CORN PESTS AND DISEASES 249 



13 — If the corn in the granary loses materially in 

 weight and is filled with small holes, the indications are 

 that it has been injured by the grain moth, or weevil. 

 Very often the presence of these pests can be ascer- 

 tained by the sawdust-like sittings which accumulate 

 in the lower part of the bin or crib where they are 

 abundant. 



14 — In com meal and other manufactured prod- 

 ucts, the Indian meal moth can be ascertained by the 

 presence of the young worms and the matting together 

 of the meal with small particles of silk spun by the 

 larvae or worms. A large number of moths flying 

 about the pantry, mill, granary or other places where 

 com products are stored, is usually sufficient evidence 

 that the products are infested and should be looked 

 after without further delay. 



THE SEED IN THE GROUND 



Wireworms — The most important of all insects 

 that injure seed corn in the ground are wireworms. 

 If the seed fails to start or there is a sudden withering 

 of the corn plant when a foot or two high, especially 

 if the field was in grass one or two years before, there 

 is reason to warrant a suspicion of injury by wire- 

 worms. In fact, these hard, smooth, shining, yellow- 

 ish-brown, cylindrical, six-legged worms are much 

 more destructive to seed corn under ground than all 

 other insects taken. together. They sometimes begin 

 their injuries to the seed immediately after planting. 

 They bury their heads in ' it at first, after eating 

 entirely through the kernel, occasionally devouring it 

 completely. If they attack the growing plant they are 

 likely to eat the smaller roots, or to penetrate or bore 

 through the larger ones, dwarfing or killing the corn. 

 Later when the young plant is several inches high, they 

 frequently kill it outright by boring their cylindrical 



