107 
Report  on  Wireworm. 
“ My  chief  experience  of  losses  caused  by  wireworm  was  whilst  farming  in 
the  parish  of  Old  Alresford,  Hampshire,  the  damage  done  in  this  county 
(Gloucestershire,  neighbourhood  of  Cirencester)  being  nothing  to  compare  to 
that  on  the  light  chalky  soils  of  the  south-western  counties.  Sainfoin  being 
one  of  the  best  crops  for  such  soils,  together  with  old  leys,  a large  proportion 
of  the  land  is  taken  up  with  them;  and  being  the  breeding-places  of  the  wire- 
worms  for  years  together,  naturally  on  breaking  them  up  the  succeeding  crops 
suffer  much. 
“ T.  E.  Hulbert,  North  Carney,  Cirencester 
“ Concerning  damage  from  wireworm  on  a field  of  15  acres,  the  first  crop 
injured  was  turnips,  which  were  worth  at  least  61.  per  acre,  and  half  the 
crop  was  destroyed  by  the  wireworm,  which  would  make  the  loss  45?.  exclu- 
sive of  labour.  Last  year  (1881)  it  had  wheat  grown  upon  it  which  ought  to 
have  been  10  bags  to  the  acre  (72  lbs.  to  the  bushel),  instead  it  was  only 
2 bags,  so  I consider  the  loss  to  be  8 bags  at  1?.  Is.  per  bag,  which  would 
be  126?. 
“The  consuming  price  of  a ton  of  straw  lost  per  acre  would  be  about  1?.,  or 
loss  on  this  item  on  15  acres,  15?. 
“ Total  loss  during  two  years  would  thus  amount  to : — 
£ 
Turnips 
45 
Wheat 
. 126 
Straw 
15 
Total 
. £186 
“ J.  Heatley,  Passingham,  Wolverhampton 
“ I have  a 9-acre  field  of  light  sound  gravelly  soil,  rich  and  good,  which  is 
very  full  of  wireworms.  The  injury  done  is  very  serious,  being  about 
5 bushels  per  acre  in  the  patches  where  it  is  taken. 
“ J.  Prince,  Foston,  Derby." 
“ In  some  fields  wireworms  often  spoil  half  the  crop  of  wheat. 
“ G.  Burgess,  Petworth." 
“ We  have  suffered  much  from  wireworm  on  the  chalk  lands  during  the 
last  two  or  three  years,  but  not  so  much  during  the  present  one. 
“ On  the  clay  lands  we  have  not  suffered  to  the  same  extent  as  upon  the 
chalk,  except  in  cases  where  we  departed  from  the  four-course  rotation  and 
sowed  wheat  after  a two  years’  ley.  I attribute  this  partly  to  their  having 
been  in  clover  for  two  years,  and  partly  that,  being  undrained,  we  have  to 
ridge  up  the  field  in  small  lands,  which  prevent  the  roller  taking  proper  effect. 
“A.  H.  Bowles,  Clandon,  Guildford." 
“Wireworms  have  not  troubled  us  for  several  years  past,  but  previously 
they  were  a source  of  great  injury,  in  loss  of  oat  crops  and  turnip  crops. 
Probable  money  loss  no  one  can  tell  accurately. 
“ J.  Forrester, 
“For  Eight  Hon.  Viscount  Portman,  Bryanston,  Blandford." 
“ Injuries  are  mainly  confined  to  the  crops  on  light  porous  soils,  excepting 
very  sharp  sands.  On  land  subject  to  periodical  attacks  of  this  pest,  my 
estimate  of  the  average  amount  of  injury  is  about  one-tenth  of  the  crop. 
“E.  Beard,  Horton,  Canterbury." 
