W. V,. DWIGHT. 85-(55 I 



the important fact thai these are all early beans. The 

 "lima bean," herepprts unaffected. Examining the beans 

 raised in 1880, on the same ground, he found a few of the 

 "white kidneys,'* but no others, bored by the weevil. 



Mr. Buckingham also states that his coachman reports 

 to him having bought two weeks ago at a grocery store, in 

 Poughkeepsie, some large, tine looking, " white marrow " 

 beans, which proved to be so badly infested by weevils, 

 as to be useless for eating, and that as this variety is a 

 field-crop in many parts of the country, its liability to 

 destruction in this way is a matter of grave importance 

 to many farmers. It will be noticed that the " lima bean 

 which has escaped, is always sown somewhat late, as ii 

 will not survive the cold wet soil of early spring. It 

 seems evident that beans maturing later, whether from 

 later sowing, or from native habit, are far more likely 

 to escape this pest, than those sown or maturing earlier ; 

 it also appears that some early varieties, especially the 

 " white kidney " are especially useless in the presence of 

 the bean-weevil. 



It is evident that the appearance here of this destruc- 

 tive insect, is a sufficiently serious matter to arouse agri- 

 culturists to immediate and decisive action. Yet fortu- 

 nately there is every reason to hope that by taking prop- 

 er precautions, this creature may be eradicated here as it 

 has been in other places. 



The crow-black-bird, and the Baltimore oriole, are 

 said by Dr. Harris, to be very active destroyers of the 

 pea-weevil, and they would doubtless be equally useful 

 against the weevil of the bean. But they can only be re- 

 garded as helpful allies. 



The following decisive measures are recommended as 

 completely effective by the leading entomologists : 



1. Burn up without a day's delay every infested bean 

 not available for seed, by methods to be proposed : 



2. Beans not too much injured to serve For seed, may 

 be treated in one of two ways. The first is the common 

 expedient resorted to for the pea-weevil, immerse the 

 beans in boiling-hot water, for a minute or two, just be- 

 fore planting- .Meanwhile, (and this is of the highesl 

 importance), keep the beans in insect- tight vessels, until 

 the time for scalding and planting comes, to prevent the 

 escape abroad, of a multitude of weevils. The second 



