46 



INJURIOUS INSECTS AND FUNGI. 



[June 1895. 



of every variety but two — Reading Giautand Windsor Castle — 

 the crop of sound tubers was increased by the dressings, the gains 

 varying from 10 cwt. to 5 tons 3 cwt. per acre, and averaging 

 2 Ions 1 cwt. per acre on the 24 plot?. The value of the increased 

 crop due to this spraying, at the prices holding when the Report 

 was made, is put at about 6L per acre, and the cost of applying two 

 dressings estimated at about 24s. per acre, leaving the cultivator 

 a difference in his total return of 4/. 16s. per acre. 



''Thousand-Legs." Millepedes. (Jidus giittatiis, Fah.; 

 imlchelliis, Leach. ; Polydesmiis complanatus). 



Irt and I. Jtilus guitatns : natural size and magnified. 



2rt and 2. Poli/desmns complanatus : natural size and magnified. 



These creatures, which are not, strictly speaking, insects, are 

 doing much harm this 3^ear to all kinds of crops in fields and 

 gardens. They have simply swarmed in some districts. Among 

 the crops they have especially attacked are oats, barley, peas, and 

 hops. A piece of oats was examined in which the plants looked 

 sickly and were dying off fast, just as they do when attacked by 

 wireworms. Upon examination, it was seen that there were many 

 " thousand- legs" among the roots of the plants and in the decaying 

 husks of the seeds, as well as in the bulbs and stems from the 

 bulbs close to the ground, evidently feeding upon the plants. 

 An occasional wireworm, it is true, was noticed also close to the 

 bulbs of some plants, but as at least 40 per cent, of the plants were 

 affected, this was not nearly sufficient to account for the serious 

 harm caused to them. In the plants where wireworms were found 

 the soft juicy stems from the bulb had evidently been bitten 

 asunder. In other cases the plants appeared to be suffering 

 from exhaustion of juices from the attacks of several " thousand- 

 legs " collected round each plant. Barley plants were attacked 

 in the same manner. In hop stocks showing manifest signs of 

 weakness, which were putting out somewhat few and spindly 

 bines, quantities of " thousand-legs " were found, as well as wire- 

 worms. It was clear that the former were in the sound and sappy 

 parts of the stocks, as well as in decayed and decaying parts, 

 and that they were injuring the plants by their action. It is 

 supposed that tliey live upon vegetable substance in a decayed 

 and decaying, as well as in a growing, state, but ih^y were 

 evidently feeding upon the sap of the hop stocks in the cases 

 examined recently, and with regard to the corn and ])ea plants 

 there was no decay except as to the husk of the germinated seed. 



