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severely attacked. Spraying- is useless when the Insects 

 are in the flowers as it does not reach them in that situa- 

 tion. When they feed openly on the pods in large num- 

 bers, spraying by means of contact insecticides is then 

 likely to be effective. A mixture of i lb. soft soap m 

 10 gallons of water is a cheap remedy and worthy of a 

 trial, or better still 3 lbs. tobacco powder (or i lb. of Voss 

 tobacco extract;, i lb. soft soap in 10 gallons of water. 

 Treatment of the soil during the winter does not offer m^uch 

 promise on account of the depth to which the Insect 

 descends. 



Coleoptera or Beetles are characterised by the anterior 

 pair of wings being modified to form horny sheaths which 

 usually cover the upper side of the abdomen. They are 

 exclusively biting in their feeding" habits and pass through 

 a direct metam.orphosis. Wirew^orms (12) are the larvae 

 of Click Beetles (family Elateridae) and are known to 

 attack almost any kind of crop. They are more especially 

 pests of the agriculturalist, though tomatoes, strawberries, 

 potatoes, and other vegetables are liable to suffer injury 

 when grown in gardens or allotmients. Three years and 

 even more are believed to be spent in the larval stage and, 

 owing to their resistant coats, these larv^ are notoriously 

 difficult to destroy, no effective remedy having so far been 

 discovered. Lures in the form of slices- of potato, carrot, 

 or beet buried an inch or more beneath the soil vvhen Wire- 

 worms are prevalent, often attracts considerable numbers 

 which can then be readily destroyed. The lures should 

 be examined twice a week and the spots marked with pegs. 

 In bad infestations crude powdered naphthaline dug well 

 into the soil in the autumn or early spring is worthy of 

 trial. Gas lime, lime, or salt are of very little use. In 

 the case of a badly infested potato crop there is no remedy 

 beyond digging it up. Infested soil should be well turned 

 over, exposed, and broken up. Birds then have easy access 

 to the Wireworms and material benefit is often derived by 

 adopting this measure. 



