Sept. 1894.] 



INJURIOUS IXSECTS AND FUXGI. 



55 



cost would be very great, as 1,000 gallons of oil would be 

 required to spray one acre, and it would be necessiary to drive 

 the .solution into the soil by fre([uent and copious sprayings. 

 Petroleum was tried with less effect than kerosene. Poisoned 

 and s^veetened dough was placed in the cages, but the Avire- 

 worms were not attracted by it. 



Bisulphide of carbon, as used against tlie phjdloxera, killed 

 Avireworms, but it would require 1,000 lbs. of the liquid to treat 

 an aci'e, s3 that it woidd only be practicable and profitable to 

 employ this on limited areas and for valuable crops. 



It Avas shoAvn by experiments Avith salt, that to destroy wire- 

 Avorms salt must be used at the rate of about eight tons per acre, 

 which AA'ould be practically destructive to vegetation. The same 

 deductions were made from the use of kainit and muiiate of 

 potash. Tame at the rate of 200 bushels per acre and gas lime 

 at 20,000 lbs. per acre Avere tried Avith the same results. 



The experiments described were carried on for three years 

 with the gi-eatest care and the strictest attention to details. 

 Specially constructed cages were used Avith plates of glass let 

 into the sides for observation. Though the conclusions arrived 

 at do not convey much hope of cultivators bein<;- able to kill or 

 starve AAdrcAvorms, there seems to be .some rc'asons for thinking 

 that the application of salt, kainit, lime, and kerosene, Avith 

 other offensive substances in moderate quantities, may keep the 

 pests at bay and away from young plants, at least until their 

 roots are established, and they can grow away from the- 

 attack. 



Various " traps "Avere tried at Cornell Station, but Avithout 

 very conclusiA'e results. It has been proA'ed, hoAVCA'er, in the 

 United Kingdom that AvireAvorms can be trapped, as, for 

 instance, in hop plantations, by pieces of mangel, potato, carrot, 

 or turnip, and especially by rape-cake placed I'ound the hills. 

 The traps should be examined tAvice a week. 



Rape-cake crushed in small pieces, sown broadcast upon oats, 

 wheat, and other crops at the rate of five to seven CAvt per 

 acre, will frequently be the means of saving the crop infested 

 with wire worms, as the insects prefer the rape-cake and feed 

 upon it while the plants grow aAvay from their attacks. 



The Turnip " Fly or Flea " {Phyllotreta nemorum). 



This insect has been very troublesome this season, especially 

 in districts of Yorkshire. It is in reality neither a fly nor a 

 flea, but a beetle provided with wings for flight, and having 

 powers of jumping long distances when di-sturbed. Curtis sajs 

 tliat it can jump eighteen inches. In some seasons it clears ofi 

 young plants of swedes, turnips, rape, cabbage, kale, and others 

 of the genus Brassica as fast as they come up. For example, in 

 1881 its ravages in England and Scotland were disastrous. 



