ON PESTS GENERALLY. IIOI 



Pansies, as well as to cereals, is enormous. They feed upon the 

 living roots and underground stems, and plants attacked soon 

 present a sickly appearance. 



When once fairly established, they are difficult to combat, and 

 nothing short of radical measures will suffice. x-\llowing the 

 ground to lie fallow and then dressing with gas-lime, laid on 

 ^in. or so thick, has proved of assistance in very bad attacks. 

 Deep cultivation is also of great service in small gardens, com- 

 bined with dressings of soot and lime in equal proportions. 

 Where, however, Potatoes are grown, Air. x\bbey recommends 

 the employment of kainit and nitrate of soda, mixed, at the rate 

 of 2lb. per rod on ordinary garden land. This, the writer 



Fig. 715. — I AXD la, Agriotes lineatus; 2 and 2a, Agriotes sputator • 

 3 AND 3a, Agriotes obscurus ; All Natural Size and ^STagnified. 

 4, Larva of Agriotes lineatus; 5, Pupa; Xatural Size. 



{By permission of the Board oj Agriculture.) 



further suggests in the Joiii-nal of Horticulture^ is equally good for 

 other root-feeding pests, like Eelworms, Leather-Jackets, and 

 Mites. The kainit and soda should be crushed fine and be 

 evenly distributed when the ground is moist, with a prospect of 

 fine weather for a few days. 



The old-fashioned method of trapping by means of pieces of 

 sliced vegetable through which a stick has been thrust is slow, 

 and would only be of use in very small gardens and slight attacks. 

 By way of prevention, soil used for potting should be carefully 

 examined, and all Wireworms picked out and destroyed. Beneficial 

 results have follow^ed the ploughing-in of a crop of mustard. 

 Mustard dross very lightly dredged over the surface of the soil 

 in the case of flowering plants is equally useful. Wireworms 

 are usually most troublesome in newly-made gardens where the 

 top spit of pasture land has been employed. 



Wood-feeding Insects embrace the Caterpillars of the Goat 

 Moth [Cosstis ligniperda^ Fig. 716), which are met with in fruit- 

 trees as well as in Willows, Poplars, Ash, and many other trees. 

 They are exceedingly destructive, living as they do some three 

 years as larvae, and in enormous numbers. They tunnel the 



