials is not over 10 cents per 

 acre. 



Cutworms may be destroyed with the poisoned bran bait. (See 

 page 78.) This treatment has been tested on a large scale in the 

 Canadian provinces and proved to be practical and successful. Cost, 

 including labor of making the application, should not exceed one 

 dollar per acre. 



The Corn Root Web Worm, Crambus caliginosellus, and allied 

 species, often damage young corn by burrowing into the base of the 

 stalks. The larvae live in fine, loose, silken webs or cases, about an 

 inch below the surface of the ground. These insects are normally 

 grass feeders and rarely injure corn to a serious extent, except where 

 planted on sod land. If there is reason to suppose them abundant 

 on new land, plant to potatoes, buckwheat or some other crop than 



corn. 



CLOVER INSECTS. 



APRIL-MAY. 



The larva of the Clover Seed Midge, Cecidomyia leguminicola, a 

 small, reddish maggot which feeds in the florets, is often a cause of 

 failure to mature a crop of seed. One method of dodging its effects 

 is to pasture the clover during the spring months until about the 

 middle of June, when the live stock is removed and a late crop of 

 seed is generally obtained. There are two broods of the midge, one 

 appearing about the middle of June, the second and smaller one in 

 July and August. If the plants are kept eaten down in spring so 

 that no June brood matures, because of the lack of blossoms on 

 which to feed, the second or late brood will do very little damage. 



