14 DISEASES OF CHOPS. 



poured into it, and the seed (peas or beans) should be put 

 in to soak an hour. The liquor should then be run off, 

 put into the second barrel, and this should also be filled 

 up with seeds ; and so on, using the barrels alternately 

 until all the seeds have been soaked. The seeds thus 

 pass through the oil twice ; once when they are poured 

 in, and again when the Hquor is drawn off, because, 

 as the oil floats on the water, it comes off last ; and the 

 beetles appear to be all killed by it without any harm 

 being done to the vegetable germ. 



The Bean Weevils (Sitona crinita, Sitona lineata) 

 are often injurious to other leguminous crops besides 

 beans. These beetles devour the leaves of the infested 

 crops. For a description of their life-histories, etc., see 

 later in this chapter, under the heading of " Pea Weevils." 

 Julus pulchellus is the commonest of the " snake 

 millipedes," and is one of the so-called " false wireworms." 

 The true wireworm has only six legs, whereas Julus has 

 many. According to the late Mr. Curtis, Julus pulchellus 

 feeds upon the roots of beans, cabbages, and also upon the 

 roots of young wheat. 



Prevention and Cure. — See the article under the 

 heading: " The Diseases of Corn Crops." 



The Bean-Root Fungus {Ustilago fabce). A con- 

 siderable amount of work has been performed in investi- 

 gating the nature of the nodular outgrowths upon the 

 roots of various plants. One of the earliest observations 

 in this direction was by Naegeli in 1842, who found that 

 the swellings upon the roots of Iris were caused by a 

 parasitic fungus. The peculiar nodules upon the roots of 

 various members of the Leguminosce have been examined 

 by Malpighi, De CandoUe, Woronin, Kny, Treviranus 

 Ward, the author, and others. Dr. Tschirch considered 



