106 Beetles [CH. 
are fond of carrots and potatoes and may be trapped 
in these in market gardens and glass houses. Attempts 
have been made to coat the seeds with various sub- 
stances but they have failed to prevent attacks. In 
attempting to reduce their numbers it must be 
remembered that clean farming is extremely helpful as 
large numbers are starved if the land is free from weeds 
for any length of time. Clean fallowing will get rid of 
considerable numbers. It must also be remembered 
that the grasses in hedges and headlands provide food. 
A crop of mustard will also starve a great many of them. 
In breaking up grass land, leys, or any covered land 
we must not forget that wireworms are usually present 
and all crops except mustard are likely to be attacked. 
Paring and burning has proved helpful, as also 
applications of lime and gas lime, especially if the 
grasses themselves are burned. These methods do not 
kill the wireworm, but destroy their food. All these 
methods aim at starving the wireworms. Applications 
of various kinds are useful for a time, the wireworms 
are not killed but simply go deep down into the soil 
and come up again when the trouble is over. Appli- 
cation of rape cake is thought by many to kill them. 
It has been proved to benefit the crop to which it is 
applied as wireworms are very fond of it and leave the 
roots of plants in order to feed on it. In the following 
season however we shall find that they are still present 
in the soil ready to feed on any crop except mustard. 
Rolling the land in order to consolidate it helps the 
crop, as it prevents wireworms moving from one 
plant to another as easily as in loose soil. Fora similar 
reason driving sheep over the land when possible is 
very useful. 
