124 Beetles [CH. 
which contains small curled yellowish legless grubs 
measuring about } inch in length and possessing brown 
jaws. These are the larvae of small blackish beetles 
possessing the long snouts with elbowed feelers so 
characteristic of weevils. These weevils lay their eggs 
on or in the cabbage stalks or turnip roots and from 
these eggs the young grubs hatch out. 
By feeding on the plant these cause the food supply 
to go to the places where they are feeding and hence 
swellings are produced. After a time they eat their 
way out of the swellings and go into the soil to pupate 
in earth cases. Some of the grubs remain in the plant 
through the winter, whereas others pass the winter as 
pupae. In the following spring and summer the 
weevils come out and eventually lay their eggs on 
suitable plants. 
Remedial Measures. 
In ordinary farm practice where cruciferous crops 
are grown every four years this weevil does little 
damage as it has great difficulty in living from one 
crop to the next when cruciferous weeds are kept down. 
In market gardens these crops occur more frequently 
and they become infested. The practice of putting the 
cabbage stalks in a compost heap or ploughing them 
under is favourable to the insect as the grubs go 
into the soil, pupate and so give rise to weevils next 
spring. The stalks containing the grubs should be 
burnt. Care must be taken in planting to destroy all 
young plants which have galls on them. 
Gas lime in the autumn checks the weevil. Rooks 
and partridges eat the grubs in the galls which they are 
able to reach. Cruciferous weeds should be kept down. 
